The document discusses findings from an online blog about Ramadan involving Muslim participants in Germany and Morocco. It summarizes how people's lives change during Ramadan, including spending more time with family and consuming more food, and discusses some of the challenges of fasting during long days in Germany. It also addresses opportunities for brands to recognize and respectfully engage with Muslims during Ramadan.

1. Qualitative 360 Europe
2014
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2. #RAMADAN

3. “This multicultural approach
has failed, utterly failed”
(Angela Merkel 2010)
HOW CAN WE ADDRESS MUSLIMS IN
GERMANY?
HOW CAN WE ADDRESS TURKISH PEOPLE IN
GERMANY?

4. WHAT IS RAMADAN ALL ABOUT?
WHAT DO PEOPLE HOPE TO
GAIN THROUGH RAMADAN?
HOW DO PEOPLES’ LIVES
CHANGE DURING RAMADAN?
HOW DOES THE YOUNGER
GENERATION EXPERIENCE AND
RELATE TO RAMADAN?
HOW IS RAMADAN DIFFERENT
FOR A MUSLIM MINORITY IN
GERMANY?

5. HAPPY RAMADAN?

6. RAMADAN IS SO MUCH MORE
THAN ‘JUST FASTING’!
RAMADAN IS A TIME OF
CELEBRATION!
LIKE DAY AND NIGHT, LIFE
DURING RAMADAN IS FULL OF
DIVERSE DICHOTOMIES!
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MAKE
RAMADAN – WITH TECHNOLOGY
TRULY CONNECTING PEOPLE!

7. An online weblog in 3 phases using our
24 Bloggers in Germany
portal.
45 Bloggers in Morocco
…plus Vox Pop Interviews
Engaging Muslims aged between 18 and 35 years old with different levels of religious
involvement. Split into male and female subgroups, with an additional mothers
group aged 30-40 in Morocco.

8. To tailor our
portal to the needs of the topic and the target
we enabled some new features and considerations.
BI-LINGUAL MODERATORS
DUAL ALPHABETS
WHISPER ENTRY FEATURE
TIME-CAPSULE LETTER

9. WHEN DOES RAMADAN
START?
IN A MUSLIM COMMUNITY WITH MIXED
NATIONAL HERITAGE THIS IS OFTEN UP FOR
DEBATE…
…WITH INFORMATION FROM DIFFERENT
HOMELANDS CONFUSING THE MATTER AND
DRIVING MUCH CONVERSATION!

10. EXPECTATIONS OF RAMADAN
A SPRINGBOARD FOR A HEALTHIER
AND MORE SPIRITUAL LIFESTYLE…
BUT AS ALWAYS ANY RESOLUTION CAN BE
HARD TO STICK TO!
WE ASKED RESPONDENTS TO WRITE A
LETTER TO THEIR FUTURE SELVES: WHAT I
HOPE TO ACHIEVE DURING RAMADAN.
THIS WAS THEN ‘SEALED’ ON THE BLOG AND
RE-OPENED AT THE END OF RAMADAN FOR
COMPARISON.

11. …IN
GERMANY EACH INDIVIDUAL
HAS TO FIT RAMADAN INTO THEIR LIVES –
AND OUR BLOG SERVED AS A PLATFORM
FOR SHARING AND SUPPORT.
LONGER DAYLIGHT HOURS IN
SUMMER IN GERMANY AND A FULL
WORK DAY IN A CITY OF TEMPTATION.
WHILST IN
MOROCCO EVERYTHING
CHANGES TO FIT AROUND RAMADAN…
WHERE EVERYONE IS FASTING
TOGETHER AND CELEBRATING
IFTAR IN PUBLIC.

13. IN THE KITCHEN AT IFTAR
RESPONDENTS REALLY LET US INTO THEIR
KITCHENS AND DINING ROOMS AT IFTAR
WITH LOTS OF PICTURES AND RECIPES.
WITH THE ONLINE NATURE ALLOWING AN
ETHNOGRAPHIC VIEW – WITHOUT
DISTURBING WHAT IS A FAMILY AFFAIR.

14. DESPITE NOT EATING OR DRINKING FOR 18
HOURS EACH DAY, PEOPLE ACTUALLY GAIN
WEIGHT DURING RAMADAN!
PEOPLE TRY TO COMPENSATE WITH SALAD
OR LOW-CARB FOOD AT LESS SOCIAL IFTAR
OCCASIONS.

15. MORE THAN 30% MORE IS SPENT ON FOOD
DURING RAMADAN.
NOT ONLY DUE TO THE HIGHER VOLUME
BUT ALSO HIGHER QUALITY FRESH FOOD
AND TREATS.

16. THE TRADITIONS OF RAMADAN HAVE NOT
CHANGED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS MAKING THE EXPERIENCE A RETREAT FROM
THE HECTIC OF MODERN LIVING.
IT IS OFTEN THOUGHT THAT THIS SHOULD
INCLUDE A REDUCTION IN THE USE OF
MEDIA (TV, INTERNET) – SPENDING THE
TIME MORE WISELY.

17. IN GERMANY THERE IS AN AIM TO AVOID
THE USUAL GERMAN TV SHOWS AND
INSTEAD WATCH ARABIC OR TURKISH TV
WITH SPECIAL RAMADAN PROGRAMMING.
IN MOROCCO TV BRINGS THE FAMILY
TOGETHER DURING IFTAR - ALTHOUGH CAN
BE FOCUSSED TOO MUCH ON CUSTOMARY
SITCOMS OVER RELIGIOUS PROGRAMMING.

18. ONLINE SOURCES, ESPECIALLY APPS, ARE
CALLED UPON TO PROVIDE INFORMATION
AND TO SUPPORT RELIGIOUS RITUALS.
FACEBOOK AND MESSENGER SERVICES
ALLOW FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO SUPPORT
EACH OTHER WHEREAS ONLINE GAMES ARE
A WELCOME DESTRACTION FROM THE FAST.

19. CONSUMPTION DURING RAMADAN IS ALSO
BOOSTED BY COMPENSATION AND
REWARDING, WHICH HAS ITS CLIMAX AT
EID.
EID IS A CELEBRATION WITH A FOCUS ON
REWARD, CHARITY AND COMMUNITY.
BEING THANKFUL FOR RAMADAN.

20. RAMADAN IS A TIME FOR BUSINESS!
FOR TURKISH AND OTHER MUSLIM
RETAILERS IN GERMANY RAMADAN IS A
VERY PROSPEROUS TIME OF YEAR.
NON-MUSLIM BRANDS AND RETAILERS
ARE LIKELY TO BE MET WITH INITIAL
SCEPTICISM.
THIS IS AN AREA THAT NEEDS TO BE
NAVIGATED CAREFULLY!

21. RAMADAN IS BECOMING MORE VISIBLE
IN GERMANY!
RECOGNITION IS BECOMING
INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT.
COMMUNICATION NEEDS TO COMBINE
RECOGNITION WITH RESPECT.
AND UNDERSTAND THE DIVERSITY AND
NATURE OF THOSE LIVING ‘BETWEEN
TWO WORLDS’.

22. DESPITE MANY WISHING FOR MORE
RECOGNITION OF RAMADAN FROM BRANDS
AND SERVICES… MANY ATTEMPTS FALL
FLAT.
THE CHALLENGE IS TO ADDRESS THE TARGET
WITH RECOGNITION, RESPECT, AND IF
APPROPRIATE, HUMOUR.

23. APPROACHING RAMADAN HAS ITS
COMPLEXITIES!
RAMADAN IS NOT JUST ABOUT
FASTING AND CELEBRATING – IT HAS
MANY LEVELS OF MEANING THAT NEED
TO BE RECOGNISED.
IN SOME WAYS RAMADAN IS A MONTH
OF PURITY AND REDUCTION – AND
BRANDS NEED TO RESPECT THIS.
RAMADAN IS ALSO ABOUT BEING A
BETTER PERSON. AND BRANDS CAN
POTENTIALLY SUPPORT AND FACILITATE
THIS.

24. IT’S TIME TO START TALKING
ABOUT RAMADAN.
THERE ARE BIG
OPPORTUNITIES IN DOING
SO.
PEOPLE UNDERSTANDING
CAN ENABLE YOU TO BE
FIRST AT THE TABLE!

25. Qualitative 360 Europe
2014
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Supported by
Organised by