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With advertisers continually hunting for growth areas, some are realising the potential of the global Muslim market
With more than a billion people, it's one of the world's largest and fastest growing advertising markets. And until recently one of the most neglected. Now, however, there are signs that big brands and digital marketing agencies are waking up to the huge potential of the Muslim consumer market, in the UK and worldwide. In recent months there has been a flurry of activity on social networks aimed at Muslim communities.
Muxlim.com, a Muslim lifestyle portal, has launched a UK site, while Stardoll, an online entertainment and social networking portal aimed at girls aged 9-17, has launched sites in Middle Eastern countries. Meanwhile, Facebook has launched an Arabic-language version.
Mobile phone companies are also entering the market. Last year, Nokia announced mobile applications and information services tailored for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The services, preloaded onto Nokia devices or downloadable from the web, include extracts from the Quran and a map showing the locations of mosques in countries including Egypt, Morocco and Pakistan. In the Middle East and Africa, Nokia advertises on portals including Maktoob.com, Jeeran.com and AMEInfo.com, as well as global websites with regional presence such as MSNArabia.com, Google, Facebook and Yahoo.
Of course, the Muslim market is highly diverse and can't be defined solely by one outlook or dietary requirements, such as halal food, or clothing, such as headscarves. Research by ad agency JWT published in 2007 calculated that 6-8m US Muslims were spending $170bn (pound 114bn) a year, and 2-3m UK Muslims were spending pound 31bn a year. The global halal market alone is worth pound 293bn annually, according to a Forbes report in 2007.
In the UK the three consumer sectors most affected by Islamic law - finance, food and packaged goods - are all operating far below their potential, according to JWT. Its research also found that many Muslims felt alienated by much Western media and advertising, claiming that it enforced negative stereotypes of Muslims.
But when it came to digital marketing the findings were more encouraging. Many British Muslims surveyed, especially the younger generation, were enthusiastic about using the internet to track down products, particularly on sites aimed at Muslims.