Muslim consumers have not yet got the importance they deserve in advertising and marketing campaigns, says Roy  Haddad, chairman and CEO of JWT MENA, speaking at an event by the IAA - UAE Chapter.

"For a long time, Muslim consumers have been taken for granted in marketing strategies, and it is time to start designing communication messages that are culture-relevant and more sensitive to their needs," says Roy Haddad.

Haddad also announced that a study entitled "Life and Times of Modern Muslims: Understanding the Islamic Consumers" was conducted by JWT and AMRB, and a full report on the study, along with customised data querying software, will be released by AMRB on September 1.

The pioneering study provides a clear and unique segmentation of Muslim consumers, identifying five segments based on current values and attitudes. These include religious conservatives, new age Muslims, societal conformists, pragmatic strivers and liberals.

The segmentation is based on an analysis of a set of attitudes towards the self, men and women, friends and family, generational differences, personal choices, traditions and culture, dreams and aspirations, media and advertising, and products and services.

JWT and AMRB jointly researched 10 predominantly Muslim countries including Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Haddad pointed out that the combined Muslim population in these countries has great potential, with huge contributions to the food and beverage, finance, personal care and telecommunications industries.

Aimed at understanding the values that resonate across the Muslim world and differences in value systems that could impact the choices made by consumers, the study concluded that Muslims do not totally behave as a homogeneous group. According to the study, some dissimilarities are identified in the degree of adherence to Islamic practice and in the freedom of women.

The study defines a whole new market unified across the world by a common trait, Islam. Haddad stressed that religious values can intervene at every stage of the consumer's decision-making process. "There are a lot of products that target the Muslim population, but the study means to point out the hidden and untapped marketing and product placement opportunities that can be lost while communicating the wrong message," he said.

This includes the language, the religious or moral values embedded in the message and the different consumer trends and target audiences within Muslim societies.

Speaking about how the study could help marketers, Haddad said they needed to apply ideas that are relevant to the Islamic world, not only on the basis of religion, but also including culture.

The study helps understand the subtle nuances between "those who really believe" versus "those for whom ritual is more important than belief". It also helps direct marketers away from stereotypes, especially the link between religion and backwardness.

"Dubai is an ultimate representation of the modern Islamic world. The secret is to understand the dynamics of progress while keeping intact the set of values related to religion and culture", Haddad said.

Muslim population has the fastest annual growth rate of 2.9 per cent. This specific target market will comprise 30 per cent of the world population by 2025. Global halal food market is worth $580 billion (Dh2.1 trillion) annually. Total Islamic Finance assets are currently worth $500-750bn and is expected to reach $1trn by 2010. The global market for female Islamic clothing is estimated at $250 million.

The study also brought up relevant questions regarding marketing opportunities per product category:

Food & Beverages - With greater opportunities to work outside the home for Muslim women, what is the likely impact on the convenience foods market?

Personal care - Are there opportunities for developing products relevant to Islamic habits, such as a hair care range for veiled women?

Finance - Which markets are likely to adopt Islamic finance more readily than others? Will just branding a product as 'Islamic' be enough?

Telecommunications - Potential for value added services and shared platforms, such as providing the prayer call, Ka'aba direction and Hijri calendar in some phone brands and models.