Expert Blogs
Are We Over Commercializing Ramadan?
Ramadan is here, and while many of the pious are gearing up for a month of self-denial and supplication, many Muslims are also frantically stocking up on supplies in preparation for Iftar gatherings and boundless hospitality. A Western, non-Muslim observer, would see a huge paradox that the month of fasting and abstinence is regarded by [...]
Modest fashion, or fashioning modesty?
Last month, I was able to catch up with Professor Reina Lewis (Artscom Centenary Professor of Cultural Studies, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London), following her Symposium entitled: ‘Mediating Modesty – Fashioning Faithful Bodies’ at the London College of Fashion. Prof Reina makes the following observation: “We are already seeing a ‘second [...]
Muslim Youth Cultural Codes – black zebras with white stripes, or white zebras with black stripes?
Gaining insight into stakeholder perceptions – concerning individual and group identities, are central components of any good marketing. Arguably, the youth market is tough: because how many brands can predict whether they’ll be the next cult, or cool thing – especially when tastes change so quickly? If we add into the mix the fact that [...]
US Islamic Conference (ICNA, ISNA, RIS) Brand Personalities
Last week saw two of the largest three Annual Muslim conventions in North America, ICNA-MAS Convention (formed 1971) in Connecticut, USA, and relatively new event Reviving the Islamic Spirit (RIS) in California, USA (first US event 2010). The largest of these annual events will be the upcoming 4th of July ISNA convention (formed 1982). With [...]
Is the Muslim Market the new Hip hop?
Hip hop and Islamic Youth Culture go together like cookies and cool milk. Some of the words that exemplify both are: subculture, renegades, underdogs, slang, conspiracy theories, ethnocentrism, collective individualism, self-expressionism, avatars, social networks, fashion, and politics. However, in this post I’d like to shift the debate slightly and look at things from a different [...]
MO’MEN: Egyptian Revolution “Freedom Fries”
I came across this ad today; the Arabic copy reads, “A revolutionary taste”. Mo’men, a fast food restaurant in Egypt, is a truly Egyptian brand, having started as a modest food cart on the streets of Cairo. Now 57 restaurants strong, and serving over ten million customers a year, Mo’men is quick to show its [...]
How Consumers Decide
What every marketer wants to know is what makes consumers choose one brand over another. Marketers would love to get inside the minds of their target market to find out how they can influence their buying decisions. Many of these principles are generic and equally apply to Muslim consumers as well. Below, I summarize a [...]
Islamic Public Relations & Muslim Consumers
This month on the 17th, it’s National Public Relations Day, in the Islamic Republic of Iran Tehran-based Arman Public Relations Institute, who are also media partners to IPRA (International Public Relations Association) http://www.ipra.org/index.asp have organised some events to commemorate this occasion and produced a special issue journal. They asked me to write a paper on developing a [...]
Should we think of Islamic and Halal brands as being ‘Muslims’
My most recent paper in the Journal of Islamic Marketing poses several simple philosophical questions, which also build upon the observations in this paper, which recently won an award. The one I’d like to focus on here, is concerning the humanization of a brand. As branding has embraced the concept of a brand attempting to be understood [...]
Marriage is 50% of a Muslim’s faith, but is it tougher these days?
In the UK the media’s been full of stories and coverage about the Royal Wedding. One of the topics of discussion was on how Kate and Wills met. These all got me thinking about some recent discussions that I’ve observed, surrounding Muslims at university and matrimonial websites. Having looked at some more cultural websites, I’ve [...]
