Cosmetics companies could benefit from targeting Muslim market

Source: www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com 6 March 09
Picture: Design Pics Images
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The Muslim market presents significant opportunities for cosmetics and fashion brands, according to management consultancy firm A T Kearney.
Despite the worldwide Muslim population standing at 1.56 billion, few companies are taking advantage of the significant opportunities presented by this consumer segment, stated the company.
Targeting this market and providing consumers with halal product alternatives could bring significant benefits to the cosmetics and fashion industries as well as food and beverage manufacturers.
Muslim market important for future growth
The management consultancy firm note that Muslim consumers represent a positive outlet for future growth over other consumer segments.
"At a time when may other large consumer segments are reaching a saturation point, Muslims are a new outlet from which to build a box for future growth," reads the company's report entitled Addressing the Muslim Market: Can You Afford Not To?
In addition, Muslims make up an estimated 20 per cent of the world's population and increasing consumer affluence and Western influence means this consumer base is growing increasingly strong.
"Since Muslims are the fastest growing consumer segment in the world, any company that is not considering how to serve them is missing a significant opportunity to affect both its top- and bottom-line growth," the report reads.
Muslim market for cosmetics and personal care
The company highlights the cosmetics and fashion markets as untapped industries that present excellent opportunity for companies to incorporate Muslim values.
Although they note that in theory wearing cosmetics is hamam, a significant proportion of Muslim women do wear cosmetics and those that do may well prefer halal version.
Developing halal products and specifically marketing to Muslim populations is likely to bring rewards to companies.
"Extra care in aligning strategies of global fashion apparel and cosmetics companies present enormous opportunities as the market is sizeable" said Dirk Buchta managing director of AT Kearney Middle East as quoted by online news provider MENAFN (Middle East North Africa Financial Network).
Halal certified products
A number of cosmetics companies are beginning to tap into this significant market, releasing halal certified ranges that contain no animal ingredients and are not tested on animals.
Colgate-Palmolive has a number of toothpaste products that are certified halal and Australian firm Almaas produce halal colour cosmetics such as mascaras and eye shadows.
In addition, The Body Shop although not certified halal, is an example of a successful retailer in the Middle East having taken a strong stance against animal testing and using a number of natural ingredients in their products.
Earlier this week the company's franchise in Pakistan announced the opening of its fourth store in Lahore stating there was a significant demand for the products in Pakistan which would be tapped into during the coming year.
The success of the UK-based retailer in this market illustrates that clever marketing strategies may be as important as offering certified halal ranges.

Fighting prejudice: Prominent scholar slams stereotyping of Muslims

Source: ArabianBusiness.com 5 September '09
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A prominent scholar has lambasted the stereotyping of Islam and Arab culture by fear-mongering media, according to a report.
American Muslim scholar Mohammad Bashar Arafat also urged for prejudice-free attitudes towards Muslims and Arabs that are not based on the acts of certain Muslims, newswire WAM said.
“Islam is a faith that stresses generous and peaceful co-existence, respect, kindness and love, and its teachings instruct living peacefully and generously with others," said Arafat, founder and president of the Maryland-based Civilizations Exchange and Cooperation Foundation (CECF).
He was speaking at an iftar banquet hosted by the American Embassy in Abu Dhabi this week.
The Syrian-American scholar suggested that the media in the west, and in other parts of the world, were of little help in creating the conditions for the much-needed dialogue.
He added that the election of Barrack Obama as a president of the USA had reverberated across national boundaries and in itself stands proof to the fact that the media hype about Islam was responsible for refueling misconceptions about Islam, and for that matter, about the Middle East and America.
The fact according to Arafat is that Islam is about fostering cooperation rather than confrontation and that America was stereotyped as a dangerous place that is full of crime, WAM added.At the heart of the Arab Islamic culture and American culture, both encompasses dialogue and openness to others, the scholar added.
"I don’t believe in the clash of civilizations," he said calling for counteracting these "mistaken theses" through dialogue and and openness to others which are at the heart of the Arab Islamic culture as well as the American culture.
"In this regard, the UAE, with its huge cultural diversity and dominant tolerance, would be a perfect country to lead the efforts to build bridges and better understanding between the East and the West."