#MonthofGood campaign for Ramadan
This Ramadan, Facebook celebrates the holy month with a global campaign across its entire family of apps. The #MonthofGood campaign, which brings together Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, aims to rejoice in charity, collaboration, and community.
Despite the social distancing resulting from the pandemic, Ramadan remains a time of charity and celebration. Globally, people raised twice in 2020 as much as in 2019 through Ramadan-related fundraising events on Facebook and Instagram.
“We have seen our users rally behind multiple causes, raising more than $ 5 billion for personal and nonprofit causes through fundraising events on Facebook and Instagram,” Ramez Shehadi, CEO of Facebook MENA, told Arab News.
Instagram initially developed its Ideas of Good campaign, now in its third year, as a result of a key vision, Shehadi said, “Ramadan is the kindest time of year on the platform”.
“In 2019, we saw people posting not only about charitable activities, but also about finding time to reflect and reach out to their families,” he said. There were more than 16 million uses of the word Ramadan and references to Ramadan reached 4 million in the 30 days preceding the holy month. There was a 40% growth in the use of the word “kindness” on Instagram worldwide in the 30 days leading up to the holy month.
“Last year was drastically different: we saw Muslims from all over the world spend their first Ramadan in isolation and it was a unique experience to watch a season known for its strong sense of togetherness and collaboration, in isolation,” he said. However, the Muslim community found new ways to come together, donate and celebrate virtually, which inspired the initial Instagram campaign.
In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Turkey, more than 6.5 million people joined the Ramadan-related groups created in 2020. For example, “LyedFeLyed اليد في اليد” is a group created by last year which aims to connect families in need with donors and associations. “As of May last year, it had already helped 700 families, a few days after the group opened,” Shehadi said.
Other groups that emerged during the pandemic are “Stop and Help”, founded by Heather Harries, her husband, and two children from the United Arab Emirates, which aims to raise the spirit of the community during the pandemic by offering support to families in need. The basic bases and “United Arab Emirates”. Fusion Socialites”, founded by Ayesha Sohail, a Pakistani mother living in Sharjah, who uses her social media skills to help low-income families.
This year, Facebook has rolled out the campaign to all of its platforms such as #MonthofGood because it’s a “no-brainer,” according to Shehadi. “As a collective of four apps, we have the opportunity to amplify this effect by providing more platforms and more tools for organizations and individuals to explore, express, and inspire good.”
Facebook will hold various activations around the world in places like India, the US, the UK, Nigeria, and MENA, focusing on the pillars of kindness, community, and charity.
These include:
“Ideas of Good”, a list of 30 good deeds and do good moments to act virtually.
“Guide to Ramadan” by Canadian creator Sarah Sabry, in collaboration with her Muslim followers.
Ramadan Mubarak 🌙
This #MonthofGood, check out all the ways you can show kindness and give back across our apps.
https://t.co/ULodxCmlWx— Facebook (@Facebook) April 13, 2021
A worldwide prepaid chain, which will be launched by creators such as Haifa Beseisso, Nabih Alkayali, Raha Moharrak, Logina Salah, and Adel Aladwani in the MENA region.
Live Suhoor Talks, a global series hosted by Muslim creators in the UK, Asia, and MENA, with weekly conversations on topics ranging from food and fasting to mental health and wellness.
Facebook Watch and IGTV series with creators such as Khalid Al-Ameri and Manal Al-Alem and the networks MBC, TVision, and Zee Entertainment.
A specific MENA collaboration with Jordan-based Arab podcast network Sowt has seen inspiring community leaders from the regional diaspora to talk about how they use Facebook apps for virtual acts of kindness during Ramadan.
Highlights zakat-eligible nonprofits such as Rahma Worldwide, UNHCR, Heroic Hearts, Molham Volunteering Team, and Zakat Foundation of America with active fundraisers and Ramadan initiatives to provide food baskets, supplies, and medical care to orphans, widows, and refugees.
Additionally, Facebook will highlight the small and medium enterprises (SMBs) who have inspired this Ramadan well. “These are companies that have gone above and beyond to help the people around them and their communities with their acts of charity and kindness,” Shehadi said.
The increase in time spent on Facebook apps during the holy month also offers significant opportunities for advertisers. . “Ramadan is one of the biggest and longest global festive moments. Given the current circumstances we are in, people need positivity during the holy month and therefore feel that good themes always work during Ramadan if you do it right.
“It’s also powerful if you can connect people to a real-life opportunity to do good,” he said. For example, in 2018, Facebook partnered with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and creative agency Leo Burnett Beirut to push blood donations during Ramadan in a campaign called “Give It’s in your blood “, which reached more than 28 million people in the Middle East and increased blood donations by an average of 36%.
“We see many brands interacting with consumers in a personalized and relevant way even during Ramadan,” he added. For example, Nestlé MENA developed a bilingual information bot for Messenger, in collaboration with the Facebook Creative Shop, which raised awareness of the content and services provided by its brands during Ramadan and helped Nestlé gain insights into eating habits and the preferences of its consumers.
Don’t forget to use the hashtag #MonthofGood to help build solidarity in spreading kindness.
Let’s Celebrate the Month of Good.
