دانلود رایگان مقاله نگاهی نو به بازاریابی مبتنی بر ایمان

Abstract

Faith-based marketing, or addressing consumers’ religious sensibilities with faith-friendly offerings, represents a new wave of growth for companies. While kosher goods and Christian movies are well-known examples of this trend, companies continue to overlook opportunities for growing faith-based segments. Representing the fastest-growing faith-based consumer group in the world, Muslims, in particular, are a largely untapped segment. Forward-looking companies such as Nestle´, Walmart, and McDonald’s consider this segment as the next ‘one-billion’ market, after China and India, and are developing strategies to appeal to the Muslim consumer. We focus on the key to tapping into the sizable Muslim spending power: halal marketing. Contrary to common belief, halal marketing is not confined to dietary goods. Rather, it pertains to a diverse range of offerings from cosmetics to tourism that represents a global market worth $2.1 trillion annually. Modern interpretations of halal echo the claims of organic and fair-trade industries, broadening the appeal of halal to mainstream consumers. Despite the vast opportunities in halal marketing, winning the pocketbooks of Muslim consumers involves cultural, operational, and geopolitical challenges. We provide an overview of this emerging market and offer five lessons for successful halal marketing.

5. Concluding thoughts

The Muslim consumer segment represents an untapped opportunity for marketers. The demand for halal goods is expected to rise given the growth rate of the Muslim population and the increasing availability of halal products. As illustrated by Nestle´ and several other multinational firms, this opportunity can be exploited through thoughtfully following five principles. Although Western multinationals have led the way in cultivating and initially penetrating the global halal market, efforts are being made as well by Muslim-owned companies. These businesses are targeting consumers in Muslim countries as well as those outside in the West. Several companies are making significant sales inroads, such as Crescent Foods and Saffron Road in the United States and Ummah Foodsin the United Kingdom. These firms are selling a wide range of halal products from frozen entre´es to broths, cookies, marshmallows, and beef jerky through prominent retailers like Whole Foods and Walmart in North America and Tesco and Carrefour in Europe. Likewise, Muslim women entrepreneurs are leading the charge in developing halal cosmetic brands such as the U.S.-based Amara, the UK-based Halal Cosmetics company, and the United Arab Emirates—based OnePure that are marketed worldwide through company websites. Interestingly, Muslim-owned companies are targeting not only first-, second-, and third-generation Muslims who are part of the large and ongoing diaspora, but increasingly also non-Muslim consumers who are drawn to socially and health-conscious products. An example is Brunei-based Wafirah, which manufactures and distributes premium halal foods and beverages in the United Kingdom. With 2.7 Muslims living in Britain, Walfirah hasidentified a large, educated group of consumers who are willing to pay higher prices for quality products consistent with their religious beliefs. Walfirah’s products have been well received by these consumers as well as by non-Muslims, who comprise 20% of their purchasers (Riley, 2013).