Media Magick

Ramadan this year has unfortunately not been the same for any of us, across the globe. Mostly confined to our homes, we have been relying on technology – especially social media – to keep ourselves entertained as well as educated. The Facebook family of platforms (Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram) are undoubtedly the most used applications in Pakistan right now. Recently, a virtual briefing was held by them, where they shared some interesting insights of new updates and initiatives they have taken in light of the COVID-19 crisis, as well as the user behavior they witness during the month of Ramadan. Below are a few key points:

Ramadan in 2020

• Though Ramadan 2020 has turned out differently due to the COVID-19 crisis, Facebook has been able to provide people with an opportunity to engage in conversations that matter and also seek help from the community at large.
• Last April, Facebook commissioned Kantar to conduct an online quantitative research study with 954 respondents in Pakistan to understand how people observe Ramadan and how their daily routines change during this important time. Some key findings in Pakistan were:
• 73% of Ramadan observers use mobile while watching TV​ whilst 53% of millennials (18-34) who celebrate Ramadan don’t watch TV.
• 57% of respondents observing Ramadan and who also own a mobile phone agree with the statement: “Mobile phones help me to follow Islamic laws and practices during Ramadan.
• Eighty-five percent of Pakistanis surveyed said they use the Facebook Family of Apps during Ramadan, with Whatsapp emerging as the most used service with 73% of respondents using it during Ramadan

Facebook gives more people and businesses the power to connect

• We are committed to helping Pakistanis engage in meaningful interactions and build communities on Facebook by continuing to build innovative products and tools, such as Facebook Group, as Pakistanis are turning to Facebook as a force for good.
  • Facebook Groups has proven to be a highly popular tool for community building in Pakistan. It helps people to connect with like minded individuals while also serving the community through different avenues..
    • doctHERs, a leading telemedicine facility of the country, decided to give back to the community during this hour of need, by forming a Facebook Group called Doctor Consultation & Health Advice, which provides free quality medical advice by professional health practitioners to over 50,000 people.
  • Facebook has also played an instrumental role, over the past few years, in helping SMBs connect with their target audiences and grow their businesses. An example is Polly and Other Stories (Polly), which gives big voices to little ventures by connecting consumers to makers and artisans from Pakistan.
    • Polly delivers exceptional style with stunning handcrafted products and artworks. These products are sold through their store in Lahore and also shipped globally through their online platform.
  • We have also expanded our product features to enable more meaningful interactions with the ones that matter the most, and to help SMBs stay open and keep in touch with customers
    • Introducing Messenger Rooms
      • Messenger Rooms make it easy to spend quality time with friends, loved ones and people who share your interests. Create a room right from Messenger or Facebook, and invite anyone to join your video call, even if they don’t have a Facebook account. Rooms will soon hold up to 50 people with no time limit.
      • Host celebrations, gather a book club or just hang out on the couch with friends. You don’t need to call someone and hope it’s a good time or check everyone’s calendar first. You can start and share rooms on Facebook through News Feed, Groups and Events, so it’s easy for people to drop by. Soon we’ll add ways to create rooms from Instagram Direct, WhatsApp and Portal, too.
    • Expanding WhatsApp Group Calls
      • WhatsApp calls are another way to stay in touch. Now you’re able to have group voice and video calls with up to eight people on WhatsApp. As before, these calls are secured with end-to-end encryption so no one else can view or listen to your private conversation, not even WhatsApp.
    • New Live Video Features for Facebook, Instagram and Portal
      • People are turning to Facebook Live and Instagram Live for workout classes, cooking lessons, faith services and more, so we’re adding features to make them even more useful, such as:
        • We’re bringing back Live With so you can add another person into your live video, no matter where they are in the world. Bring on a guest speaker, interview an expert or perform with a friend.
        • On Instagram, you can now watch and comment on live videos from your desktop. Follow along with that yoga class on a bigger screen or listen to a live performance as you work.
      • Instagram Food Order Sticker
        • Making it easier to order from small businesses on Instagram.
        • Business accounts can activate a “Order Food” button on their Instagram profile by adding their delivery partner link (FoodPanda) in Settings, under Action Buttons. Businesses can also add a “Order Food” sticker to their Instagram Stories, which is now available in their Stories tray.
        • People can tap on the Stories sticker or profile button, and will be taken to the food order platform to complete their purchase. People can also re-share the Stories stickers in their own Stories to encourage their followers to support a small business.
      • Instagram “Support for SMB” Stickers on Stories
        • “Support Small Business” sticker on Instagram that lets people shout out a business they’re loving
        • Any accounts you follow who use the sticker will be added to a shared Instagram story, allowing you to see other businesses that people are supporting during this time.

The living room is now a digital experience, with more people multi-screening than ever before, and mobile proving to be an integral part of people’s communication.

• 73% of Ramadan observers use mobile while watching TV​ whilst 53% of millennials (18-34) who celebrate Ramadan don’t watch TV.
• We’ve seen this trend across our platforms as well, especially during the current COVID-19 period. In order to keep users entertained, there are several options available on Facebook which creators have been working on during the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent lockdown. Some examples are:
  • Facebook exclusive Live show: SPLIT with RJ-turned-celebrity Khalid Malik has successfully pivoted from COVID-19 to Ramadan centric topics with star studded guests and performances by Qawalli (a genre of spiritual music) as well as global collaborations like Emre Omurlu, a Sufi vocalist from Turkey.
  • MasalaTV (6.4 million followers), is leveraging a variety of celebrity chefs, to create recipe videos, and are also simulcasting their Ramzan Weekend Special Show on Hum Masala, the TV channel and Facebook exclusively.
    • The interactive show provides an opportunity for the audience to engage with chefs by sending in their queries and suggestions through the comments section during the Facebook Live broadcast.

During the session, here is what Facebook’s spokesperson, a community leader and SMB owner had to share:

“During this unprecedented time, people are relying on technology more than ever to stay connected and share experiences with people and things that matter most to them. We’re mission-driven and focused on creating innovative products and tools, such as Messenger Rooms, expanding WhatsApp group calls as well as new Live features for Facebook and Instagram, as people in Pakistan are turning to Facebook as a force for good and to build community. We also want to make it easy for people to support small medium businesses, entrepreneurs and local shops as businesses fight to stay open and shift online during this challenging time. We believe that supporting them now and in the future is critical for the well-being of the economy,” said Jordi Fornies, Director, Emerging Markets, APAC at Facebook.

“Like other consumer facing enterprises, the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent lockdown hit our business, especially our physical store based in Lahore, hard. This meant that we were increasingly relying on our e-Commerce website and Facebook Page to drive sales for ourselves and for the 1,000 artisans and 80 small businesses who are associated with our platform. Facebook reached out to me to tell me about their employee volunteer initiative and it couldn’t have come at a better time! They helped by providing support and advice as well as promoting our content so that Polly & Other Stories could stay top of mind with our target audience during this period, whilst staying sensitive to the difficult situation many people in Pakistan and across the world are in.” – Amneh Shaikh-Farooqui, Co-Founder, Polly and Other Stories

“In light of the COVID-19 pandemic that hit Pakistan, we decided to create a Facebook Group called Doctor Consultation & Health Tips, the idea behind which was that since we don’t have easy access to clinics right now people should be able to seek basic medical advice through this platform from the comfort of their homes. We have a team of fully qualified doctors, who work with us on a shift basis. It would be almost near to impossible to deliver such awareness and execute such initiatives that are helping thousands if we didn’t have platforms like Facebook. Even though Ramadan this year is not the way it usually is, and COVID-19 has taken the lead on people’s minds, we are also trying to keep the members of our group educated about other important healthcare issues such as those revolving around children specifically and weight loss management.” – Khaqan Sikander, CEO doctHERs