The Muslim market is increasingly larger, 1,800 million worldwide, and therefore, the agency Ogilvy has made the first study in which they have analyzed the favorite brands of this community in hygiene products, food, beverages as of the financial industry and aeronautics. According to this study, Muslims value, following Muslim law, the brands associated with the ideals of authenticity and transparency as well as organic products.
For respondents the origin of a product is less important than sincerity. In the eyes of consumers, an Islamic brand does not have to come from a Muslim country, as evidenced by number one and two ranking, Lipton and Nestlé, respectively, and the low ranking of Emirates and Etihad, two original brands of Muslim countries. The empathy and knowledge shown by the brands are much more important factors than the place of origin.
When it comes to hygiene products and personal care, there is a preference for products that comply with the Shariah or Muslim law. The same happens in food products whose preparation and handling are regulated by law.
The skepticism of Muslim consumers is one of the reasons why the financial industry has such poor results in the ranking developed by Ogilvy. The respondents expressed the desire that the brands really understand the Islamic values and that they apply them in all the operations and not that they make them look like simple monetary exchanges.
At the top of the ranking is Lipton followed by Nestle , Nescafé and Kraft. They are followed by companies in the personal care sector such as Colgate , Sunsilk , Close Up or Dove and, in the last positions, we find the airlines where Air Arabia and Emirate stand out and, finally, the entities of the financial sector such as Citibank or HSBC.
For Miles Young, CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, “the Muslim market has great potential for business and identifying their tastes and preferences can help them create valuable business relationships with this emerging community. The false conception that they are not open to innovation and changes must be eliminated.”