How Tech Can Help Startups Win Customers In Ramadan

As big brands roll out their Ramadan marketing campaigns, many startups feel the need to do the same to stay competitive. They assume that success comes from name recognition — something established brands have built over years of heavy marketing spend.  

The truth? You are at a stage in your journey where you don’t need to behave like a brand, and that’s OK.  

77 percent of CMOs believe their brand is highly differentiated, but only seven percent of consumers agree, according to a study by the global communications company Havas Group, 2024.  

Only five percent of consumers say brand values influence their purchase, while 65 percent prioritize price, convenience, and product quality, according to a 2024 study by market research company Kantar.  

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) now makes it easier for startups to behave in the same way as any big brand - so, instead of competing with big brands, startups should focus on being relevant, and getting in front of the right audience at the right time.  

As we move into Ramadan this year, my enterprise, Platformance, has released a playbook that dives deep into guiding brands from attention to conversion over the course of the holy month. Here's the simple but powerful approach that we recommend:

1. You Are Not A Brand — You Are A Solution 

Big brands focus on long-term awareness. Startups don’t have that luxury. Consumers don’t care about your logo, they care about solving a need.  

Rather than trying to be memorable, focus on being available, relevant, and useful. The startups that win during Ramadan are those that show up at the right time, not the ones that spend the most on advertising. 

2. You Don’t Need to Compete With Brands — You Need To Be Relevant 

Big brands dominate ad space during Ramadan, but that doesn’t mean they dominate consumer attention. Relevance beats recognition.  

A Google and BCG study found that consumers are twice as likely to engage with personalized, relevant ads than with general brand-building campaigns.  

Instead of spending on brand awareness, invest in being visible at the right moments, pre-iftar, late at night, or when your audience is actively searching. 

3. Instead of Building a Brand, Drive Demand  

Most businesses only focus on conversions, but without generating demand, acquisition costs rise. Instead, follow the "Generate, Nurture, Convert Demand" framework:  

• Generate Demand: Introduce your business to new audiences (use influencers, community-driven campaigns, and WhatsApp groups).  

• Nurture Demand: Keep your business top of mind (focus on frequency overreach, retarget interested users).  

• Convert Demand: Close high-intent users when they are ready (offer fast checkout, flexible payments, and Ramadan-specific incentives). 

Platformance's founder and CEO Waseem Afzal.

4. The Ramadan Advantage: Why This Works Now  

Ramadan is a time when consumers are:  

• More active online, but at different times (late night, pre-iftar).  

• More willing to try new brands if they meet a current need.  

• Looking for deals, but not just discounts; convenience, flexibility, and speed matter more.  

Big brands focus on mass visibility. Startups can win by being relevant.  

Final Thought: Winning Without a Big Budget  

Ramadan is not about who spends the most—it’s about who is most relevant.  

You don’t need to build a brand, you need to generate demand.  

You don’t need mass awareness, you need frequency with the right audience.  

You don’t need big-budget ads, you need to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right message, and often.  

Startups that execute this approach spend less, engage more, and win bigger during Ramadan.

About The Author

Waseem Afzal is the founder and CEO of Platformance, a growth technology platform that helps brands connect with customers using a pay-per-outcome model. For the complete Ramadan Playbook, reach out to Platformance.