Moving Closer to Muslims During Ramadan
Saffron Road Foods launched one year ago at Whole Foods Market, a good location for a line of halal food products.
The brand made its debut in August during the month of Ramadan, the holiest time period for Muslims and in the ensuring year its frozen entrees, chicken nuggets and broths proved successful items on store shelves. This month, as Ramandan is again underway Saffron Road is staging its first promotion co-produced at about 90% of Whole Foods markets nationwide.
The two entities are engaging this demographic through national and regional programs via blogs, contests, product giveaways, charitable donations.
As a first step, Saffron Road partnered with Halal food expert, Yvonne Maffei of the popular blog, My Halal Kitchen. She wrote two related blogs for the Whole Foods blog site, which records 500,000 unique views per month. The first blog “Preparing for Ramadan” posted July 27 and the second provided Ramadan-related tips and recipes. Those who post comments to the blogs are automatically entered for a chance to win one of five $100 Whole Foods gift cards.
“Being authentic and respectful in your efforts is an absolute must,” Jack Acree, executive vice president of Saffron Road, said. “Acknowledging Muslim consumers during Ramadan is not just about making a sale, but rather it is a way to invite more consumers into a meaningful relationship with your brand.”
The gift card contest is also being promoted through Facebook and twitter. For each new Facebook like, Saffron Road will donate 50 cents during Ramadan to its charity partners, Whole Planet Foundation and The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. In addition, downloadable coupons can be found on such sites as Zabihah.com and elan throughout Ramadan.
“There are simply too few brands and retailers recognizing Muslim consumers at all in the U.S. and Ramadan presents a natural time to begin creating a relationship with this group,” Acree said.
There are about 7 million Muslims in North America. Saffron Road’s 12 frozen products are also sold in Kroger, Shaws, Bristol Farms in Los Angeles, as well as other retailers including most recently Wegmans.
