Is Your Brand Ready To Face The Millennial Muslim Woman?

It’s an interesting time to live as a millennial Muslim woman. With the current dire situations labeling Muslims worldwide, Muslim women especially have become a constant radar, always needing to be ready to explain our internal and external identities. However, against all odds, millennial Muslim women continue to be loud, proud, and hungry for the world.

The question is, who exactly are the millennial Muslim women, and is the world ready to face them?

With the amount of labeling that we deal with in our everyday lives, it is natural for companies to be afraid of taking the initial steps to approach this consumer group. But it’s time for brands and marketers to start taking the figures seriously. The Muslim population is expected to increase to 2.2 billion (from the current 1.6) by 2030, and the millennial Muslim consumers are very ready and savvy. And there’s one more thing — they are only growing more and more influential.

Balancing modernity, faith, and dreams. Australian ballerina Stephanie Kurlow dreams of becoming the world’s first professional Muslim ballerina wearing a hijab.

No need for liberation

In ”Introducing the Millennial Muslims” it was mentioned how marketers have been afraid, lazy and unimaginative when approaching the Muslim consumers. A key problem for taking that initial approach by companies might be that brands (and also the average Joe) are simply perplexed by the fact that, unlike popular belief, Muslim women don’t see faith as an opposition to progress. As entrepreneurs, moms, fashionistas, athletes and politicians, these women are proudly both Muslim and modern, holding onto both of these spheres simultaneously.

Ibtihaj Muhammad is an American sabre fencer and member of the national United States fencing team. She is best known for being the first Muslim woman to compete for the United States in international competitions worldwide.

Co-opting Islamic values affects a lot of aspects of our daily lives, and for that reason, faith impacts the way we Muslims view and relate to brands and products in a way that many religions don’t do. Brands that connect, aren’t doing so through the lens of religion, but instead are tapping into the intersections of modern and Islamic values.

Embracing our commonalities

The large and diverse Muslim community might seem complex, and let’s be truthful, it sometimes is. Not only are we geographically dispersed, but our Islamic values are extremely tied up with our cultural values — like being a Saudi, British, Malay, or Iranian. The cultural values can be quite different, however, there are common values that cut across these geographical boundaries. Values such as faith, transparency, honesty, family, community. Such values cut into brand-building values. The key is for brands to be able to leave the complexity behind and tap into shared values instead.

There is no need for companies to become Muslim brands in order to speak to this market. What’s important are the tweaks around the edges to show that you understand and to show that you can connect. This makes your brand much more Muslim-friendly and have an appeal.

The Polish cosmetics brand Inglot caused a stir with its breathable nail polish. The product was tested for its permeability and deemed to be halal by an American Islamic scholar on his blog. To abide by Islamic law, Muslim women must purify themselves and wash themselves, including the hands and nails, prior to praying — which means ordinary nail polish typically has to be removed as it prevents moisture and air from coming into contact with the nails. Inglot’s success within the Muslim community was completely accidental. It was meant to be a health-oriented product, where air and water can penetrate in order to have healthier nails, not a “halal-product”. There was no marketing or communications needed, purely by word of mouth Muslim women emptied the shelves. The nail polish sold out in two months.

But how many more accidents can brands really rely upon?

Putting your creative cap on

For as long as I can remember, living as a Muslim woman in Helsinki, I’ve struggled to find clothes that take my modest appearance into consideration. The skirts are always too short and the shirts are always transparent. Or if they fit my modest needs, they’re simply boring and ugly. The struggles don’t end there. Simple things such as finding gelatin-free candy or a public bathroom with a bidet are just a few examples among the many. Like many others, I managed to use my own creativity to cater to my needs. But what is holding brands back from reaching out to Muslim consumers when there is a clear demand?

With currently 800 million Muslims worldwide being under the age of 28, young Mipsterz, especially women, are becoming more and more influential. What makes these women unique is their increasing activity in social, political and art movements. People like Dina Torkia or Hana Tajima are practicing, modern Muslims, and the likes of them are popping out by the dozen.

The influential fashion blogger Dina Torkia was not impressed by D&G’s abaya collection. She currently has around 900 000 loyal followers on Instagram.

Still, to our surprise, brands have been slow in catching up with the growing trend. It wasn’t until 2015 when some major brands, especially in the fashion industry, began to take Muslim consumers into consideration. Last September, H&M featured the hijabi-wearing model Mariah Idrissi for a mere 2 seconds in their campaign video. This was enough to cause a global stir, leaving most Muslim women excited and in awe — all just because we were finally being represented. Although it was amazing to see the likes of me on a major advert, it still waves a red flag on how far behind brands are when it comes down to marketing for Muslim consumers. Like all consumers, keeping up our interest requires more input and effort from brands. Although a brief glimpse of a hijabi may work for now, will it be enough in the future?

Torkia said, “Thanks, but no thanks”, to Dolce & Gabbana’s abaya collection.

When Dolce & Gabbana launched their abaya collection, the media got all hyped up. However, many influential Mipsterz were left unimpressed. British fashion blogger Dina Torkia opened up in her blog post:

“I feel like I should be happy, ecstatic even, perhaps eternally grateful? That’s what seems to be the general reaction to this news so far. But, I can’t help but feel incredibly underwhelmed, possibly even a tiny bit insulted by the collection. I’ve dreamed the day a major design house would officially recognise us, hijab clad muslim women and finally ‘cater’ to us. But my dream wasn’t resulting in a line of lacey, embroidered traditional abayas and matching scarves. Something I’ve grown up with and a look that every muslim woman is all too familiar with. Something that the local ‘abayas r us’ in Brummy might have. Or if you fancy something a little more luxury, ‘abaya gold’ in Dubai would suffice. I dreamed of being able to look at signature gowns on the runway and imagine myself in one, hijab and all. I dreamed of being included in the mainstream of haute couture & whilst D&G have managed to recognise us with this collection, they’ve also managed to exclude us.

Fashion conscious Muslim women in the form of bloggers, designers & stylists have been taking centre stage for a good few years showing the world that modesty & style can coincide with faith. With barely a nod of applaud or recognition, until D&G fancies putting their stamp all over a very traditional Middle Eastern style & claim it’s originality.

So Thank you, but no thank you.

Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring 2016 abaya collection caused quite a stir.

Although it was the first time that a major fashion house catered to Muslim consumers, could it have done better?

Becoming a leader

Seeing brands taking the initial steps of approaching Muslim consumers is both exciting and encouraging. The market and the opportunities are out there, it is up to companies to act quickly and become leaders in their own field. However, it is crucial for brands to keep the future in mind, to not rely upon accidents, to not settle, and to continue being creative.

I do believe that the world is ready to face the millennial Muslim women. It may take some time, but we are getting there. Together.

By: Sara Salmani
 Creative Director at Qufi Creative

If your brand is interested in approaching new markets but is struggling with the know-how, you can always reach out to us here at Qufi Creative. We help you to understand the millennial Muslim markets, and create long-lasting relationships between your brand and the ever-evolving Mipsterz.