Mud Orange wins #MWMasters award

MyTenNights, which automates donations during Ramadan, cut through charity chatter with a donor-centric campaign resulting in a 153% rise in donations.

British Muslims are some of the most generous donors to charities in the UK, giving an average of £420 per year. The bulk (85%) of these donations are made during the holy month of Ramadan, and most of that during the last 10 days.

One of these nights is known as Laylatul Qadr (The Night of the Decree) or the date when the Quran was revealed, although no religious text shows the exact date. As a result, Muslims exert themselves in charitable giving and religious observance for all 10 nights.

MyTenNights is a fundraising platform that automates charitable donations across the last 10 nights of Ramadan, partnering with charities including Islamic Relief, Penny Appeal and Save the Children.

After securing donations of £4.3m in 2019 the platform was hoping to increase this by 25% in 2020, driven by an advertising campaign – until Covid-19 hit. Ramadan took place during the peak of the outbreak in the UK, with a negative impact on the charity sector.

MyTenNights prioritised building brand awareness in its 2020 campaign, aiming to make 40% of the UK’s Muslim population aware of the brand while also increasing donations.

However, agency mud orange identified stagnant brand communication standards in the charity sector, especially around Ramadan. Much of the activity focused on guilt or the beneficiaries of donations.

The research found the main reason for donations during this period was in fact to increase the personal reward of Ramadan to the donor, and so a donor-centric campaign was developed to ensure MyTenNights would stand out.

The charity shifted its brand position to recognise that Ramadan giving goals are the driving factor for donations.

The ‘I Caught Laylatul Qadr’ campaign focuses on five Muslim characters and their joy in finding they have made donations during the crucial 10-day period.

Five 20-second ads show Muslims from different backgrounds, as a response to their under-representation in mainstream media.

The campaign’s effectiveness far outstripped its targets. Donations increased by 153% compared to 2019 to reach £10.9m in 10 days. Donor numbers more than doubled and a survey showed that 58% of the UK Muslim population is now aware of MyTenNights.

All this led to the charity winning the 2020 Marketing Week Masters award for charities and non-profit.