Understanding the Islamic consumer: The life and times of the modern Muslim, a study by JWT MENA and AMRB provides a clear and unique segmentation of Muslim consumers, identifying five segments based on current values and attitudes.
“Islamic markets are growing exponentially; the Muslim consumer is driving the change.” – Roy Haddad, Chairman of JWT MENA
The study was conducted in 10 predominantly Muslim countries: Egypt, Algeria, U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia. Around 8,000 people were interviewed during the research. 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.
Five segments of Muslim consumers, based on their attitudes and values.
Religious Conservatives
As the name implies, these are people who not only follow Islam strictly, but also expect others to do the same. They are also anti-media. Egypt was identified as the country with the maximum proportion of conservatives.
New Age Muslims
This category was found to be religious, yet progressive in terms of their views. A typically pro-media group. U.A.E. has the highest proportion of people in this section.
Societal Conformists
These are people who are not particularly religious, but follow the norms because of societal pressure. The highest proportion of conformists was found in Saudi Arabia.
Pragmatic Strivers
A category of non-traditional and ambitious people, they are ready to compromise on religious values in order to get ahead in life. Indonesia has the largest population of strivers, in keeping with its weaker economic profile.
Liberals
This category is individualistic, independent and assertive. Turkey has the largest proportion of liberals.
“The research mainly aimed at measuring how religious values intervene in every stage of the decision making process.” – Gagan Bhalla, CEO of AMRB
The study also found that there are some common themes across all markets. Family is paramount for most Muslims, and they share a desire for traditions to adapt to modern times, a drive for improved personal development (mainly via education) and a strong desire for self-expression. The last discovery is evident in the increasing density of social networking sites in the region.
Besides the similarities, the study also revealed strong contrasts between the countries it covered. Some, like Indonesia, encourage greater social freedom and opportunity for women, while others are more conservative. And people in Turkey and Iran identified more strongly with a national rather than religious identity, as compared to any of the other countries.
Related Al Haqq Society research:
Muslim consumers in the media
Downloads:
Muslim Americans: A national portrait
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Muslim consumer’s perception of gender-role portrayal in advertising (Abstract)
Market cultures, the middle classes and Islam: Consuming the market? (Abstract)
Filed under: Demographic, Research , AMRB, JWT, The Life and Times of the Modern Muslim
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