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Every year Ramadan turns into a pool of advertisements for brands across the Middle East. However, in Egypt, things take a more intense turn. For decades now, brands have fought for premium TV slots between episodes of Ramadan series on major channels. The equation was simple: you get high ratings through emotional storytelling infused with some prime-time screen dominance. However, the sum of this equation may be taking a different route now. Because remote controls are beginning to not be the only powerful player in the room.
The Rise of Streaming Apps
With the rise of streaming apps like WATCHIT, Shahid, Yango Play, and more, viewer habits are shifting and fast. Audiences are no longer tied to a certain schedule. Some even subscribe to a certain platform for a certain amount of time, like a month or two, in order to enjoy uninterrupted watching. Audiences now binge, skip, and stream on various devices. They’re simply living the dream of having everything within their hands. The question here is will that cause ads to shift their direction? Will the TV ad airing fade with time? It is not about how TV is powerful. It is rather about whether or not it is still exclusive and for how long.
Follow the Audience and the Budget
From a marketing perspective, budgets follow attention. And attention is right now in the process of being fragmented.
During Ramadan, viewership still hits a high tone on traditional TV. That is, especially during iftar and suhoor hours. But digital video consumption is rising just as sharply. And if we’re being analytical, it is often more measurable as well. Unlike linear TV, streaming apps offer data. Real data. Ones like completion rates, audience segmentation, retargeting opportunities, and more. This is what I’d call catnip for performance-driven marketers.
Because such data allows brands to ask sharper questions:
- Why pay for broad reach when you can target by behavior?
- Why guess impact when you can measure conversions?
- Why stick to 30-second spots when branded integrations could make you feel more native?
If we’ll be fair with our verdict, I’ll have to say that this doesn’t mean TV is “dying” just yet. It may, however, mean that in this era, it is being deeply challenged. And if we’re being realistic, traditional TV airing is currently forced to evolve.
Is TV Fading or Just Repositioning?
I don’t believe that traditional TV will completely fade. I only think that it will lose so much leverage if it doesn’t evolve and adapt to current technological innovations. It won’t fade because of the cultural weight that is held in nostalgic tunes and big or funny Ramadan campaigns. This weight is upon being a shared cultural experience that doesn’t simply disappear overnight.
However, what’s changing is the direction. Instead of simply pouring 80% of brand budgets into TV and keeping digital airing aside or taking it as an afterthought, brands now may diversify. We’re now seeing hybrid strategies like TV for awareness, social media apps for engagement, streaming apps for cutting off the noise, and, of course, short-form video for that daily frequency.
Nowadays there is also the fact that streaming apps and platforms are now blurring the line between content and advertising. With platforms like YouTube dominating the scene, TV ads often live longer there than on air.
The Real Shift: Control
The current shift we’re discussing is not one that is about screens. It’s about control. Consumers control when they watch. Brands want control over who sees their message. Streaming delivers that promise more efficiently. And with that conclusion, I know you’d be asking, is TV airing dying? Fading? I’d answer with a “Not yet” this time. However, I deeply believe that it’s no longer the only crescent in the sky.
