ISLAMIC BRANDING AND MARKETING CREATING A GLOBAL ISLAMIC BUSINESS
ISLAMIC BRANDING AND MARKETING CREATING A GLOBAL ISLAMIC BUSINESS PAUL TEMPORAL John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte. Ltd.
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Contents Preface...xi Acknowledgments...xix 1 Introduction... 1 Islam: The Religion and the Brand... 1 Is Islamic Branding a Myth or a Reality?... 2 The Five Pillars of Islam... 4 The Principles of Islamic Trade and Commerce...5 The Interface between Islam and Trade... 9 How Are Islamic Brands Doing?... 10 Why the Interest in Islamic Branding and Marketing?...11 Could There Be an Islamic Economic Union?...12 2 Why Muslim Nations Need to Develop Strong Brands.15 Introduction...15 Why Do Countries Need Branding?...15 Why Do Islamic Countries Need to Undertake and Encourage Branding?...16 The Power and Rewards of Country Branding...18 The Connection between National and Corporate Branding...21 National Brand Structures... 23 Sector and Industry Branding...25 Case Study 1: Brunei Halal Brand...26 Case Study 2: Sarawak... 32 Summary: Branding for Islamic Countries and Industries...38
vi Contents 3 An Overview of Muslim Markets...41 Introduction...41 The Growing Global Muslim Market...41 The Gallup Coexist Index... 52 JWT Muslim Market Segmentation...58 Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide and Ogilvy Noor...65 Retail Muslim Consumer Segmentation... 73 Summary: What Does All This Mean?... 76 The Range of Opportunities in Islamic Branding and Marketing...78 4 The Nature and Structure of Islamic Markets...81 Introduction...81 A Typology of Islamic Brands...81 5 Building a Brand Strategy...91 Introduction...91 Brand Strategy...91 Case Study 3: Hallmark Inc....93 The Role of Consumer Insight...95 Case Study 4: Unilever Malaysia...96 Creating a Brand Strategy...98 Brand Personality, Attitude, and Trust... 103 Speed, Agility, and Innovation...109 Brand Positioning... 112 The Need for Positioning Statements...113 How to Write and Use a Positioning Statement...116 Brand Management...118
Contents vii Can Islamic Brands Use Western Techniques to Go Global?... 122 Case Study 5: Opus International Group plc... 122 Case Study 6: Petronas...133 Summary... 144 6 Opportunities in Islamic Brand Categories... 145 Introduction... 145 Islamic Foods and Beverages... 145 Case Study 7: Yildiz Holding...146 Islamic Financial Services...149 Islamic Education... 154 Islamic Entertainment and Edutainment...155 Case Study 8: Sami Yusuf...155 Case Study 9: THE 99... 156 Islamic Travel, Tourism, and Leisure... 158 Case Study 10: CrescentRating.com... 159 Islamic Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Beauty Products and Services... 159 Islamic Fashion and Products for Women... 162 Islamic Internet, Media, and Digital Products... 163 Vast Opportunities; No Big Brands...164 Summary...174 7 The Future: Opportunities in the Internet, Media, and Digital World... 177 Introduction... 177 The Impact of Internet Developments on Marketing...180
viii Contents Social Media Branding and the Muslim Lifestyle Consumer... 182 Implications for Islamic Branding and Marketing...189 Case Study 11: Muxlim Inc.: I... 192 Case Study 12: Muxlim Inc.: II...198 Other Internet Brands...201 Opportunities in Traditional Media... 203 Case Study 13: Islam Channel...205 Case Study 14: emel...206 Case Study 15: Aquila...210 Summary... 211 8 Challenges Facing Islamic Brands...215 Introduction...215 Key Challenges for Aspiring Muslim Brands: The Six A s...215 Summary...223 9 Key Success Factors and Strategies for Aspiring Islamic Brands...225 Introduction...225 1. Understand the Market Clearly...225 2. Build Your Brand Based on Islamic Values with Universal Emotional Appeal... 226 Case Study 16: Al Rajhi Bank in Malaysia...227 3. Position Your Company and Brand on Relevance to the Market... 228 Case Study 17: Chicken Cottage Ltd.... 229
Contents ix 4. Communicate the Brand Appropriately and with Islamic Appeal...231 Case Study 18: Olpers...231 Case Study 19: Zain: I...232 5. Gain First Mover Advantage in New Industries and Categories...234 6. Consider Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships...234 Case Study 20: Godiva Chocolatier...235 7. Develop New and Ethical Business Models Using Islamic Values and Practices...238 Case Study 21: Zain: II... 241 Case Study 22: Johor Corporation (JCorp)...242 8. Build an International Brand Using Western Techniques and Appeal... 248 Case Study 23: Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL)... 248 9. Aim for a Niche Market...253 Case Study 24: Ummah Foods...253 Case Study 25: Bateel...254 10. Offer a Close Alternative in a Major Category... 256 Case Study 26: Fulla... 256 Case Study 27: Beurger King Muslim (BKM)...259 Case Study 28: OnePure Beauty...259 Summary... 266 10 Challenges and Key Strategies for the Building and Marketing of Non-Muslim Brands to Muslim Markets... 269 Introduction... 269
x Contents Gaining Brand Awareness... 269 Ensuring Accessibility... 270 Case Study 29: QSR Brands Berhad and Yum! Brands... 271 Gaining Acceptability...273 Achieving Suitable and Consistent Standards and Quality (Adequacy)...275 Understanding the Culture...276 Gaining Trust (Affinity)...277 Case Study 30: Nike...278 Case Study 31: MoneyGram International...280 Attack from Brand Competitors...283 Case Study 32: The Nestlé Approach... 284 Summary...286 11 Summary of Power Brand Strategy Programs for Muslim Markets... 289 Strategies for Non-Muslim Brands... 289 Strategies for Muslim Brands... 292 The Future of Islamic Branding and Marketing... 296 Appendix 1: The Oxford Research and Education Project on Islamic Branding and Marketing: Brief Project Overview...299 Appendix 2: The Inaugural Oxford Global Islamic Branding and Marketing Forum: Summary of Proceedings, July 26 27, 2010, Oxford, England...303 Index... 315
Preface Very little has been written to date about how Islamic branding and marketing, or marketing to Muslims, differs from or is similar to traditional branding and marketing, which is based on Western corporate development. The lack of literature on the topic is surprising, given the extent of the world s Muslim population and the prominence of Islam. This gap in our knowledge gave rise to The Oxford Research and Education Project on Islamic Branding and Marketing, which is being conducted at Oxford University s Saïd Business School and which I am directing. A brief description of this project is given in Appendix 1. Much of the findings of this research work have been incorporated into this text. A second reason for writing this book is that many of my clients, as well as professional people whom I have met in Islamic countries, have commented to me on the need for a body of thought on this subject area. The extent of this interest, and the impact of the extremely rapid development of Islamic countries on the aspirations of Muslims in a branded world, leave me in no doubt that the next wave of global branding will come from Islamic economies and companies. A third reason is that global brands from Western countries are becoming very interested in Muslim markets. Some have already started to build their brands across the Islamic world and are seeking to achieve a complete global presence by entering the last remaining and biggest significant segment of the world s population. Around 23 percent of the world s population is Islamic, with varying degrees of affiliation and implementation of that religion. While some businesses, academics, and people living in the West often think of the Islamic population as being concentrated in a handful of nations, especially in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, the truth is that there are significant Muslim-minority populations around the world from India to China, and from France to Japan. In Islamic-majority and minority countries throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe, there is a massive amount of business activity, with
xii Preface Islamic trade currently assessed as being worth trillions of dollars. In terms of global economic power and commercial success, it is becoming clear that Islamic countries are gaining ground on their Western counterparts. The rising prosperity and spreading population of Islam is, however, only part of the story. Muslim consumers are no different to non-muslims in their love of brands. From a marketing perspective, just as the Western world has done, the Muslim world would dearly like to develop an array of leading global brands of its own. Muslim countries would also like to see their local brands going global, because they have seen how powerful brands can be in making an economic contribution and shaping a country s national image. In particular, they have noticed that the cultivation of intangible assets such as strong brands is seen as an essential feature of a mature, stable national economy. Finally, many Muslim countries want to diversify their business interests in order to achieve greater economic well-being and to rely less on narrow resource-based industries such as energy. Since the late 1980s, there has been a substantial increase in the number and success of Western-held brands. During the 1990s, we saw a competitive response beginning in Asia, with brands from countries such as Singapore, South Korea, India, and China making considerable progress in regional and global markets. It is perhaps not surprising, therefore, that early signs of branding success from Islamic countries, such as those in the Middle East and Asia, are emerging. At the same time, the vast potential represented by large Muslim populations everywhere has caught the eye of the Western multinationals. However, it is only recently that the potential of the global Islamic market has been fully understood. Principally, the impetus for doing more business in Islamic-majority and minority markets has come from three sources: the rapid expansion of Western brands to penetrate these markets in order to gain a global presence; the response from Islamic companies, and the need to rely less on finite resources such as oil production; and the rise of industries that conform to Islamic practice, such as Islamic financial services.
Preface xiii By way of response, Islamic audiences love Western brands, but there are three main reasons why they wish to have their own. 1. Western brands are often not compliant with Islamic values (or their ethical base) for instance, in hospitality, food and beverage, pharmaceutical and medical products, and services markets. 2. Islamic countries want to create their own global brands, which they see as strategic business assets and national brand ambassadors. 3. The growth of the educated middle class in Muslim-minority and majority cultures and countries has created an impetus for developing businesses, products, and services that are competitive with the long-established and accepted brands. As a consequence of the above, there is now a considerable surge in demand within Islamic countries and companies to master the branding and marketing techniques and skills so ably demonstrated by the West in order to address international perceptions not just of Islamic products, services, and businesses, but also of the countries and cultures of their origin. What Is Islamic Branding and Marketing? When I use the phrase Islamic branding and marketing, I am not referring just to brands that originate from Islamic countries, although they would of course come under such a definition. Rather, I am referring to any brands that seek to address the needs of Muslim markets. I include in this definition any activity related to the branding and marketing of countries, products, and services to Islamic audiences, regardless of whether or not they derive from a Muslim-majority or Muslim-minority country or have Muslim ownership. This rather broad definition thus encompasses not just Islamic branding and marketing to Muslim-owned businesses, but also companies that don t have Islamic owners but which are reaching out to Muslim consumers. Thus, non-muslim brands would also come under this heading if they were looking to build their brands and market share in any