“Marketing to Muslims Food, Fashion and Faith”

As featured in The Economist

Summarized by Kylie Millender and Ryan Ashbaugh

Western Perceptions

• Tend to tiptoe around Muslims as a distinct market segment

• Why? Fits nicely with Christianity and Judaism

• Cultural divide just seems to be too wide

Facts

• America’s Muslim population (6 million) are richer and better educated

• 2/3s of Muslim households make over $50,000 while 1/4 earn over $100,000

• 2/3s have a degree compared to less than half the general population

• Muslim families tend to have more children

Needs

• Food, finance and packaged goods are most affected by Islamic law

• Halal market is worth $580b annually

• 16% of U.S. kosher industry comes from halal options

Reaching Out

McDonald’s serves halal McNuggs, but advertising is restricted to the store

Coca-Cola runs ads focused on charity during Ramadan

Recently

Florida-based, family values organization called for advertising to be pulled from TLC’s All American Muslim

Firms included were: Lowe’s, Bank of America, Cambell’s, Dell, GM, McDonalds, Sears, and Wal-Mart

Your Perceptions as a Marketer

• More than a decade after 9/11 this segment is still treated differently than Hispanics, African Americans or Asians

• What would you do?

Sources

• http://www.economist.com/node/9587818• http://www.voanews.com/english/news/a-13-

2007-09-19-voa31-66586877.html• http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/1

2/12/lowes-pulls-ads-from-tlcs-all-american-muslim-and-the-us-military-wages-a-drone-war-in-afghanistan/

• http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/all-american-muslim