This year, we may celebrate Ramadan under unusual circumstances but some truths remain the same. Regardless of the context, Ramadan is a time for family, sharing, and gifting, during which small gestures are expressions of love and appreciation while food brings people together, however apart they might physically be.

Based on this enduring reality, there’s a lot to be learnt from the Ramadan 2019 Kitkat Mini Moments Desserts campaign in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, that followed the successful launch of the Kitkat Mini Moments pack in 2018.

Building on quantified insights – confectionary treats are part of the daily dessert habit, 83% of people in the region celebrate Ramadan, and online sales increase by 35% during the holy month – the 2019 Ramadan campaign focused on repositioning the gifting proposition to online purchasing, while helping Kitkat enter the gifting territory and be associated with the season.

Through ads running on Facebook and Instagram with a “Shop Now” call-to-action leading consumers to online retailers, the campaign targeted two periods: pre-Iftar, when people are looking for gifting ideas; and post-Iftar, when consumers consider desserts. In the UAE, the online advertising initiative was coupled with a competition on e-retailers’ stores giving consumers access to a customized game board during the month.

Using automatic placements and fully taking advantage of the platforms’ high penetration in Saudi Arabia, Kitkat reached out to families celebrating Ramadan, inviting them to order products online and lifting both awareness around its product and online sales.

The Ramadan 2019 Kitkat Mini Moments Desserts campaign shows a pathway for brands aiming to connect with their customers during Ramadan and drive them to e-commerce channels, at a time when buying online is the safest and easiest option.

We spoke with Wassim Barbara, Head of Media MENA for Nestlé Middle East, to understand more about this successful campaign.

What was the main goal of the digital campaign that Kitkat ran on Facebook and Instagram last Ramadan?

We ran this campaign with two key objectives: primarily, to raise awareness around KitKat’s Mini Moments offering; secondly, to increase purchase intent and online purchases.

What made you choose Facebook’s marketing solutions out of many alternatives?

Facebook was the platform of choice to take advantage of its high penetration in Saudi Arabia via automatic placements on Facebook and Instagram. It also offers “Shop Now” ads that are a great fit for a product like Kitkat.

Which Facebook/Instagram solutions and products did you use for this campaign?

We opted for automatic placements on Facebook and Instagram to capitalize on the power of Facebook’s algorithm. In terms of buying method, we used the auction optimized for clicks. And for placements and ad formats, we went for page post link ads (PPLA) – Shop Now.

What were the results of this campaign and did you achieve your goals?

This campaign achieved great results: 11.4-points increase in awareness, 14-points increase in ad recall on Kitkat Mini Moments, and a 2.8-points lift in purchase intent.