Last month, Avrimi Kliger and Mendi Nabul launched a new ultra-Orthodox digital advertising agency called People. Until a few years ago, large advertising budgets for ultra-orthodox consumers went exclusively to print media. But nowadays, experts say, ultra-orthodox digital advertising has achieved parity with print. So how much are the ultra-Orthodox really exposed to the digital world?
“As far as ultra-Orthodox leadership is concerned, there is no Internet in the community,” said Shimon Barsky, an ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva student who works in selling smart but “kosher” cell phones. cell phones (with allegedly offensive content blocked), is now blocked following a lawsuit filed by ultra-Orthodox members of the Knesset. But, Barsky said, “the same Knesset members who sat in court as plaintiffs were seen using their smartphones while waiting for the court’s decision.”
Barsky’s target market is large and in the mainstream of the ultra-orthodox audience. “I sell smart devices and I’m not the only one. There is a lot of demand, “he says.
“Officially, the digital world has no foothold in ultra-Orthodox public life. I do not advertise the [smart] the devices I sell in major ultra-Orthodox newspapers and ultra-Orthodox institutions don’t advertise WhatsApp numbers where you can reach them, “he continued.” But in practice? Every other ultra-Orthodox person has a smartphone and, even if the marketing doesn’t happen openly, the sales happen on a large scale ”.
A well-known hospital in central Israel is now attempting to install a system that would allow anyone with a smartphone to receive information from the hospital. But would the hospital’s vast ultra-Orthodox clientele be excluded?
“We looked closely at this issue,” a hospital official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “and found that not only does this not exclude ultra-Orthodox, but the opposite. A survey we conducted found that customers among the ultra-Orthodox were enthusiastic about being able to receive notifications online in an accessible and fast way. However, we must make sure that the service can overcome the filters set by the ultra-Orthodox leadership. ”
It turns out, therefore, that the digital sphere is no stranger to the ultra-Orthodox. Torah lessons from top yeshiva educators are provided on Internet platforms such as Kol Ha Lashon And Beneinù. Digital journalism circulates via email and WhatsApp, and advanced systems can even “translate” messages sent as text into voice messages that reach phones.
However, there is a clear distinction between the “public” ultra-orthodoxy that does not recognize the internet world, and the ultra-orthodox individual, who is not excluded from the internet – indeed.
Hundreds of people attended conferences recently organized by groups such as Kamatechwhich aims to facilitate ultra-Orthodox entrepreneurs in the digital sphere and put them in contact with potential investors, or the “Sages in Digital” conference held by Gil Digital, which is part of the Gil Group, a media and marketing group operating in the ultra – Orthodox sector.
The large attendance at these conferences indicates once again that the ultra-Orthodox community truly lives in the digital world, knows it well, and also uses it frequently and effectively.
There are still limits. Facebook advertising is apparently ineffective, as the ultra-orthodox leadership considers this social media to be too provocative and invasive. On the other hand, and this is quite unique to the ultra-Orthodox sector, many ultra-Orthodox companies use “states” on WhatsApp for advertising and marketing.
The ultra-Orthodox Yehezkel Hershberg of Ashdod owns the Legima brand that markets alcoholic beverages through a website. “Ultimately, the ultra-Orthodox sector is no different from the general public,” she said. Some thought his business plan was silly, “but I moved on after a thorough survey I conducted that showed that ultra-Orthodox buy alcohol, a lot, but in ways unique to the industry, ie kosher drinks, beverages. sweet alcoholic, consumed especially before the holidays “.
Barsky, the phone salesman, agrees with Hershberg. “Smartphones penetrate the industry,” he said, but with the content blocks installed. And, he said, “almost every smartphone owner also has a ‘stupid’ phone that they’ll put on the table [in meetings]while keeping your smartphone in your pocket. I don’t see it as hypocrisy. “
Also, he said, “We now see more and more companies including their WhatsApp number icon next to their phone number, not to mention a website. However, there are clear rules you need to know in order to sell a product to the ultra- The same goes for the digital sphere: the ultra-Orthodox are present here, but we must know how to approach them in this sphere as well “.
