More than a quarter of the world’s population will be Muslim by the year 2050. Currently Muslims spend about $2.6 trillion on lifestyle. Marketplace for Halal products is growing rapidly with as much as 6 percent rise expected in next 3 years. A research into Muslim attitudes around the world found that there is an emergence of a segment the researchers called ‘Muslim Futurists’. They are the people who choose to live a life that is both faithful and modern. They want the best brands, products and services that meet the requirements of their faith.
The young Muslim women are not only more cosmopolitan as consumers but even more religiously observant when compared to their older generations. So the brands are playing out on these two trends – Islamic and Global across sectors, be it food, beauty, fashion, banking, technology or travel.
In general brands are now targeting the women consumers more with their advertisements about their products. Whether it is Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign or Mattel rolling out a new line of Barbie dolls in different skin tones and body shapes, the brands are aligning themselves more with the expectations of modern audiences who wants to break the stereotypes and celebrate themselves.
This is a big opportunity
A Pro Hijab campaign was released by Nike after working with female athletes who highlighted difficulties of competing wearing traditional hijabs. High end brand like Dolce & Gabbana announced a line of high-end abayas (long cloaks) and shaylas (scarves) for Muslim women in the Middle East. Then a more accessible brand like H&M’s corporate social responsibility campaign featured around 60 rule-breakers that included a fashionable Muslim woman. And Uniqlo announced that it will be releasing a Life wear range in Malaysia aiming specifically at Muslim women who choose to dress modestly. This is a way how brands are gaining on this opportunity they see lurking in the market.
Break the stereotypes
Brands are pushing the stereotypes fabric and letting go off the pretense by breaking with the played-out narrative of oppression that’s found often in western culture. Brands understand that they need to increase their cultural knowledge if they want to reach this economically powerful audience. Otherwise they will lose out on major opportunities and the start-ups would lap it up on it. Start-ups really pose a threat to established brands who haven’t quite come around this understanding. In this digital age it is very easy to see through brands that are faking it. It is the basic requirement to have brands shaped by the culture. There is definitely a power shift. Brands need to reflect the change world is going through and position their brands well.