Beware the Muslim consumer. This may be the natural response of many MNC marketers, faced with a religious group that, for the most part, they do not understand. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola found itself facing a boycott in Malaysia because of US support for Israel’s activity in the Gaza Strip. It is the kind of situation that few brands can foresee, let alone overcome. And it probably explains why many international brands try to steer clear of anything that can be construed as overtly religious.
“Whenever you are dealing with a religious culture, it is fraught with danger simply because you could upset or alienate different segments within that culture,” explains Rob Campbell, managing partner at Sunshine/ M&C Saatchi. “So you end up with something really bland because of fear of alienation.”
A safety-first approach might appeal to conservative CEOs, but there are compelling reasons that should prompt a radical shift in thinking. Starting with some simple numbers. According to a research study conducted by JWT and AMR the global Muslim consumer market is estimated at US$2.7 trillion today,and is forecast to reach a staggering $30 trillion by 2050.
Pointing to Muslims as “tomorrow’s consumers”, the study found that a third of Muslims are aged under 14, compared to a fifth in Western markets. The Halal food market alone was worth $580 million in 2007.
Given the potential consumption embodied by the world’s 1.4 billion Muslims, it is hardly suprising that some agencies have woken up to the market opportunity.
At Ogilvy Group,global CEO Miles Young is putting a dedicated Islamic branding unit into place, operating across all of the agency’s various marketing and communications units.
After completing the first phase of a major research study into Muslim consumers, Young is convinced that the Islamic dollar is worth courting for more than simple pecuniary reasons. He believes, in particular, that Islam’s ultural values are perfect for brands looking to navigate a changing world.“The secret is in understanding and applying the values of Islam to act as a filter,”he says.“Islamic brands can champion the cause of corporate social responsibility and be the benchmark for the same in the Western world.”
Specifically,Young points to values such as transparency, discipline, humility and purity. The study also identifies rituals that define Islamic brand success.These include the importance of process alongside performance,citizens alongside consumers and service alongside product.“How something is made is as important as how it works, and design is as important as features,” says Young.
The study’s results point to the importance of incorporating the right values into the marketing strategy. McCann Worldgroup regional chief strategy officer Pratik Thakar, who has worked extensively on Coca-Cola and Nestlé’s Muslim marketing initiatives in Malaysia, believes that this — rather than a fancy advertising campaign — will determine a brand’s success in Islamic markets.
“Try not to make your marketing campaign religious,” advises Thakar. “It will look like commercial firms are taking advantage of religious needs. The ideal way is to build your offer around Islamic values.”
Or, simply build the product itself around these values. Campbell, for one, thinks that advertising is not necessarily the right vehicle to entice Muslim consumers.
“Instead of advertising,create products that are far more tailored to the Muslim faith; for example the Mecca Phone,”he says, referring to a handset that can help praying Muslims face the correct direction.“Or the A380 could have a prayer room. Create customised products that embrace the cultural aspects rather than just appeal to them.”
In Asia’s key Muslim markets — Malaysia and Indonesia — these initiatives are, to some extent, already underway, most visibly through the growth in marketing of Sharia-compliant financial services, and Halal food products. Korma Soy Sauce, for example, which helps Muslims fulfil their zakat charitable obligation.
However, Ogilvy Indonesia strategic planning director Ruby Sudoyo thinks that too many brands are oblivious to the subtle demographic trends that are likely to prove increasingly critical.“In recent years we have witnessed the urban middle-class recaputring its Islamic roots, through the obvious signs of apparel and Islamic boarding schools,” says Sudoyo. “It is only lately, thought, that marketers are paying attention to a consumer’s Islamic character. To use typical Islamic attributes was not seen as attractive or contemporary.”
The JWT/AMRB study advises marketers to stop treating Muslims as one monolithic consumer group and instead apply the kind of segmentation that should be standard. It identifies five distinct groups:religious conservatives; new age Muslims; societal conformists; pragmatic strivers; and liberals.In Indonesia,for example,societal conformists — not particularly religious, but very respectful of social norms — tend to dominate. Malaysia, meanwhile, is split more evenly, with more affluent, independent-minded liberals jostling for space with poorer, ambitious,pragmatic strivers.
The findings should help marketers steer clear of the kinds of stereotypes that bedevil, for example, Hollywood movies. For media owners, meanwhile, the benefits of better consumer targeting are also clear. In many Muslim countries, for example, TV programming veers towards the extremes of religious conservatives or liberals.
Understanding the substantial presence of, for instance, female new age Muslims in many markets can open up considerable new opportunities for brands and content owners.
A notable example comes from Sunsilk which featured a well-known Indonesian actress wearing a jibab in its product imagery and advertising. “The general feeling among consumers was not only of novelty, but a relief that a brand actually paid attention to an apparently large group who were not represented in the marketing communication world,”says Sudoyo.
Marketers also need to avoid adopting an over-conservative approach. Malaysia and Indonesia are Muslim dominated countries, but both play host to significant, affluent communities that are not Muslim.Combine that with the innate risk-aversion of your typical marketing director in these markets, and you have a situation where brands neither offend nor attract Muslims.
Lowe Indonesia technical advisor Joseph Tan believes that one way of overcoming this challenge is to opt for a more sophisticated sub-brand approach.
“The true challenge here is when a marketer does not want their brand to have strong religious undertone as it might alienate others and yet want to better engage the Muslims,” says Tan. “In cases like this, they might choose to deploy a different sub-brand and propagate it through ground activation and events.”
Tan uses the example of Axis Salam, a prepaid Sim card launched by the Malaysian operator in Indonesia.“It was bundled with relevant valueadded services like the notification of prayer time and Quran downloads,” says Tan. “In addition, there was a lucky draw with the chance to win a pilgrimage to Mecca. This was very successful and the entire marketing was done off the radar — all communication was done below-the-line through consumer activations at mosques.The viral effect was spread via WOM resulting in rapid acquisition of subscribers during launch.”
And although the bulk of Islamic marketing in the region is focused on SoutheastAsia, the rise of China brings a new twist to this tale. Not only does the country count 200 million Muslims,but its increasing activity in the Middle East and Africa calls for a significantly enhanced understanding of Muslim consumers.
“It’s such an emotional relationship that if you are deemed in any way as prostituting yourself — it’s dangerous,” explains Campbell. “You formulate your product in such a way that it naturally appeals to an element rather than just relying on an ad.”
And all this while keeping one eye open to the possibility of the kind of boycott that recently rocked Coca- Cola in Malaysia. It all adds up to a sensitive and complex area for brands.
With the right commitment and resourcing, though,it is clear that MNCs can position themselves to benefit from the growing Muslim market, called “tomorrow’s consumers”.
ISLAMIC MARKETING
1 Process and product:Whether Halalor Shariah-compliant, the creation of the product is as important as what is delivered in the end.
2 Respect rituals:Tailor marketing around specific rituals like prayer, charity and pilgrimage to Mecca.
3 Imagery: Removal of offending images is the first step, but must be supported by consistent use of popular architectural and graphical motifs.
4 Product development: Plough resources into developing products that meet specific Muslim consumer needs.
5 Local insight: Understand on-ground nuance.The attitudes and practices of Xinjiang Muslims, for example, differ markedly from Southeast Asia’s.
