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CareersThis report looks at how the back-to-school (B2S) season changes throughout the 3 months it runs through. Sila took all mentions of #backtoschool hashtags across the MENA region, from Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, and Facebook (public posts).
Back-to-school represents a prime opportunity for brands to connect with consumers. Our findings underline the necessity of tailoring digital strategies based on categories and specific timings within this season.
The three crucial phases of B2S season
Before the Promotional Peak (July 1 – August 15), Phase 1 focuses on building awareness, utilizing back-to-school hashtags, and witnessing a gradual engagement increase.
The Promotional Peak (August 16 – September 5), Phase 2 sees a surge in call-to-action communication, with extensive promotions across various categories by brands, influencers, and retailers.
Following the Promotional Peak (September 6 – October 3), Phase 3 strategically communicates product utility, particularly in food-related content and lunchboxes, predominantly driven by influencers.
The social media dimension
The number of posts on Instagram surpasses TikTok by a factor of 14, yet TikTok sees significantly higher engagement, outperforming Instagram by 5x.
There are around 7x more influencers actively posting on Instagram vs TikTok.
TikTok generally has a more equal split of category representation but in 2023 there was a higher focus on food. Instagram remains more product-focused with school supplies and apparel (till phase 3).
Key Takeaways
Brands can optimize the back-to-school season by leveraging three phases:
Phase 1: Focus on brand and product awareness, benefiting from increasing engagement, especially for categories like food.
Phase 2: The Peak promotion period is crucial for fine-tuning offers and compelling call-to-action content.
Phase 3: Closing opportunity with substantial engagement; post utility-focused content tailored to school life for parents.
Through the use of Arabic-language AI, Sila was created to gain insight and create strategies that drive brand growth across MENA and beyond.
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