This is crucial in talking to Muslim consumers because many of the concepts that are fundamental to a Muslim perspective on the world don’t necessarily have equivalents in other language. And to further complicate matters, when words that are commonly used by Muslims are transposed into other languages they undergo a semantic shift and lose the original meaning and nuance with which they are used by Muslims. Worse still, sometimes we find ourselves using words with such easy currency that we’re not quite sure what exactly they mean, and it’s too late to ask.

So, here’s a quick guide to five extremely important words and what they mean.

Ummah: the global Muslim community

One of the most visual examples of the concept of ummah is the annual hajj pilgrimage in Makkah. Read more about brands and the hajj, and how this is built on the concept of engaging the ummah

Shariah: a set of guiding life principles, a mental and moral compass

You might feel nervous about making your brand shariah-friendly.  But it’s easier, more profitable (and less frightening) than you think.

Zakah: social giving, charity

Read more about one aspect of charitable giving here, and how brands can engage with charitable causes in Ramadan

Halal: acceptable to Muslims, in accordance with good practice

A common misconception is that halal applies only to food. But halal is more than just what you eat.

Haraam: Forbidden to Muslims

For Muslims who observe a halal diet and lifestyle, the consumption of anything haraam is deeply problematic. Recent consumer scandals bringing to light food contamination have affected all consumers alike. To understand how haraam is so shunned by Muslims and what brands can learn, we look at lessons from the horsemeat scandal.

In depth

The word shariah is important to Muslim consumers, but it’s a word that comes with political baggage and can create nervousness among brands. What should a brand do? And how do we get to the bottom of its importance to Muslims and their consumption choices? We look at some recent research by Pew Forum on what shariah means to Muslim consumers, and we ask do Muslim consumers want shariah, and what does it mean anyway?

Cheat sheet: sharp insights from Muslim consumer market

Muslims in America: slideshow with snapshots from Muslim life

China’s Ningxia Hui region takes advantage of its Muslim background to learn Arabic and do business with Middle East

Middle East business people visit China to shop for small commodities in wholesale, so Arabic interpreters are in high demand

India: More Muslim women go online to find grooms, somewhat coyly

National Household Survey shows Muslim population fastest-growing religion in Canada

Saudi Arabia’s cyber-savvy youth on the rise: they have high Twitter and online use, question traditions, and demand more personal autonomy

Nestlé Malaysia helps local SMEs and certification authorities to tap into global halal market by sharing expertise

New Statesman: Going high-tech to keep the world’s Muslims halal

What is halal meat? A quick bullet point introduction

Pakistan fails to profit from global halal export market due to internal bureaucracy

Global halal market for food and non-food products is estimated between $1.2 trillion and $2 trillion. The European halal food market is worth $66bn of which France has the largest share at $17bn

USA Muslims face ‘halal meat’ problem. Owner of the largest halal slaughter facility says 60% of certified meat is not halal

China’s Xian Yongxin Halal Food Company, whose motto is ‘put credibility first‘ invests in West Halal Food Base. All halal production will be monitored under strict Islamic law

Poland to reintroduce kosher and halal slaughter methods, keeping one eye on export markets

Muslim consumers have specific needs and aspirations when it comes to their relationships with brands. In terms of the latter they look for brands to show an understanding of their desire to live an Islamic lifestyle, and that their consumption should assist them in doing so.

Whether it is from cosmetics to travel, from finance to fashion, they are becoming increasingly demanding of their purchases.

Even in the communications that brands use, Muslim consumers want them to be respectful of their religious parameters. For example, the use of nudity and flesh display so commonly used is anathema to Muslim consumers.

But before a brand can establish itself as part of a Muslim consumer’s lifestyles, there are specific needs that it must attend to, and the key need is for the product to be shariah-compliant.

For large global brands, especially when based in minority Muslim countries, the word shariah can make them nervous.  But for Muslim consumers it is a far cry from the shariah law that is applied in just one or two nations.  For smaller brands, start ups and SMEs, their shariah-compliance is at once a positive differentiator, but also a worry when reaching out to broader audiences who may not know what it means to be shariah compliant or halal.

According to Ogilvy Noor’s research, Muslims see shariah as a moral compass by which to live their lives. Even when it comes to shariah law (as distinct from shariah), it covers a whole range of legal situations, of which most are in the personal and family domains, and only a few related to capital punishment, which themselves are contentious.

It is this level of nuance that brands need to embrace, because this is the nuance with which Muslims themselves understand it.

A recent study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public life which surveyed 38,000 Muslims in 80 languages across 39 countries aimed to get a deeper understanding of what shariah actually means to Muslims.

Muslims have different understandings of what shariah means in practice. The percentage of Muslims who say they want shariah to be “the official law of the land” varies widely around the world, from fewer than one-in-ten in Azerbaijan (8%) to near unanimity in Afghanistan (99%).

The application of shariah by Muslims is an aspiration that it should not necessarily apply to all, rather  most supporters of shariah think Islamic law should apply only to Muslims.

It is with this more subtle, personal code of conduct that we can square our own finding, that over 90% of Muslims that we asked said that their faith affects their consumption.  Undoubtedly then, shariah compliance of products is crucial.

In the colloquial parlance of shariah in western discussions, there comes tied to it a sense of a historic or backward law, which can make brands feel apprehensive in terms of how it will affect their brand positioning. Brands, do not fear. The last thing that Muslim consumers want is to have backwards or retrograde products.

In fact, according to the same Pew report, most Muslims see no inherent tension between being religiously devout and living in a modern society.

Nor do they see any conflict between religion and science.

Many favor democracy over authoritarian rule. They also believe that humans and other living things have evolved over time.

Interestingly from a brand and communications perspective while they say they personally enjoy Western movies, music and television most think Western popular culture undermines public morality. This means there is a gap here to use familiar cultural reference points, but build into them the kind of religious values that Muslim inherently feel are more suited to their Islamic aspirations.

In short, shariah compliance is something that Muslim consumers do expect, but this compliance is not the scary, or incompatible-with-modernity idea that at first glance brands might think. It simply means an adherence to basic Islamic rules such as methods of slaughter (meat), instrument structures (finance) and ingredients being non-alcohol based, non pig-derivatives (personal care) to name just a few.

And the great thing is, when these technical terms are put into ordinary consumer parlance – meat is properly inspected, finance shares risk and profit, rather than loading risk on the consumer, ingredients are healthy, ethical and organic – the wider consumer base finds them appealing to.

So while Muslim consumers need shariah compliance, the wider consumer base may want it to, once we all have a shared understanding of what it actually means.

In depth

There are Muslims who live as part of minority populations, particularly in Western nations where it is relatively new to have sizeable Muslim populations. How should a brand communicate its respect and engagement with such consumers? Why is it important?  And how can Muslim values be interpreted through wider cultures and customs so that brands can reach out to all without alienating anyone. In this month’s AdCritique we look at engaging minority Muslims in the mainstream and creating a two way dialogue.

This study looks at how the Muslim Futurists in Saudi Arabia are using their digital connectivity and ideas about combining faith and modernity to change their circumstances and in the process influence the development of a nation: “Saudi Arabia: Cyber-savvy youth on the rise.”

Cheat sheet: sharp insights from Muslim consumer markets

The rise of the Muslim fashion industry, worth $96bn, but also inspiring mainstream fashion too

London and Dubai want Islamic finance crown

Turkish fashion designers make Muslim style chic

In Catholic Philippines halal is huge as many consumers believe halal-certified products go through natural processes

Muslim women’s fashion exhibition held in Sydney

Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim population, overtakes India as the most optimistic market

Central Islamic Council of Thailand (CICOT) adopts Malaysian halal standards for widespread use in Thailand

Malaysia says halal food and services attract moneyed Muslim tourists

Thriving halal hotels in Malaysia lack standardisation

Malaysia food company Brahim is expanding to the Middle East: “Technology and know-how especially in halal food production is our strength”

For Muslims, the way a brand treats its workers is important: “The rights of workers in Islam”

A princess for a day, an Islamic fashion statement for life

In depth

In our newsletter this month we look at the face of today’s Muslim consumer and deep dive into the breadth of the halal industry. We also bring you news of a major Islamic finance report. And of course we have our usual AdCritique feature which this month focuses on Muslim personal storytelling. Plus our usual insights, this month into health and personal care, and how to win over your Muslim consumer… plus ideas to grow your business, diary notes, and what we’ve been tweeting about.

Two interesting studies have been published this week. First, Arab Media Use study: an 8 nation survey and you can find a good analysis of the data in how people in the Middle East actually use social media.

Pew Forum has published significant study on The World’s Muslims: Religion, Politics and Society

Cheat sheet: sharp insights from Muslim consumer markets this week

Middle East: TV remains the most important source of news and information in all countries, except Bahrain and Qatar

San Francisco Muslim students perform prayers in the open air in order to offer others the chance to experience Islamic sermons

Underdeveloped: Pakistan currently a small player in global halal meat market

Qatar has 2.3m cell phones, and 2m people. It also has the Middle East’s highest level of tablet ownership at 34 percent

Arab countries are divided over media credibility: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the UAE feel positively; Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia feel the media is not credible

Asia-Pacific: women manage the monthly household finances while men take charge of household savings and investments

Regulators, economists and financial institutions in MENA agree that the SME sector is effective for job creation and economic growth

Muslims may think about combining exercise and fasting as Ramadan nears. New study asks if fasting affects training

For those unfamiliar with Ramadan, here’s a gentle introduction: “What do the followers of Islam do during Ramadan?”

Qantas ties up with Emirates in bid to open up the market, and removes pork from food menu in and out of Dubai

Many airlines flying through UAE remove pork from food menu, including Virgin and Qantas

In depth

In this week’s Berita Harian, published in Singapore, in Malay language, the paper talks to Ogilvy Noor Vice President Shelina Janmohamed about the importance of the Muslim consumer market, and why brands should be brave and reach out to this growing segment. “Helping MNCs address the problem of Islamaphobia”

Ramadan is less than 3 months away, beginning approximately July 9th. The beginning of the month will be determined when the new moon is sighted. This means the crescent is a powerful symbol for Muslims, and as a result is widely used in communications materials. To look at how this should be done, from our archive we bring you “Designing the moon for Ramadan‘”

Cheat sheet: sharp insights from Muslim consumer markets this week

In line with wellness and new-age Muslim consumer trends, comes the world’s first physiological prayer mat

DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio announce halal certified products

England celebrated St George’s on Tuesday 23rd April. Christian-Muslim group says ”Hijab should be as welcome as bangers and mash‘

Syrian actress celebrity will be part of a new Saudi comedy to be aired during the month of Ramadan, a popular time for new television broadcasting

Egyptian actor who once held number 1 television spot in Ramadan to film new dramas for this year’s holy month

Middle East and North Africa’s 8 trends for 2013

Jordan expects big increase in Ramadan food demand, the usual increase is 50% for Ramadan over other months

More men are buying skin care products in UAE. Most popular are after-shave creams, mattifying, anti-ageing and anti-oxidant products. 30% of product purchasers are men

Global Islamic Finance Report estimates Islamic finance market at USD$1.63 trillion. For the last 5 years, growth has been an average of 20.4% per annum

Dubai-based Al Islami halal food company eyes Africa’s Muslim opportunity as halal food sector grows on continent

Detroit, USA: Burger giant McDonald’s ordered to pay $700k after falsely labelling a chicken sandwich as halal

Malaysia innovation company develops nature-friendly tapioca-based tableware as alternative to plastics and polystyrene. Additionally, they are halal and edible.

You can read the full article in Malay here. Or you can read an English translation below.

Helping firms address the problem of Islamaphobia

Berita Harian (Singapore) | Friday, April 26, 2013

As the vice president of a communications consultancy, Ogilvy Noor, Shelina Zahra Janmohamed who is based in London often gets similar questions from MNC clients from around the world.

They would like to sell halal food which meet the demand of Muslim consumers but they worry about being criticized by a section of the population who suffer from Islamaphobia, which is the fear or prejudice against the religion and its people.

“Many large companies are concerned when they are looking to launch products to the Muslim consumer. However, they get serious when they learn that there is a 1.8 billion Muslim population globally and a halal market worth US$2.1 trillion with average growth of US$500b annually. They then realise just how immense the business potential is and don’t want to miss out on this opportunity, “says Shelina, who is London-born and in her late thirties, during a phone interview.

Approximately one in four of the world’s population is Muslim, and this number is expected to increase by 35 per cent to 2.2 billion in 2030.

A graduate of Oxford University in the fields of psychology and philosophy, Shelina – who has been name a future leader in Britain’s advertising industry – has helped big names such as Coca-Cola and Nestle in Islamic branding since joining Ogilvy Noor two years ago.

As a unit within the global communications consultancy, Ogilvy & Mather, Ogilvy Noor was created in response to the need for expert, practical advice on how to build brands that would appeal to Muslim consumers.

Shelina acknowledges that Islamic branding is not easy, especially with the negative perception by a portion of the world population have about the Muslim community. This is further impacted by acts of terrorism and violence, such as the recent Boston Marathon incident in the US, which has placed more attention on the Muslim community.

“The Muslim community condemns the act of violence in Bostin, but what is disconcerting is that there are some parties who make inaccurate conclusions that associate violence with Islam as a religion.”

“This is worrying and a lot needs to be done to explain the truth,” said Shelina, mother of a two-year old daughter.

Wearing a headscarf, Shelina admits that it’s not always easy living in London dressed as such.

“The biggest challenge is in representing your religion in today’s modern society. Fortunately, I’ve not personally encountered Islamaphobia. However, there are instances when Muslims become victims of attacks,” says Shelina whose parents migrated to London from Tanzania in the 1960s.

Often, when at the bookstore, she often sees books which show Muslim women dressed in purdahs beside a camel or sharing their experiences about how they escaped from an abusive husband.

“I noticed that there were no books which reflected the life of Muslim women like me. This inspired me to write my novel Love in a Headscarf which reflects my quest for love in life,” explained Shelina who also has a blog, Spirit21.

The book which was published in Britain in 2009 has been translated into eight languages including Bahasa Indonesia, Italian and Arabic.

In depth

This in-depth report was originally published in ‘Islamic Finance‘ by Raconteur Media on 16th April 2013 in The Times exploring the growth of the Islamic finance sector in the UK, in light of the Islamic Finance task force set up by the UK government. The report features insight and analysis by Ogilvy Noor. “In the wake of the global financial crisis, Islamic finance has gathered momentum with Sharia-compliant principles…” Read the full report here.

When it comes to retail banking, Islamic banks must demonstrate how they differ from discredited sections of the banking industry if they are to thrive in the UK. In this article featuring Ogilvy Noor, some of the latest research and challenges come under the spotlight.

This week, Singapore’s Business Times published a full page feature looking at the growth of the Muslim consumer market and why it is significant for businesses. “Winning over the Muslim consumer: Brands leading Muslim consumer trends are those that embrace values, such as humility, transparency, purity and togetherness”. Read ‘From the desk of… Ogilvy Noor’s VP‘

Cheat sheet: sharp insights from Muslim consumer markets

UAE boasts 28 organic certified farms, with more on the way. They are a result of growing demands in the nation for organic produce

“Islamic banks need comprehensive marketing approach”

Japanese and Korean investors to leverage Malaysian halal certification. China, Russia and India also interested

Groundbreaking humanitarian initiative to give aid agencies around the world relief aid in halal meat for disasters and famine

Nigeria: “I create stylish, modest clothes for Muslim women” with a new line called ‘Muslim Identity’ (MID)

Figures show changing face of young Arabs: last year’s worries about job security and corruption are changing into a new sense of optimism

Indonesia: West Java to host the biggest halal conference in South East Asia

Thai food makers urged to enter Malaysian market to capitalise on the vision Malaysia has to be a global halal food hub

Malaysia travel site launches an halal hotel search option

UK’s Channel 4 to broadcast Ramadan morning prayers: the British television channel announces season of programs to mark Islamic holy month

Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce grants its first trade license to halal body with the remit to promote Pakistan halal products and services

British Muslim MP talks about how he balances his faith with his job, about living as part of a Muslim minority

“In the wake of the global financial crisis, Islamic finance has gathered momentum with Sharia-compliant principles…”

Read the full report here.