Advertisers Seek to Speak to Muslim Consumers

Demographics of the global Muslim market are an advertiser’s dream – huge with growing affluence and large proportions of young adults and teens. For decades, advertisers overlooked Muslim audiences, explains Liz Gooch for the New York Times, and many Muslims became accustomed to ignoring ads for products that might violate Islamic religious codes. But companies intent on conquering international audiences take special aim at Muslim nations like Malaysia, Egypt or Pakistan, targeting the community of 1.57 billion with culturally sensitive media promotions. For example, Colgate-Palmolive offers halal-certified toothpaste and non-alcohol mouthwash; Sunsilk promotes a shampoo for those who don head gear like the traditional tudung. Mobile phones offer prayer alarms and calendar organizers focused on Ramadan. Market researchers have discerned that young Muslims link core religious values with life success, Gooch reports. Multinationals compete with local firms for a customer base that appreciates the new attention and special appeals. – YaleGlobal