Until recently, many multinational companies have chosen not to segment the market on the basis of religion. However, recent developments such as McDonalds starting to sell halal chicken in one of its London restaurants and IKEA offering Muslim employees in the USA IKEA-branded hijabs suggest that this situation might be changing.
The worldwide Muslim population is around 1-1.5 billion, we can only make an estimate on this figure as some countries don’t keep a record of religious affiliations. This is approximately one fifth of the world’s population, a significant market with specific needs that marketers can’t afford to ignore. However, even within the Muslim population, there are differences in preference due to nationality, social class and the degree to which the faith is followed.
Turkey a country of contrastsAn interesting country to look at when considering marketing to the Muslim consumer is Turkey, a secular country yet predominantly Muslim country (98 percent of the population are Muslim). As a European Union candidate country, Turkey is currently going through a period of immense reform and economic growth. This is causing some interesting effects in daily economic life and consumption habits.
A situation that recently caused a great deal of discussion in the Turkish media was the case of a dinner held by the Minister for Internal Affairs, a devout Muslim. At the end of the meal, the Minister was furious to discover that wine, which is forbidden, was used in the preparation of his meal. However, the furore and debate that this caused in the media is all the more interesting when you consider that the consumption of alcoholic drinks in Turkish out-of-home venues grew by 35 percent during the first half of 2007.
According to a TGI Turkey 2006 report, 48 percent of Turkish people said that they definitely agree with the statement "Religion plays an important part in my life". In another survey conducted for the BBC* 91 percent of Turks interviewed said "We are religious people". However, 85 percent believe that someone who does not pray or practice Islamic rules in their daily life can still be a Muslim.
Conservative but conspicuousWhilst Turkish culture is undergoing a period of intense and exciting change, there is a tension between global capitalism, democratic humanitarian values and Islamic principles as the nation attempts to determine its role in the international arena.
As certain segments within the politically active and religious sections of the Turkish population become wealthier, an Islamist “merchant class” with conservative values and a taste for conspicuous consumption has begun to emerge. One sign of this is an increased interest in fashion, especially amongst upper-class, urban, well-educated, young Muslim women. Islamic clothing stores, fashion shows, fitness and beauty centers have become commonplace across Turkey as the market attempts to capitalize on this new opportunity.
In the last two decades, this emerging urban Islamic consumption behavior, in part opposing and in part imitating secular consumption practices, has resulted in some interesting new developments. One example is the new five star Islamic summer resorts which offer alternative vacations to religiously sensitive upper and middle classes. On these faithful, but expensive beaches, men and women swim in separate sections, the women wearing a "haşema" — a fully covering overcoat and swimsuit.
The demand for Western goodsAlthough religiously sensitive members of the upper and middle Turkish classes appear to be rejecting modern Western ideas in the name of traditional values, they are still willing to spend money on Western lifestyle goods. As well as tuning into Islamic radio and TV channels, they also watch CNN and MTV, wear jeans, drink Coke, rely on modern technology and are embedded in global political and economic relations.
It might have been expected that, as people move from rural areas to urban centers, their consumption habits would change, becoming more receptive to Western consumerism. However, this has not been the case in Turkey. Strong religious networks provide support to the new migrants and heavily influence their lifestyle and consumption habits, with local leaders of the groups often suggesting where they should shop.
The new merchant class in Turkey is, for the moment, relatively small and so the majority of Muslim consumers can only pursue a modest and traditional lifestyle. The lower-class, less-educated Muslim consumers intrinsically tend to reject European and American brands, instead preferring to consume Islamic-related equivalents for example they buy Cola Turka rather than Coca-Cola.
ConclusionIt is clear from briefly considering the differences amongst Muslims in Turkey that the Muslim consumer here is not a homogeneous grouping. Although there are many different sects in Islam, Muslims share certain similar preferences which should be taken into account when positioning goods and services. As many of the countries that are currently forecast to experience significant economic growth have a substantial Muslim population, it is essential that marketers consider these preferences rather than risk alienating a potentially valuable market.
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