In-depth

The crescent moon: You see it everywhere in the Muslim world, and on a huge amount of marketing aimed at Muslim consumers. But what exactly is the significance of the crescent moon? With the Islamic month of fasting, Ramadan, quickly approaching, we offer insights on this powerful symbol and what the crescent means for Muslims

Cheat sheet: Sharp insights into Muslim consumer markets this week

The Middle East’s market for halal cosmetics and beauty products is estimated at $500m says Beautyworld Middle East

Nestle celebrates 100 years in Malaysia as the biggest halal producer and the Halal Centre of Excellence in the Nestlé world

53% of Indonesian mobile internet users have engaged in mobile banking

Germany is a key destination for Gulf tourists. Examples include one hotel that offers halal meat, late restaurant opening hours for Ramadan and a Quran in every room

A university study looks at the rise of Globalized Eco-Islam – A Survey of Global Islamic Environmentalism

Thailand tourism takes the halal route. “A few thousand spas already have their unique herbal treatments in halal form”

“Businesses should look to the fast-growing provinces of Indonesia”

Malaysia’s 25 – 34 year old mobile phone users are increasingly buying smartphones citing apps as a key purchase driver

Malaysia is outpacing global growth rates for the usage of e-payment methods like debit cards, credit cards and electronic transfer

Fashion for conservative Muslim women develops in Turkey

Hospitals in India consider halal certification to attract Muslim patients

Arab youth look to the economy: fair wages and rising cost of living top the list of concerns across 12 Arab countries

This means that Muslims around the world await with great anticipation the announcement that the new moon – known as the ‘hilal’ in Arabic – has been sighted. The excitement is greatest ahead of the crescent which will herald the first of Ramadan, topped only by the new moon which marks Eid ul Fitr, the celebration that takes place on the first day of the month after Ramadan, and marks the end of the month of fasting.

No wonder then that the crescent is a symbol of such potency among the Muslim ummah. At its most fundamental level it determines the Islamic calendar which runs side by side with the solar calendar and so gives rhythm to the lives of Muslims.

Sighting the moon is a communal enterprise, and many Muslims especially in warmer climes will venture into the open as darkness begins to fall to see if they can spot the sliver in the sky that everyone is waiting for.  When it marks the beginning of Ramadan it resonates with community and togetherness.

Fasts begin at dawn and last till dusk, and so the moon set in the backdrop of darkness represents the time available for eating and night prayers.

And of course, the new moon appearing at the end of Ramadan marks the close of an intensely spiritual and community-focused month of daytime restraint, ushering in the celebration of ‘Eid ul Fitr’, the festival of breaking fast.

Ramadan is a tough month physically and so the proclamation of the end of fasting mingles a sense of sadness that Ramadan has gone, with a natural excitement that daytime consumption is once again possible.

Eid is seen as a time of beginnings, and so the crescent moon carries with it the innocent pleasure of a fresh start.

The crescent moon is also the key symbol for Muslims: used in flags, cards and messaging. It is a favourite among marketers as it can act as shorthand for describing something ‘Islamic’. The challenge for marketers is to avoid slipping from the status of shorthand, into being the lazy overuse of a powerful symbol that therefore becomes cliched and diluted in meaning.

For Muslims, the crescent brings with it a mix of excitement, nervousness and community togetherness, tying the emotional and functional parts of faith together. And when it comes to the arrival of the month of Ramadan, Muslims will be waiting for news as to the first sighting of the magical sliver in the sky.

In-depth

With Ramadan barely weeks away, due to start in the second half of July, we look back at a perennial question: How to smarten up your branding this Ramadan

We also spend some time asking, “What is Islamic Branding, and why is it important?”

Cheat sheet: Sharp insights into Muslim consumer markets this week

A new Muslim lifestyle magazine “Halal Life” is released in Thailand in e-Magazine format

Getting ready for Ramadan: less than 3 months away, Muslims start their preparations for the Islamic month of fasting

Malaysia expects an increase of Muslim travellers from Saudi Arabia and the UAE during Ramadan this year

Muslim fashion takes on London for the second year in a row at the International Islamic Fashion Festival

Muslim fashion bloggers talk about what ‘Muslim-style‘ means to them, and how faith, fashion and blogs come together

Australia’s “Faith Fashion Fusion” exhibition documents the growth of Muslim fashion using filmed interviews and photoshoots

Will Muslim fashion break through into the mainstream? This store already has…

“The Ramadan effect: The month is a period of unusual and frenetic activity for Gulf economies” says Gulf newspaper

Indonesian consumers spend more on food and beverage during Ramadan, says a  Nielsen study. Ramadan starts at the end of  July this year

“Halal in Russia is more than halal” says Moscow’s Halal Expo 2012

The number of Muslim tourists is on the rise

In-depth

We’re tackling the thorny issue of branding and Shariah: Nervous about making your brand Shariah-friendly? It’s easier, more profitable (and less frightening) than you might think. Read more here.

Cheat sheet: Sharp insights into Muslim consumer markets this week

Abuja to host “Faith meets fashion” show, with designers from the UK, USA and Egypt at a women-only fashion show

2500 linguists, translators and online enthusiasts will work to increase the amount of web content and social media Arabic-language content

Understanding Muslim views of the USA – an insight from the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies

Islamic design inspires $54m building project: the use of courtyards, mashrabiyas and gardens balances privacy, open space and spirit

Want to expand your financial brand to Islamic finance? Your workforce needs the right training says a Malaysian official

The rise of Muslim women in the corporate and consumer space: “Faith and Finance: Muslim Women in the Business World”

Taiwan wants to export halal products to all Muslim countries by entering into an economic co-operation agreement with Malaysia

Muslim fashion is declared to be ‘on trend‘ as a Vivienne Westwood protege develops a Muslim-inspired fashion collection

American Muslim spending power a “marketer’s dream” and halal foods appeal to both Muslim and mainstream

The consumption of Indonesia’s middle class soars

The top spots on Nielsen’s consumer confidence index are taken by Muslim majority Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, pipped only to number one by India, which has the world’s largest Muslim minority of approximately 180m (Pew Report 2010)

Wondering if the Muslim consumer market in the UK is for your brand? An estimated 2.87m population is worth noting for your business

But in order to understand ‘Shariah compliance’ we must first fully understand what Shariah means.

Shariah in Arabic can be translated as ‘the way’ or ‘the path’. In practice it is taken to mean ‘the path to God’ that Muslims should follow. It comprises a holistic set of practices that guide every aspect of one’s life, from politics and business to family and social issues.

Many in the West will, upon hearing the word Shariah, automatically think of Islamic law, and most often this is coloured by negative media coverage on the denial of women’s rights, free speech or some similar issue.

While the topic of Shariah jurisprudence or fiqh is vast in and of itself, it is worth remembering that it is only one part of the entirety of principles that comprise Shariah as a framework of moral guidance.

Shariah and Shariah law (fiqh) are not one and the same.

Understanding Shariah values is core to the enterprise of understanding the role of faith in consumption for Muslim consumers. There is no single definitive list of all the values that Muslims consider central to following Shariah. But there is certainly a great deal of agreement on what those core values are, with most Muslims around the world spontaneously suggesting them or agreeing with them when mentioned.

Our research uncovered core Shariah values include (but this is not an exhaustive list) honesty, sincerity, respect, consideration, kindness, peacefulness, purity, patience, discipline, authenticity, transparency, trustworthiness, humility, moderation, understanding, modesty, improvement, community, equality and dignity.

A good Muslim should live with these values at the core of their being, conducting every aspect of their life in a way that aligns with them. A good company, we can argue, should do the same.

Running one’s business and brand along these lines is a recipe for long-term success with any group of consumers. There are companies that are already seen as Shariah-friendly as they uphold these values, even though companies may not have achieved full Shariah-compliance. Shariah-friendly initiatives can be hugely appealing to Muslim consumers today, but are not marketed to them currently as such.

By undertaking such Shariah-friendliness and Shariah compliance, brands can help Muslim consumers achieve the lifestyles they aspire to, by reassuring them that their consumption is in line with their aspirations, and by helping them navigate the confusions of products and brands that are increasing in number and complexity.

“Can I rely on this brand to be friendly or compliant to the values by which I choose to live?” asks the Muslim consumer. The universality of the values that Muslim consumers identified as part of their path should encourage brands to ensure that there answer is a resounding yes.

As always, we are on hand to bring you insights into commercial and consumer trends driving this market, trends which any savvy brand needs to know about…

Yahoo keeps faith in Arabic content

India’s first English language Muslim lifestyle magazine ‘Muallim’ is due to launch in May

Muslim hip hop starts to address issues of the environment and eco-friendliness

Read how the internet is changing young Muslims’ relationship with their faith, and each other

Young Muslim women enhance their participation across all sports. One female Muslim blogger documents the growing trend

Saudi Arabia has world’s highest ratio of mobile phones at 188% fuelled by high internet use. Usage of mobiles is also up for amongst teenagers and the 9 year age group

Ogilvy Noor’s segmentation which identified the Muslim ‘Futurists’ combining faith and modernity is seen in action here as the Futurists talk to the New York Times: “Muslims on Wall Street: Bridging Two Traditions”

What’s a ‘Muppy’? These Muslim Urban Professionals say networking will help build a community of emerging professional Muslim leaders

Chechnya’s first lady launches Islamic fashion line

Keeping teeth clean is tantamount to religious duty for Muslims and has been done for centuries: welcome to the miswak

Halal medicine now an option for Australia’s Muslims

There is no doubt that it can be a sensitive segment to approach. But if approached with sufficient knowledge of and empathy for Muslim consumers themselves and the values they hold closest to them, we believe that the potential rewards more than justify the risks.

There is a new Muslim consumer today, a young consumer who is the future of Muslim consumption. Muslim countries are some of the youngest in the world. There are more than 780 million Muslims under the age of 25, representing 43% of the global Muslim population and more than 11% of world population. These young Muslims are coming of age in a hugely different world to the generation even immediately before them, and their beliefs concerns and expectations are unique to their life experience. They share commonalities across geographies, pointing to an adherence to Islam that is, perhaps for the first time, genuinely global in its worldview. While core religious values remain unchanged, this generation’s new concerns and expectations pose a fresh set of challenges and opportunities to marketers seeking to talk to the Muslim consumer segment.

From a segmentation perspective, the challenge facing brands today is to avoid alienating the traditional Muslim consumers who will remain the bedrock of the global Muslim community worldwide while significantly updating the mode of engagement in order to find real relevance to the lives of the new young Muslim consumer today and indeed, the Muslim consumer of the future. Brands must really understand their lives as consumers from the inside, and learn what they are starting to expect from brands.

This week at Ogilvy Noor…

… we are addressing the pressing questions: What is Islamic branding, and why is it significant?

In the world of Muslim consumers, here is the best of this week’s news:

The MTV nominated Muslim woman pop star you may never have heard of

Islamic lectures, prayer times and hijrah calendars are part of a growing $66bn mobile app market in the Arab world, which is worth double what it was the previous year

A new digital stock photo library is launched offering digital views of the Muslim experience to better serve the media

Halal make-up is recognised as a rising trend at industry fair In-Cosmetics being held in Barcelona

The soundtrack for a new generation of young Muslims? “Islamic singers rewrite western hits to find new audiences for ‘faith-inspired’ songs”

Tatarstan positions itself as the gateway for halal products into Russia

Filipino food companies gain halal certification in order to secure exports to the Middle East, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia

Another Islamic bank opens in Pakistan and Malaysia believes Islamic finance is a key national asset

For Muslim consumers wondering if their plates are halal, a Singapore based company now certifies its chinaware as halal

A growing number of companies from Chile seek halal certification to increase their exports to Asia, including Malaysia

Malaysia’s Department for Islamic Development (JAKIM) now encourages businesses to apply for halal certification online

The Muslim consumer market, at 1.8 billion people is undeniably the next important (and largely untapped) global opportunity. The halal market alone is worth a staggering US$2.1 trillion a year and is increasing at US$500bn a year due to the growth of the global Muslim population.

As China and India have captured the attention of the world’s marketers in recent years, a quiet but enormous business potential lies largely untapped in the global Muslim consumer market today, justifying a shift in focus to what Vali Nasr in Forces of Fortune calls the ’3rd one billion’.

By 2050, more than half of the world’s population will be Muslim. Significantly, 52 per cent of the Muslim community are under 24 years old, pointing to the enormous cultural influence that will be wielded by Muslims in the years to come. Young Muslims are already starting to stamp their influence on the consumption habits of the wider global Muslim community, the Ummah.

In recent years global marketers have started to enthuse over the size of this prize and ruminate on the importance of cracking it – but the challenge is in managing it knowledgeably, sensitively, and profitably for the long term.

What exactly is ‘Islamic branding’?

‘Islamic Branding’ is a relatively new concept. Good Islamic Branding practice, that is, branding that is friendly or compliant with Shariah principles, naturally embodies many of the values that global businesses are feeling the pressing need to communicate today.

Values such as honesty, respect, accountability and understanding are core to the principles of Shariah and resonate deeply with Muslim consumers across the world.

Islamic Branding is not restricted to only brands who consider themselves Islamic, or want to be Islamic. At Ogilvy Noor, we believe that the principles of good Islamic Branding practice, as we define them, are good practice for all businesses the world over.

From our research, we found that the Shariah values mentioned above, that Muslim consumers aspire to, are closely aligned with the existing universal ideals of good business practice.This has become particularly important for global business given the massive erosion of trust in bodies of authority, including corporations, in recent years. Shariah values can offer brands a roadmap back to the kind of practices that build credibility with all consumers. For example, 32% of Muslim consumers agree that ‘respect’ and ‘responsibility’ are still the fundamentals of a good brand. Islamic values, in fact, can champion the cause of corporate social responsibility in both the Muslim and Western worlds.

We can therefore think of Islamic branding as:

‘Branding that is empathetic to Shariah values in order to appeal to the Muslim consumer, ranging from basic Shariah-friendliness to full Shariah-compliance in all aspects of the brand’s identity, behaviour and communications.’

This week at Ogilvy Noor…

It’s been a busy seven days…

At the end of last week we were speaking at the Faith, Power and Money conference in Washington DC.

We are in the press highlighting the excitement and significance of the Muslim consumer: “Brands can win by tapping the Muslim market”

And in the Huffington Post we are part of the discussion on how brands need to ensure they are not left behind when it comes to engaging with American Muslim consumers. “Muslim growth is good for businesses”

News about Islamic Branding and Muslim Consumers

Apps for Muslim travel: Muslims represent around USD$100bn -around 10%- of global travel spending. Find out how technology is helping them with travel and faith

The Malaysian Islamic authority is to monitor halal imports from China

What does an Arab man look like? One artist sets out to photograph their diversity and breadth

Hong Kong uses halal food to attract the Muslim business community and build relations between China and the Muslim world

Sales of halal foie gras are growing rapidly both in Europe and for wider export, especially in the Gulf

French Muslims increasingly want halal foods to suit their French tastes, says Reuters, as France’s €5.5bn halal market prospers

Philippine-made halal food is launched in Malaysia

The International Halal Integrity Alliance states halal product trade has accelerated at a “tremendous pace” now worth US$2.3 trillion

“The new generation of Muslim youths are asking for more value out of halal and not just mere compliance to standards”

Often held back by traditional roles three Muslim women find empowerment through technology to market their businesses

Malaysia Halal Week offers trade opportunities, discussions on innovation and an industry forum on the growth of the halal market

Salamworld, a “global Muslim social network based on the Islamic idea of collaboration” is due to launch in Ramadan 2012