| Kippreport.com

A month of fasting – for news readers

September 3, 2008 12:26 by kippreport

Ramandan in culturally relaxed Dubai impacts everyone, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. How much should it affect business?

Working hours may shorten and productivity for some staff may dip (as I write, one colleague is napping in her chair), but should this mean a holiday for business? For brands as varied as Vimto and MBC it is the time to make hay. Does every business think like this?

Unlikely. Meetings are relaxed, timings are off and excuses are made. It needn’t be so.

Print media is as guilty as most. There is an accepted wisdom that TV does great during Ramadan; this should not mean print takes the month off. This week’s papers are full of non-stories; surely, during this most social of months, this is the time for print to create agenda-setting content. Great stories create great brand goodwill – with a positive lift for the business post-Ramadan.