Global brands turn their focus to the Muslim market

Muslim consumers are estimated to comprise 1.8 billion people, and the Muslim consumer market makes up one fourth of the world's population,  industry players say.With that, more global brands are quickly picking up on the trend, and tailoring their approach to reach the burgeoning market.For example, last week, Uniqlo launched its special modest wear collection which was created in collaboration with designer and internet personality, Hana Tajima. The Uniqlo X Hana Tajima Collection was designed to cater to the cultural needs and modern taste of Muslim women who desire to look fashionable and conservative.Hana Tajima, who oversaw the design of every piece in the Uniqlo X Hana Tajima Collection, explained, “We want to create a collection that not only appeals to modern ladies who prefer to dress modestly, but also an international audience who desire clothes that fit comfortably and look contemporary."E-commerce fashion retailer Zalora also introduced two collections for its flagship brand - Rizalman for Zalora and Jovian Mandagie for Zalora – in a bid to market to women during the festive Hari Raya season. Both collections feature modern spins to the traditional Malay clothing while keeping things conservative to appeal to its target consumers.With the rise of hijabsters – a portmantheau of hjiab and hipster – celebrities such as Yuna and Tajima herself are helming the hijab chic fad, alerting marketers and fashion brands to not only this global trend, but also to the untapped market that the trend provides.According to Q Akashah, executive director at Islamic branding consultancy OgilvyNoor Singapore, there are three trends which are making marketers pay more attention to the Muslim consumer.With a Muslim consumer market estimated to comprise 1.8 billion people, the Muslim consumer market makes up one fourth of the world's population.40% of the reported 1.8 billion are under the age of 25. Many of them represent the new Muslim consumers called "futurists", said Q - tech-savvy, self-empowered individuals who are fully engaged with the world. They are also consumers with increasing disposable incomes, brand conscious and loyal, and hold brands to account.The rise of the "futurist" Muslim woman – one who is comfortable in her own skin, knows what she wants and stays firmly rooted in the values that define her.Marketing on Islamic valuesQ explained, “So overall, what we see is that, as the Muslim consumer segment continues to grow, brands are becoming more pro-active in speaking with these consumers directly, instead of taking the 'safer' routes of focusing on being 'ethical', 'green' and 'socially responsible' to avoid alienating other consumers.”Harriet Robertson, director, Flamingo Group, argued that speaking to a Muslim audience need not necessarily be alienating to other consumers. She said, “The sustainable future is great products and branding that have the ability to speak to both mainstream and Muslim consumers.”She added, “Many of the factors that have potential to speak Islamic values also have much wider appeal – think about things such as respect for the environment, fair labour and processing, purity and transparency.”“The Body Shop is a great example of a non-Islamic brand that leverages the ethical and naturalness credentials at the heart of the brand to drive growth in majority Muslim markets and non-Muslims markets alike. A second example is the growth of modest fashion with brands appealing cross culturally to women who want to style themselves in less sexualised ways,” Robertson said.Robertson also explained that brands need to be wary of the various challenges when it comes to marketing to Muslims.For one, there is potential backlash from the Muslim community if a brand gets it wrong.  She said, “There have been numerous scandals with brands which have been insensitive in their approach to the Muslim community. Major brands such as Nike, Cadbury’s, McDonald’s have all suffered at various times. This has made brands cautious to reach out.”Still, Robertson agreed that the growing number of young Muslims with increased spending power makes the target too attractive for brands to ignore when it comes to marketing new products to this group.As for experimenting with this target audience, Q advised that timely marketing during the festive season can work as a great starting point for brands exploring opportunities to tap into the Muslim consumer market.Robertson also believed that marketing to Muslim should be more than just timely marketing as brands should see this growing Muslim consumer market as an opportunity to connect better with this population.Robertson explained,"More than other religious groups, Islam dictates many aspects of daily life that directly impact the ways consumers interact with brands.  For example, bathing rituals, haircare, guidelines on how to dress and what to eat."“There is a huge opportunity for brands to forge wider and deeper connections.  It will take some time for this to happen so I think that the focus on the Muslim consumer is a marketing trend that is here to stay,” she said.Both Q and Robertson predicted that marketing to this particular group is an initiative that is sustainable.According to Q, marketing to Muslim would work as long as the brand remains authentic and its values align with its Muslim consumers. “In fact, brands have to become more brave and innovative to cut through the clutter and speak directly to these consumers to truly win them over," Q added.