"How to Sell a Popsicle to the Haredim?" On 1.2 Million Consumers Speaking "Haredi"

"More than 30 years ago, when I began my journey in the advertising world, some company owners approached me wanting to market their product to the Haredi world," says Chaim Klieger, a marketing consultant. "They showed me their product advertisement featuring a happy child with spiky hair standing on a staircase in a mall, holding shopping bags. I tried to explain that this ad wouldn't work for the Haredi community. Their response was, 'Then let's stick a yarmulke on his head.' But it wasn't just the yarmulke that was missing, much more beyond that. A child with spiky hair won't pass the Haredi gaze, and his clothing doesn't match the norms of the sector. Additionally, one must ask if placing him in a mall is appropriate or if somewhere else would suit the Haredi lifestyle better."

Throughout the years, Klieger has guided many clients through this familiarization process with the community, understanding that in order to market products effectively, one needs to know the language. "'Haredi' is a language of its own. It might sound like Hebrew, but it has many nuances of its own," he says. "You need to understand whom you're speaking to, what can and can't be said in this language, and an advertiser approaching this market without this knowledge risks making painful mistakes."

Lucrative Business

For 30 years, Chaim Klieger has worked in advertising and public relations within the Haredi world. He started as a salesman, then became the Marketing VP at "Hamavaser" newspaper and accompanied almost every mayor in Haredi cities during their election campaigns. Now, he is involved in marketing consulting and has developed a startup called 'GetMedia', which allows advertisers to approach media channels directly, bypassing middlemen along the way.

On the purchasing power of the Haredi community, he explains, "This is a sector currently numbering 1,200,000 people in Israel, and in less than a decade, it's expected to rise to two million. It's a consumer with enormous market potential, and everyone who can wants to market their products to them. However, along the way, the advertiser must understand the language of the Haredi public and know how to use it properly, because otherwise, their marketing efforts might not be effective, if at all."

The Haredi public is also known to be made up of various sub-sectors. "Sephardic, Lithuanian, and different types of Hasidim are just the beginning," Klieger explains with a smile. "After that, one must understand the educational institutions within each sub-sector, the kashrut they rely on, the common words in their world, and which communication style won’t pass. It's also important to know how to address the men in the sector, the women, and the children, as each group has its nuances. Finally, there are the Haredi advertising tools, from print media to the broad digital world. You need to understand to which sub-sector each newspaper belongs, what goes in or doesn't, and to what extent you can broaden the boundaries in online media."

As an example, Klieger brings up the 'Materna Mitzvah' campaign, which has been running consistently in the sector for 22 years. "In this campaign, as many Materna spoons as possible are collected, and accordingly, the company donates boxes of grits to 'Chasdei Naomi'. They've essentially taken the theme of acts of kindness, which is tremendously significant in the Haredi public, and used it as a promotional campaign. While doing so, they gathered the whole family around it: the mother keeps the spoons, and the children or husband take them to the collection point. This demonstrates a deep understanding of the Haredi consumer's mindset, which is why this campaign has been successful for so long."

But the public is so diverse, so how do you reach everyone?

"Essentially, it's about working like 'the critic' in the Haredi press, the watchful eye of the rabbinical committee. Their role is to keenly observe the most stringent reader on one side, and the most lenient and open reader on the other. Every text that enters the paper passes under their eye, and they direct the content according to the rabbis’ guidelines and the spectrum of readers between these two extremes. Similarly, an advertiser needs to understand the two extremes of the public they aim to reach and tailor the ad for everyone in between."

For instance, Klieger discusses the importance of language in addressing consumers. "Twenty years ago, when Tnuva made an ad for buttermilk, they chose the sentence: 'Buttermilk - a gesunta idee'. It's clear that not all sectors understand Yiddish, but the melody of these words is part of their world. Similarly, the recent campaign of the Ministry of Health for the residents of Mea Shearim was written entirely in Yiddish because that's the only way to reach them."

What are the 'lines that cannot be crossed' in the public, things that are non-negotiable?

"The lines are dictated by the Haredi daily papers - 'Hamodia', 'Yated Neeman', and 'Hamavaser'. They essentially 'certify' a product's entry into the Haredi public. Even if online advertising might achieve better reach, they still provide the stamp of approval. For instance, academic studies won't enter the daily Haredi press, but they may appear in weekend papers like 'Mishpacha' or 'Kav Itonut Datit'. However, even there, the ad won't receive a prominent spot on the front pages, and often, it will be aimed at women in its presentation."

Another important aspect the advertiser must know is the three principles a Haredi person will never compromise on. "Kashrut, modesty, and Shabbat are three boundaries that cannot be crossed," Klieger explains. "A product marketer cannot, for example, send an email or WhatsApp to a Haredi person on Shabbat, as it will cause such a pang that they might not want to maintain the connection."

Kashrut bodies and their consumers

"I See Wallets, Not People"

Do advertisers agree to align with an entire world that's so different from theirs?

"Yes, because ultimately, they care only about one thing: the effective sale of the product. One of the major distributors I interviewed for my new book told me, 'I don't see people in front of me, only wallets, and to open the wallet of the Haredi consumer, I'll align with all they want.' This statement may sound crude, but it contains much truth. Salespeople can't come to work with their personal agenda and don't have to love the method they choose to market. They do it to sell, and for no other reason, so they must know how to do it and in what language to speak."

Is it even worth it for a company to market a specific product to the observant public?

"Well, it turns out even products intended for very specific groups have a market. For example, there are Hasidic yeshiva students who wear shirts with buttons that fasten not from left to right, as is customary in the rest of the world, but right to left, to create distinction from the rest of society. Remarkably, this market is so large that someone manufactures these shirts specifically. A few years ago, before visiting one of the largest kosher food exhibitions in the U.S., I asked one of the candy manufacturers if his factory produces exclusively kosher products. He told me they don't. I then wondered aloud if it was worth it to shut down entire production lines and make them kosher anew each time for kosher products. His straightforward answer, befitting an American businessman, came quickly. He said, 'This is America, we're doing business, and if it wasn't profitable for us and for them, there wouldn't be business.' It turns out the Haredi market is much larger than it might seem on the surface."

What are the basic things an advertiser should know before entering this market?

"Just recently, a consultant from one of the major sportswear companies in the country approached me, asking about this, as he also wants to start marketing to the Haredi public. I told him that first, he needs to find the most suitable product for the sector, considering its use, price, and outward appearance. In addition, he should check if he can send the requested products to Haredi locales from the logistical side. The third thing he needs to ensure is that if selling online, there are no images on the site that do not comply with the Haredi consumer's world. This is how we identify the product, the service, and the sales method in conformity with the sector. If all three exist, he can start the process."

In more detail, Klieger explains additional advertising niches. "For food product advertising, one must understand the different kashrut certifications and which sub-sectors they suit. In tourism, which is currently weakened but will eventually recover, a hotel owner must be prepared to host the Haredi tourist. They must learn about all aspects of Shabbat observance, which covers many details, from Shabbat elevators and electronic doors to food heating methods. They also need to decide on the level of kashrut of the place and allocate space for a synagogue. There are many particulars worth learning to attract the public. In clothing, women's wear is a world unto itself. Around the topic of modesty, an advertiser must understand that it’s not just about sleeve length but a whole array of acceptable behaviors within the Haredi public. For example, there’s no 'Eda HaCharedit' kashrut for chewing gum, not because of its ingredients but because chewing gum is considered conspicuous and immodest. One must know which media outlets can carry the clothing ads; there are Haredi women's newspapers, radio programs targeting the female audience, and even internet sites with niche female audiences. Moreover, some places allow the clothing to be photographed on mannequins, whereas others do not allow it. The details here are numerous."

How to Sell a Popsicle to the Haredim

So how can one really get to know all this world?

"That's exactly why I wrote the book 'How to Sell a Popsicle to the Haredim', which begins with familiarizing oneself with the sector and all its shades, detailing each sub-sector and its characteristics. It continues with a toolbox for marketing and advertising within the Haredi world. I provide coverage on print media, Haredi digital media, explain how to create dedicated campaigns for the sector, and how promotion can be achieved there. There are also additional chapters, such as 'The One-Million-Shekel Haredi Child', detailing all the purchases surrounding events in a Haredi child's life, and a chapter on 'Do's and Don'ts in Meeting a Haredi Businessperson'. Throughout the book, there are 'coffee breaks', as I call them, where I interview key figures in the field, like the chairman of the Pelephone company, who developed the kosher cell phone. At the end of the book, I've compiled a dictionary of 250 terms that exist only in the Haredi world. Terms like 'agutn Shabbos', 'visse zocken' - white socks, and 'vort' don’t exist in any other sector."

Haredi dictionary

It turns out there are also distinct advantages to advertising specifically to this public. "In the general market, advertising is very loud, so the advertiser has to be even louder. But in the Haredi sector, the volume is usually quiet, so if an advertiser does something a little beyond, they manage to catch attention. It’s not about being loud, which is not received well at all, but about creating something a bit more original and successful."

Another advantage is the Jewish calendar, filled with festive dates. "Hashem built the Jewish calendar specifically for marketers," Klieger jokes. "Beyond the holiday months, when shopping is extensive, in Cheshvan students return to yeshivas, in Tevet winter purchases are made, in Iyar there's already a whole sales celebration around Lag Ba'Omer, and in the summer months, merchandise is bought for the summer break. I elaborate in my book on what should be advertised in which months, thereby creating an annual marketing plan tailored to the sector."

Finally, amidst today's distancing and estrangement of some parts of Israeli society towards the Haredi sector, Klieger stands as a bearer of good news. "I sent the book to a good friend of mine, a secular sociologist named Professor Oz Almog, and he told me, 'Especially now, the book you released has gained a new meaning. It not only makes the Haredi world accessible to advertisers but also creates a certain level of familiarity with the sector, thus opening the way for a closer connection to it.' Many times I explain in the book how behind the insistence on certain points, like wearing a watch on the right wrist instead of the left or the direction of the ribbon in a hat, lies an entire ideology, and other secular readers tell me these explanations open a window into a world they didn't know. Just as in advertising, one has to know the consumer and speak their language, although it's unnecessary to agree with their views, this acquaintance here leads to inclusive and calm dialogue, and the creation of a loving connection with the opposite side. You don't have to agree on everything, and nevertheless, you can love."

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