The New Muslim Consumer and how to create a relationship with this segment

1. campaignasia.com
W
hen it comes to big consumer
markets, Asia is not short of con-
tenders. China and India, with
their billion-plus populations
have led the way, while a number
of large emerging markets are
now also catching the eyes of
marketers. But the region is also
home to another sizeable consumer bloc, one not de-
fined by country but by a shared religion.
According to conservative estimates Asia is home
to an almost 700 million Muslims, some 60 per cent
of the global total. While Indonesia is often quoted
as the world’s largest Muslim country — it accounts
for an estimated 13 per cent of the number of Mus-
lims worldwide — other countries such as Pakistan,
Bangladesh and India can also boast Muslim popu-
lations of more than 100 million.
When even a country such as China can claim
Muslim populations of between 20 million and 100
million, depending on which data is used, it is clear
that this is a market to be reckoned with.
Surprisingly then, save for one or two examples,
most brands have been slow to directly target their
products and services to this market. “Most MNCs
have never really asked themselves whether those
consumers have got anything special about them,
whether they have got a different relationship with
brands, for instance,” Miles Young, global CEO of
Ogilvy & Mather, says.
In the past, when Asian Muslim consumers have
engaged directly with brands, it has tended to be for
negative reasons. Though marked differences exist
between Muslims in various countries across the re-
gion, when the united Muslim voice comes together,
it can be a powerful force. A number of US brands
found this out in 2009 when Muslim activists in
Malaysiaurgedconsumerstoboycottproductsfrom
companies such as Coca-Cola, Colgate and McDon-
ald’s over US support for Israel’s attack on Gaza.
“The Islamic religion is a highly sensitive topic in
Malaysia and must be addressed with respect and
tact to avoid untoward incidences,” explains Tze-
Lian Ng, Partner, Insights at Mindshare’s Malaysia
operation. “One very clear insight is that Malays
here are very much in solidarity with Muslims
around the world. Any issues affecting Muslims in
other countries which draw media attention here
will affect local sentiments.”
More typically, though, negative sentiment is
simply a case of brands misjudging the Muslim con-
sumer. It is not only Western brands that have suf-
fered here. Bintang Zero, a non-alcoholic beverage
produced by the Indonesian brewer Bintang, was
WhilethereisnodoubtingthepotentialoftheMuslimmarketinAsia,it
nonethelessneedstobehandledwithgreatcare,writesMichaelO’Neill
Muslimconsumer
Meetthenew
gettyimages
60 campaign october 2010

2. campaignasia.com

3. campaignasia.com October 2010 campaign 63
GettyIMAGES
Muslim ‘Futurists’… responsible, curious, culturally-exposed and interested in others
“AbrandhastooffersolutionstotheMuslim
consumersbeyondjusttheHalalaspect”
AymanHamed,AlIslamiFoods
meant to appeal to religious Muslims who abstain
from alcohol. For obvious reasons, the marketing
failed. As one commentator said at the time: “What
next? Halal pork?”
Itseems,though,thatbrandsarelearningquickly
from their mistakes. Whether a result of the ad-
spend slowdown in Western markets, or a recogni-
tion of the growing affluence among many Asia-
based Muslim consumers, brands — and their
agency partners — are taking the Asian Muslim
market far more seriously than before.
A
key part of understanding the Islamic
market in Asia will depend on being
able to segment the Muslim consumer.
While religion is the uniting factor,
Muslims across Asia are very different
from one another and respond to reli-
gious messaging in a variety of ways.
“Brands need to be careful not to gen-
eralise the Muslim community because they are not
homogeneous, “ says Guy Hearn, director of Com-
municationsInsights,Asia-Pacific,atOmnicomMe-
dia Group. “In addition to the Islamic faith, race, na-
tionality and education play a big part in defining
what ‘intensity’ of Muslim the consumer belongs to.
Muslims in different countries are exposed to and
thus influenced by other cultures. Muslims in Ma-
laysiaparticularlyareexposedtootherreligionsand
are respectful of other faiths.”
In a country such as Indonesia, for example,
whereupto75percentoftheMuslimpopulationare
either secular or non-practicing, Robbie Susatyo,
managing director of Synovate Indonesia suggests
brandssteerawayfromovertIslamicthemes.“Indo-
nesia is very different from other countries such as
Malaysia or Pakistan,” he says. “It has a different
adherence to religion. If someone says marketing to
Muslims, there is a risk you are labelling them as
extremist or militant. Many Indonesians don’t want
to be a part of this. They want to be in the main-
stream. As soon as you label someone Muslim, they
no longer feel part of the mainstream.”
Similarly, in Pakistan, there are distinct differ-
ences in consumer attitudes between the more mod-
erate parts of the country and the conservative
north. Sabene Saigol, the chairperson of Lahore-
based Red Communication Arts, notes that adver-
tising in Pakistan on the whole concentrates on im-
ages of youth, vitality and modernity, without a
burqua in sight. In nothern areas, however, commu-
nications tend to be tweaked, with, for example, fe-
male models in TVCs replaced by male ones, or sim-
ply product shots.
But while it can be argued strongly that there is
no single Muslim market in Asia, there are nonethe-
less generalisations that can be made. At Ogilvy
Noor, for instance, the Muslim consumer market is
divided between ‘Traditionalists’ and ‘Futurists’.
While Traditionalists make up 60 per cent of the
population in the markets surveyed, it is the Futur-
ist group — which combines a modern outlook with
a strong religious commitment — that is most inter-
esting to brands. “We believe the Futurists will be
responsible for shaping the future for marketers by
virtue of the fact that they enjoy the deepest rela-
tionship with brands today and are most willing to
wholeheartedlyintegratebrandsintotheirownlives
and wider cultures,” says Nazia Hussain, Ogilvy &
Mather’s global director of Cultural Strategy.
Lian Rosnita Redwan-Beer, the publisher of Aq-
uila Asia, a fashion and lifestyle magazine and web-
site for cosmopolitan Muslim women, agrees, point-
ing to a generation of new Muslim consumers that
are more connected and digitised than their ‘tradi-
tional’ counterparts. “These are women who are re-
sponsible, curious, culturally-exposed, and very in-
terested in others. They love to share knowledge,
info, tips, experience and problems,” Redwan-Beer
says. “Within this community, word about an out-
standing product, service, or place that meets their
spiritual needs travels super fast.”
S
o if Asia is seeing the emergence of a
new, modern Muslim consumer, how
best to reach them? On the most basic
level, more and more brands are ensur-
ing their products meet Halal certifica-
tion in various markets. This is under-
standable. The global Halal industry
was estimated by the World Halal Coun-
cil to have been worth US$632 billion in 2009.
In Muslim countries, though, Halal certification
is a given rather than a differentiator. Even in Singa-
pore, for instance, where the Musilm population is
in the minority, McDonald’s and other food manu-
facturers use Halal ingredients not as a marketing
tool but because to not do so would mean isolating a
significant part of its consumer base. “At a certain
stage Halal branding is important to establish cre-
dentials,” says Ayman Hamed, director of market-
ing at Dubai-based Al Islami Foods. “But a brand
has to offer solutions to the Muslim consumers be-
yond the Halal aspect without losing [sight of] it.”
A more direct approach has been for brands to
focus on a specific religious or cultural need and to
build marketing around that. Unilever did this sev-
eral years back with the ‘Clean and Fresh’ campaign
for its Sunsilk shampoo that targeted hijab
NOOR GLOBAL BRAND 2010
brand NOOR INDEX SCORE
Lipton 131
Nestlé 130
Kraft 117
Mirinda 110
7 Up 109
Lux 108
Sunsilk 105
Dove 103
Pantene 102
Head & Shoulders 101
Heinz 101
Pepsi 95
Coca Cola 94
Air Arabia 91
Emirates 85
Singapore Airlines 63
Cathay Pacific 62
Standard Chartered 54
HSBC 51
RBS 47
Source: Ogilvy Noor
The above selection is from the Ogilvy Noor
Global Brand Index, a preliminary
exploration of the consumer perception of
relative ‘Muslim-friendliness’ of certain
global brands across the world. The scores
are on a 100-point index, where brands
above 100 are seen as being more Shariah-
compliant and brands below 100 seen as
less so.

4. campaignasia.com64 campaign OCTOber 2010
(headscarf)-wearing females. Similarly, Malaysian
auto manufacturer Proton is partnering with com-
panies in Iran and Turkey to develop an ‘Islamic car’
with a compass pointing to Mecca and built-in com-
partments for the hijab and copies of the Koran.
But these tend to be one-off product promotions
and, it could be argued, do little to create a lasting
brand equity in the market. John Goodman, presi-
dent of Ogilvy Action Asia-Pacific and regional di-
rector for Ogilvy & Mather ASEAN, argues instead
that brands should take a broader approach to the
Muslim market, adopting a marketing plan that sits
comfortably with Shariah values, which Ogilvy
Noor describes as “a holistic set of practices that
guide every aspect of one’s life.”
In its simplest form, this can be interpreted as
taking a more ethical approach to the marketing of
goods, being aware of the wider values and sensi-
tivities of the Muslim community. In Pakistan, for
instance, the Olpers milk brand places family values
at the centre of its branding, without an overt ‘Is-
lamic’ branding. This positioning is run out during
the year, but is intensified during the peak season of
Ramadam, when the brand communicates the more
direct connection between the brand and Islam.
“Muslims get together, they pray together, eat to-
gether, make a lot of donations and help the commu-
nity. These values sit well with our mother position,”
says Ali Akbar, vice-president of the Global Business
Unit at Engro Foods.
Importantly, the Shariah commitment needs to
go deeper than just sales and marketing, touching
all aspects of the company,frommanufacturingand
packaging to brand story and overall business prac-
tices. Research carried out by Ogilvy Noor found, for
example, that a commitment to charity and corpo-
rate social responsibility chimed well with Muslim
consumers. Charity and CSR may be universal val-
ues, but they also align especially well with Islamic
beliefs — zakaat (charity) for instance, is one of the
four pillars of Islam.
“When we say ‘Islamic’ or ‘Muslim’ brand, we
mean that it’s a brand based on the ethics and values
of Islam, in order to communicate to the Muslim
community that this brand adheres to the code you
live your life by, therefore associating with this
brand would benefit you,” says Joy Abdullah, a di-
rector at business and brand marketing consultancy
Daily Baraka.
This strategy has the advantage for brands in that
they do not have to fundamentally change their
DNA but instead need to make sure their business
ethics and community outreach are consistent and
well-communicated. Most of all, though, they need
to be genuine and transparent. “People don’t like su-
perficial reflections on their culture and religion,”
says Goodman. “People react badly if they see com-
panies paying lip service or being patronising.”
While good news travels fast among the new
Muslim consumer, so does negative sentiment As
well as being more accepting of brands, Ogilvy
found its Futurists to also be more challenging.
“What this combined sceptisism, mistrust and
doubt has done is create a class of consumers who
ask more questions than ever before,” says Hussain.
T
his reaction to inconsistent branding can
be seen in the Islamic finance sector. Al-
though banking services that are consist-
ent with Shariah law have grown in popu-
larity, financial brands score low on the
Ogilvy Noor Index, which measures per-
ceptions of brands in the Muslim world.
In particular, HSBC is poorly ranked as it
is seen by many Muslims as what Goodman calls “a
house with two doors” — one secular and one reli-
gious. While HSBC may be offering Islamic finance,
the perception is that once the transaction goes in to
Islamic media HowmediaownersareappealingtothemodernMuslimconsumer
In August this year,
Malaysian TV threw up
an unlikely new hero.
In the grand final of
Imam Muda on the
Muslim lifestyle
satellite channel Astro
Oasis, Muhammad
Asyraf Mohammad
Ridzuan saw off rivals
to grab the crown in
the American Idol-style
programme. Asyraf’s
prize for coming up
trumps in the 10-week
show included a
scholarship at a
university in Saudi
Arabia and a trip to
Mecca.
While the show
created headlines
across the region and
beyond, it also brought
attention to the
changing nature of
Islamic media, from its
perception as a dull
and conservative
programming block to
one that is embracing
the needs of modern
Muslims. In this, Oasis
is taking its lead from
the West, in particular
the growth of ‘lifestyle’
Islamic TV in both the
Middle East and
countries in Europe
with significant Muslim
populations. UK-based
Islam Channel, for
instance, broadcasts
across Europe, the
Middle East and North
Africa and is streamed
live on the internet,
showing news, Islamic-
themed quiz shows
and even a Saturday
evening light
entertainment show.
But while the Islam
Channel claims it is
watched by 50 per cent
of the UK’s 1.6 million
Muslims, similar
channels have yet to
take off in popularity in
Asia. “Almost all
stations In Indonesia
have certain hours,
certain blocks for
Islamic content,”
says Robbie Susatyo,
managing director of
Synovate Indonesia.
“But viewership is very
small. People prefer
watching soap operas
to talk shows
discussing religious
themes.”
Still, Andreas
Vogiatzakis, managing
director at OMG
Malaysia, identifies
the potential for
Islamic media,
especially in Malaysia.
“The market may be
niche, but you will
definitely reach your
targets well. Muslims
in Malaysia are
working towards being
progressive Muslims —
to achieve modernity
without letting go the
spiritual aspect. For
advertisers, this
translates definitely to
opportunity.”
A good example of
this marrying of Islam
and modernity in the
print sector is the
Indonesia-based
fashion and lifestyle
magazine Aquila
Asia.“We set ourselves
apart from the
mainstream by
regularly touching on
topics and subjects
that pertain to Islam
and modern-living, and
delivering them
alongside religious
references so
everybody gets the
whole picture,” says
publisher Liana
Rosnita Redwan-Beer.
The magazine and
online portal is proving
popular with
advertisers. “Right
now, the SMEs and
regional players have
been quick to join
force with us. The
Muslim market is by
and large untapped,
and more and more
brands are aware of
this fact.”
“Peoplereactbadlyiftheyseecompaniespaying
lipserviceorbeingpatronising”
JohnGoodman,Ogilvy&Mather
Aquila Asia… targeting the new Muslim woman

5. campaignasia.com66 campaign october 2010
gettyimages
“AcorporaterebrandbasedonIslamicethics
wouldnotjivewiththeMuslimconsumer”
JoyAbdullah,DailyBaraka
Case studies ThreebrandsthatusedIslamicvaluestobuildconsumerloyalty
OLPERS
Olpers entered
Pakistan as a new
brand in 2006 and has
quickly taken the UHT
milk market by storm.
Within four years, it
has crossed all
predicted thresholds
to command 30 per
cent of the market
share. Its success is
due to a multitude of
factors including an
engaging brand
presence, innovative
sourcing and
distribution systems,
highly emotional
communications and a
general shake-up of
the entire UHT milk
category. In terms of a
Shariah-friendly
aproach, Olpers
emphasises purity and
authenticity in its
people and products.
Communications are
deeply rooted in
Pakistani heritage —
the brand emphasises
pure Muslim living,
loving family bonds
and intergenerational
respect, and
celebrations of cultural
rituals in all its
communications,
carving out a special
niche in the heart of
the modern Pakistani
Muslim consumer.
With its striking big-
budget
communications and
emphasis on
innovation, it’s hardly
surprising that many
Pakistani consumers
see Olpers as
potentially the first
global Pakistani brand.
Global campaigns have
featured international
celebrities such as
Canadian Pakistani
artist Dawood Ali and
depict Muslims across
the Ummah
celebrating the same
rituals.
PETRONAS
Petronas in Malaysia is
much more than just
an oil and gas brand. It
is seen as a key driver
of Malaysian progress,
and an embodiment of
much that modern
Malaysians, and
especially Muslim
Malays, want to see as
the future of the
country. Through
emotional advertising
grounded in family
values, respect and
inclusivity, the
Petronas brand is seen
as a brand for all
Malaysians, and this
spirit of inclusivity and
progress is highly
resonant with Shariah
values. Recognising its
role as a leader and
Malaysian success
story, Petronas is
involved in all aspects
of national progress
and invests heavily in
education, sports, arts
and humanitarian
efforts.
Much of its
communications
involve children, both
as a symbol of
Malaysia’s future and
to drive home the
importance of family
values. This kind of
human inclusivity and
focus on family
resonates well with the
Muslim consumer.
Petronas also shows
how even a brand in a
relatively low-
involvement category
can strike a deep
emotional chord with
Muslim consumers by
drawing on and
tapping into rich
cultural values.
CIMB ISLAMIC
CIMB Islamic Bank is
the global Islamic
banking and finance
arm of CIMB Group.
The brand is innovative
in the finance category
as it was the first
standalone Islamic
bank offering from a
full-service bank —
most other banks
offered Shariah-
compliant banking
through Islamic
‘windows’. At the same
time, the CIMB Islamic
brand has been careful
to remain very
inclusive and pluralist
in its communications,
mindful of Malaysia’s
cultural and religious
diversity. Through both
its products and its
communications, CIMB
Islamic has achieved
the status of a
progressive Islamic
Malaysian bank in
consumers’ eyes.
CIMB Islamic brand
has also been effective
in communicating its
overt Shariah
compliant credentials,
such as its CIMB
Islamic Shariah
Committee, which
comprises the world’s
leading Islamic
scholars. Most of all
though, the bank has
been able to ensure
that every aspect of its
behaviour and
communications feels
grounded in core
Islamic values, from
using an Islamic green
in its livery to using the
language of
community in its
promotions.
the back office, the practice is diluted, resulting in a
fear of “contamination”.
Abdullah believes such considerations are espe-
cially pertinent for Western brands, which arrive in
a Muslim country with a well-known back story. “A
Western MNC is already an existing ‘corporate
brand’ having an image, personality and history as-
sociated with it ­— perceived or otherwise — by its
stakeholders across the globe,” says Abdullah.
“Therefore, a ‘corporate rebrand’ based on Islamic
ethics would not jive with the targeted Muslim con-
sumer.”
But how much of Muslim consumers’ brand per-
ception is based on respect for religious values and
howmuchisbecausetheyaresuccessfulbrandsthat
get their marketing right and produce good prod-
ucts that consumers want to buy? Abdullah says
that, at present, religion plays a secondary role.
“Currently there are MNCs which are strong brands
on their own that have been made available to the
global Muslim community through the usual distri-
bution channels,” he says. “But none of these brands
were developed based on Islamic ethics. They are
brands developed in the classical brand marketing
framework wherein a product benefit has been
highlighted and, process wise, they are currently
‘compliant” — that is, adhering to specific Halal
standards.”
Goodman feels it is a mixture of both: “These
brands tend to reflect the core Muslim values very
well, and therefore although they don’t ‘align them-
selves with Islam’ consciously, they do in their value
systems and the way they interact with consumers
and society, becoming good local citizens in Muslim
countries. A lot of the things you need to do to mar-
ket to Muslims are things you would do to appeal to
other consumers. The same values are relevant to
non-Muslims as well.”
While this may be a grey area, when it comes to
the overall importance of being able to connect with
the new Muslim the situation is much less opaque.
And while religion will still be a benchmark, the in-
dividual’s sense of identity and what they want to do
with their life will become even more important. Ex-
plains Abdullah: “There are successful multination-
al companies and regional brands across categories
that are fulfilling the needs of the Muslim consum-
er. But, with the rise in awareness and understand-
ing of Halal, and a growing consciousness of the
‘Muslim identity’, especially amongst youth, it is in-
evitable that the need for brands to address this
identity will be on the rise.” n
Olpers… emphasises family bonds in Paksitan
Petronas… is seen as a brand for all Malaysians