Ramadan 2025: advertising investments show modest growth in first 10 days

The holy month of Ramadan is traditionally a period of high media engagement, driven by shifts in daily routines and consumption patterns, particularly in the food sector. This season typically brings notable increases in advertising investments across goods, services, and media platforms. However, the economic landscape and yearly trends influence these figures to varying degrees.

A key barometer of annual advertising behavior is the data from the first ten days of Ramadan, encompassing all media channels: television, radio, print, outdoor advertising, and digital platforms. According to Imperium, a leading data and information analysis firm, the advertising investments from March 2 to March 11, 2025 (corresponding to Ramadan 1-10, 1446), provide essential insights into the year's trajectory.

Television and digital maintain dominance

The total advertising investments during the first ten days of Ramadan reached 452 million dirhams (MAD), reflecting a modest increase of 0.4% compared to the same period in 2024 (450 MAD). However, not all media platforms have benefited equally from this Ramadan-driven advertising momentum.

Television remains the dominant medium, capturing 68.2% of the total market share. Conversely, print media continues to decline, representing only 3% of the market, with a sharp drop of 17.5% compared to 2024. Digital platforms, on the other hand, experienced robust growth, surging by 30.7% to claim a 7.1% market share. Outdoor advertising also saw positive growth, rising by 13.7% to secure 12% of the market, while radio faced a significant decline of 25.7%, accounting for 9.7% of the market.

In terms of revenue distribution, the first ten days of Ramadan saw the following breakdown by medium:

- Television: 307.9 million MAD

- Outdoor advertising: 54.1 million MAD

- Radio: 43.7 million MAD

- Digital platforms: 32 million MAD

- Print media: 13.7 million MAD Top sectors driving advertising investments

The food sector leads the charge in advertising investments during Ramadan, with expenditures of 135 million MAD, marking a 7.9% increase compared to 2024. Telecommunications followed with 69.4 million MAD, registering a slight decline of 0.8%. Other key contributors include banking and insurance (24.9 million MAD, up 26.3%), retail distribution (22.8 million MAD, up 25.9%), and beverages (21.8 million MAD, up 16.6%).

Notably, several sectors recorded significant year-on-year growth in their advertising budgets:

- Home appliances: 8.2 million MAD (+241.2%)

- Clothing: 3.8 million MAD (+57.1%)

- Hygiene and cosmetics: 21.5 million MAD (+30.5%) Increase in advertiser numbers

The number of advertisers rose slightly by 2.4%, from 839 in 2024 to 859 in 2025. Outdoor advertising attracted the largest pool of advertisers, with 510 clients, reflecting a 2.6% increase. Print media also saw a rise in advertisers, growing by 7.7% to 295. However, radio and television experienced declines in advertiser numbers. Radio saw a 17.8% drop, with 125 advertisers, while television recorded a 7.1% decrease, with 91 advertisers.