"...in the Indian city of Hyderabad, during Ramadan the city is awake for the entire night with lights, banners & hoardings; shops are open throughout the night with festive offers; people work in shifts. But all this is overshadowed by the crowds at the ready-to-serve eating joints..."                   
                                                         Report on Indian TV Channel 'AAJTAK'
"... during Ramadan the television is on from sunset till dawn. Each year, it seems that radio & television is making the spectacle bigger & brighter. Game shows, dramas & comedies are supplemented by increase in advertising & big prizes …the audience absorbs all with glee..."
                                            Report on CairoLive.com

The holy month of Ramadan has ended with a week of Eid-ul-Fitr. The period of abstinence has ended on an extravagant note of feasting, festivities & joie de vivre. How much do religious festivals effect advertising? A few observations on 3 major religious festivals of the world.

Ramadan
During the holy month of Ramadan, daily consumption patterns vary between daylight hours & night. Depressed consumption during the day is more than made up by excessive consumption after dark. Not surprisingly, the advertising pattern follows this consumption pattern. Programming in electronic media is marked by the religious rites. But the content becomes more entertainment oriented after sunset. Similarly, the sunset opens opportunities for brands to advertise. This is also an opportunity to launch new goods & products, especially food. (Eg. Zam-Zam Cola launched just before Ramadan.) The outdoor medium is also very active because people spend more time outside their homes after sunset. And electronically controlled billboards (MOPI) are programmed to display different content after sunset.

Christmas
As the New Year follows Christmas, the festival gets clubbed with the holiday mood and increases the consumption pattern increasing the ad spend. People exchange gifts, party out, and corporate's not only use there left over ad budgets during this season but also have special ad budgets to welcome the New Year and celebrate the festival. Since Christmas coincides with the New Year, holidays extend from 1 week to 3 weeks. Both bonuses as well as the tradition of exchanging gifts & feasting make this a season to purchase & consume. This period also co-incides with financial year-ending, resulting in comsumption of excess corporate budgets. Naturally, ad spend touches all-time highs! Programming content in electronic media is modified with a milder mix of entertainment and religion. Print medium is equally active during the season with a surge in the ad spend. Outdoor medium comes alive with billboards & banners offering special discounts. Finally, online buying surges heavily during Christmas. (2001 online purchases during the Christmas season was around $ 50 bn.)

Deepawali
During Deepawali, the consumption pattern increases to match the buying power. Annual bonuses are released during this festival. People exchange gifts, party. While advertisers reserve special ad budgets for this season. Ad spend during Deepawali rises to suit consumption. Programming content in electronic media is modified mildly to suit the religious mood. Print medium is very active during this season with a surge in ad spends. Special supplements & annuals are quite common. Outdoor medium is equally active during the festival with hoardings & billboards announcing special offers.

It is quite clear that most religious festivals drive an increase of consumption. Naturally, ad spend surges to match the increase in consumption. Consumerism is here to stay. Arrivederci!