In the ever-evolving digital landscape, the synergy of artificial intelligence (AI) and video marketing has become a game-changer, profoundly impacting consumer engagement. This transformation holds significant promise for the Muslim consumer market, offering tailored content that respects cultural values and enhances user experience. Let’s delve into the trends and opportunities shaping this exciting era.

The Rise of AI in Video Marketing

Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing video marketing by enabling the creation of personalized, dynamic, and highly engaging content. According to HubSpot, one of the disruptive AI video trends is the use of deep learning algorithms to analyze viewer behavior and preferences, allowing marketers to deliver customized content that resonates on a personal level.

Bryan Hayes from LinkedIn highlights that AI-powered tools are now capable of generating video content autonomously, reducing production costs and time while maintaining high quality. This technological advancement democratizes video creation, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes to connect with their audience effectively.

Changing Video Consumption Patterns

The way consumers engage with video content is shifting rapidly. HubSpot’s insights reveal that short-form videos are gaining popularity, driven by platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. These bite-sized videos are perfect for capturing attention quickly and delivering concise messages, a format that appeals to today’s fast-paced lifestyles.

Moreover, interactive videos are on the rise. Idomoo notes that these videos allow viewers to engage directly with the content, creating a more immersive and memorable experience. For Muslim consumers, this means opportunities for interactive storytelling that can include religious and cultural nuances, fostering a deeper connection.

Tailoring Video Content for Muslim Consumers

Muslim consumers represent a significant and growing market segment, and creating content that aligns with their values is crucial. Muslim Ad Network emphasizes the importance of culturally sensitive video ads that resonate with Islamic principles. Videos that incorporate halal lifestyle elements, modest fashion, and ethical consumerism are particularly effective.

Generative AI offers exciting possibilities for Muslim marketing and advertising. It enables the creation of personalized content that respects religious sentiments and cultural preferences. For instance, generative AI can help design ads featuring modest fashion or halal food products, ensuring they appeal to the target audience authentically (read our previous article).

Key Statistics and Insights

• Personalized Content: Personalized video content generated by AI can increase engagement rates by up to 20%, as consumers are more likely to connect with content that feels tailored to their interests and needs (HubSpot).
• Short-Form Video Popularity: Short-form videos are expected to account for over 80% of all internet traffic by 2024, highlighting the importance of adapting content strategies to this format (HubSpot).
• Interactive Videos: Interactive videos can boost conversion rates by 2-3 times compared to traditional linear videos, making them a powerful tool for engaging Muslim consumers (Idomoo).

Conclusion

The integration of AI and video marketing presents unparalleled opportunities for engaging Muslim consumers with content that is both innovative and respectful of their cultural values. By leveraging these technologies, businesses can create impactful, personalized, and culturally relevant videos that resonate deeply with their audience. As consumption patterns continue to evolve, staying ahead of these trends will be key to connecting with the Muslim market in meaningful and effective ways.

For further insights, explore the following articles:

• Disruptive AI Video Trends Transforming Marketing
• How Video Consumption is Changing
• AI Revolutionizing Video Marketing Trends 2024
• Video Ads for Muslim Consumer Engagement
• Generative AI for Muslim Marketing and Advertising

Get in Touch

Are you ready to leverage the power of AI and video marketing to engage Muslim consumers more effectively? Contact Muslim Ad Network today to discover how we can help you create culturally resonant, impactful advertising campaigns that connect with your audience authentically. Let’s take your marketing strategy to the next level together!

The post Leveraging AI and Video Marketing Trends to Engage Muslim Consumers appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

In the ultra-integrated metaverse world, the intersection of culture and commerce has led to a burgeoning interest in catering to diverse consumer preferences. Within this landscape, the rising demand for halal and Muslim-friendly products and services in Western markets presents a unique challenge. However, the amazing progress of brands now selling real-world products on platforms like Roblox highlights a promising shift toward meeting these diverse consumer needs. But your brand needs to move fast to get well-positioned to offer halal products in this realm.

Shifting Demographics and Market Demand

The demographic shift toward a younger, more diverse population is reshaping consumer behavior. Muslim millennials and Gen Z cohorts have already established themselves as influential consumers with specific preferences for halal and ethically produced goods. However, many industries have yet to fully engage these demographics. The focus is now shifting toward the emerging Gen Alpha Muslims, born after 2010, who are growing up in a digital-first world. Understanding their preferences and behaviors is crucial for brands aiming to serve this new generation effectively.

The demographic shift toward a younger, more diverse population reshapes consumer behavior. Muslim millennials and Gen Z cohorts have already established themselves as influential consumers with specific preferences for halal and ethically produced goods. However, many industries have yet to engage these demographics fully.

The focus is now shifting toward the emerging Gen Alpha Muslims, born after 2010, who are growing up in a digital-first world. Understanding their preferences and behaviors is crucial for brands aiming to serve this new generation effectively. Gen Alpha is characterized by its digital nativity, with a significant portion of its interactions and purchases occurring online. They are influenced by social media, online content creators, and digital marketing strategies.

Brands looking to engage Gen Alpha Muslims should prioritize digital engagement, authenticity, and ethical practices. This generation values transparency and social responsibility, much like their predecessors⁶. Additionally, they are likely to be influenced by the digital content they consume, making it essential for brands to maintain a strong online presence and engage with influencers who resonate with this demographic.

Opportunities and Challenges in the Metaverse

The metaverse presents a novel opportunity for brands to engage with young Muslim consumers. Companies like E.L.F Cosmetics and Walmart have already ventured into platforms like Roblox, creating immersive e-commerce experiences that bridge the virtual and real worlds. 

For example, E.L.F Cosmetics’ virtual kiosk in Roblox allows users over 13 to purchase real-world products, blending the lines between digital interaction and physical commerce. Similarly, Walmart’s partnership with Roblox enables users to buy real-world items within the gaming platform, testing the viability of virtual shopping.

For Muslim brands, navigating the metaverse involves understanding Islamic jurisprudence concerning digital content. Islamic teachings generally prohibit the creation and depiction of animate objects, except in cases of necessity. Therefore, brands must ensure their virtual representations and content comply with these principles. This includes focusing on inanimate objects and being cautious with avatars and characters to avoid conflicts with religious guidelines.

You may also want to read: Is the Metaverse the New Online Frontier for Halal Brands?

Islamic Jurisprudence and Ethical Considerations

Disclaimer: Muslim Ad Network does not claim to have knowledge of Islamic Jurisprudence. We can only tell you about the opportunities in advertising for your brand. We do feel compelled as Muslims to make you aware of the Islamic standpoint(s) on certain methods or platforms you may want to use for your brand. This is because our motivation is to help brands grow awareness online in a halal way. However, we can only tell you the general standpoint(s) on a high level. You may need to consult people of knowledge for better decision-making.

Brands targeting Muslim consumers must be mindful of Islamic jurisprudence and ethical considerations in their marketing and product offerings. The general Islamic prohibition against depicting animate objects can extend to digital environments, impacting how brands create avatars, characters, and other digital representations. Additionally, there are strict guidelines against promoting activities or content that contradict Islamic principles, such as gambling, violence, and inappropriate behavior.

However, scholars have permitted certain exceptions for educational and developmental purposes, such as using stuffed animals and toys for children’s learning and comfort. This opens up possibilities for brands to create halal-compliant content and products that cater to younger audiences while adhering to Islamic values and advertising principles.

The Role of Advertising in Muslim Consumerism

Effective advertising is crucial for brands aiming to capture the Muslim market. Muslim Ad Network (MAN) emphasizes the need for culturally sensitive advertising that resonates with Muslim consumers’ values and lifestyles. This includes using appropriate language, avoiding controversial imagery, and highlighting halal certification and ethical production practices.

MAN also highlights the importance of leveraging digital platforms to reach younger Muslim audiences. Social media, influencer marketing, and content creation tailored to Muslim interests can significantly enhance brand visibility and engagement. Understanding the nuances of Muslim consumer behavior and preferences is key to developing successful advertising campaigns.

Consumer Protection and Ethical Marketing

Marketing to young, impressionable audiences raises significant ethical considerations, particularly in the metaverse. Your brand must balance creating engaging content with promoting responsible consumerism. This is especially important in immersive environments where gamification can significantly influence behavior. Gamification can enhance customer engagement and create enjoyable experiences, but it also has the potential to manipulate consumer behavior and encourage excessive consumption.

To address these concerns, your brand should implement parental controls and educational content to help mitigate negative effects and provide enriching experiences aligned with Muslim values. Parental controls can help monitor and restrict access to certain types of content, ensuring that young users are exposed to appropriate material. Additionally, educational content can promote responsible consumerism and digital literacy, helping young audiences understand the implications of their online interactions.

By prioritizing ethical marketing practices and responsibly leveraging technology, your brand can positively impact young Muslim consumers while respecting their values and promoting a healthy digital environment.

Conclusion

As consumer behavior continues to evolve, brands and marketers must anticipate the preferences of Gen Alpha Muslims, who are growing up with unique perspectives in a digital age. By addressing the shortcomings in engaging earlier generations and leveraging insights from ongoing studies, brands can position themselves to resonate with and serve the emerging Muslim consumer base. With a strategic approach combining cultural sensitivity, innovation, and inclusivity, businesses can foster harmonious and mutually beneficial interactions with Muslim consumers in Western markets.

The post An Update on Navigating Muslim Consumerism in the Metaverse appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

In the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, brands need to understand how different AI systems perceive and evaluate them. This is particularly crucial for businesses targeting niche markets like Muslim consumers, where cultural sensitivity and alignment with values play significant roles. Here’s a comprehensive look at how different AIs might assess your brand and why this matters.

Understanding AI Perception of Brands

AI systems analyze brands using various data sources and algorithms, providing insights that can influence consumer perceptions. A recent article from The Drum highlights how AI models, like those from Google, Meta, and other tech giants, use vast datasets to form opinions about brands. These models consider factors like online sentiment, engagement metrics, and even visual content analysis to gauge brand reputation and consumer affinity​.

Key Factors Influencing AI Assessments

1. Sentiment Analysis: AI tools analyze the tone of social media posts, reviews, and other online content to determine public sentiment about a brand. Positive sentiments can enhance a brand’s reputation, while negative feedback can have the opposite effect. For businesses targeting Muslim consumers, ensuring that your brand is positively received in discussions about halal practices, ethical sourcing, and community involvement is essential. In one of our recent reports we found that, AI-driven advertising tailored to the values and preferences of Muslim consumers has shown significant improvement in engagement and conversion rates​.
2. Engagement Metrics: How often and in what manner consumers interact with your brand online is another critical factor. High engagement rates, especially those that reflect cultural sensitivity and relevance, can positively impact AI assessments. Our data indicates that targeted ads for Muslim consumers can lead to a 25% higher engagement rate compared to general market ads​.
3. Visual Content: AI’s ability to analyze visual content, such as logos, advertisements, and social media images, helps in understanding brand aesthetics and their alignment with cultural expectations. For Muslim consumers, imagery that respects cultural norms and portrays positive community values can significantly enhance brand perception. The Halal Times notes that incorporating culturally appropriate visuals in marketing strategies has led to a 30% increase in brand favorability among Muslim audiences​.

Why AI Perception Matters

For brands targeting Muslim consumers, AI-driven insights can offer several advantages:

• Cultural Relevance: AI can help identify how well your brand’s messaging aligns with Muslim values. This includes adherence to halal standards, representation in advertisements, and engagement with community issues​. According to ISA Halal, businesses that integrate AI to enhance their halal certification processes see a notable improvement in consumer trust and market share .
• Market Positioning: Understanding how AI perceives your brand compared to competitors can provide strategic insights into market positioning. Brands that effectively align their messaging with cultural and religious values can gain a competitive edge​.
• Customer Loyalty: Positive AI assessments based on sentiment and engagement can translate into higher customer loyalty and trust, crucial for long-term success in the Muslim market​.

Practical Steps to Improve AI Perception

1. Enhance Online Presence: Regularly monitor and optimize your brand’s online presence to ensure positive sentiment and high engagement. Engage with consumers on social media, addressing concerns and promoting positive discussions about your brand.
2. Culturally Sensitive Marketing: Tailor your marketing campaigns to reflect the values and traditions of Muslim consumers. Highlight your commitment to halal practices and ethical standards​.
3. Visual Content Optimization: Use culturally appropriate visuals that resonate with Muslim consumers. This can include using modest and respectful imagery and incorporating Islamic art and calligraphy where appropriate .

Conclusion

In an era where AI plays a pivotal role in shaping brand perceptions, understanding how these systems evaluate your brand is crucial. For businesses targeting Muslim consumers, leveraging AI insights to ensure cultural relevance, positive sentiment, and strong engagement can lead to enhanced market positioning and customer loyalty. By aligning your brand’s values with those of the Muslim community, you can not only improve AI perception but also build a robust and loyal customer base.

If you want to optimize your brand’s perception among Muslim consumers and leverage AI insights effectively, reach out to us, at Muslim Ad Network. We specialize in culturally sensitive advertising and can help tailor your campaigns to resonate with the Muslim market.

Contact Muslim Ad Network today to start enhancing your brand’s impact and reach within this vital demographic.

References

1. AI-Driven Advertising for Muslims
2. Transforming Your Halal Business with AI
3. How AI is Redefining Marketing for Halal Businesses and Muslim Entrepreneurs

The post What Do Different AIs Think of Your Brand? Insights for Businesses Targeting Muslim Consumers appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

In today’s digital age, social media has become an indispensable tool for businesses seeking to connect with diverse audiences. For halal brands and mainstream companies aiming to engage with Muslim consumers, understanding this audience’s unique preferences and cultural sensitivities is paramount. Fortunately, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) offer invaluable opportunities to tailor social media strategies effectively. By harnessing the power of AI, you can create personalized, culturally relevant content that resonates with Muslim audiences, ultimately driving engagement and fostering meaningful connections.

Understanding the Muslim Consumer Landscape
Before delving into AI-powered strategies, it’s essential to gain insights into the preferences and behaviors of Muslim consumers. With over 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide, this demographic represents a significant market segment with distinct cultural nuances. From halal products and services to religious holidays and traditions, understanding these aspects is crucial for developing authentic and respectful marketing campaigns.

Leveraging AI Insights and Halal Advertising Trends
Recent studies, such as those highlighted in our previous blogs, shed light on the evolving landscape of social media advertising aimed at Muslim consumers. For instance, the article “Social Media Decline in Halal Ads” underlines the importance of adapting advertising strategies to changing consumer behaviors and preferences. By staying informed about such trends, businesses can adjust their approaches accordingly, ensuring that their campaigns remain relevant and effective.

Harnessing AI for Personalized Halal Content
AI tools tailored for halal businesses, as discussed in the article “AI Tools for Halal Business,” offer invaluable resources for crafting personalized content that aligns with Islamic principles. These tools enable businesses to navigate the complexities of halal certification, ingredient sourcing, and marketing ethics, ensuring that their products and messaging resonate authentically with Muslim consumers. By integrating AI into your content creation processes, you can streamline operations and deliver compelling, culturally sensitive content that resonates with your target audience.

Ethical Considerations in AI Advertising
Ethical considerations play a crucial role in AI-driven advertising, particularly concerning cultural sensitivities and religious values. The articles “Islam and Ethics of AI Advertising: Part 1” and “Part 2″ delve into the ethical implications of AI technologies in advertising within the context of Islamic principles. These discussions highlight the importance of transparency, accountability, and respect for consumer privacy in AI-powered marketing campaigns targeting Muslim audiences. By adhering to ethical guidelines and principles, you can build trust and credibility with your audience, fostering long-term relationships based on mutual respect and integrity.

Conclusion
Incorporating AI into your social media strategy offers numerous benefits for engaging with Muslim consumers effectively. By leveraging AI-driven analytics, personalization, chatbots, and reputation management tools, businesses can create meaningful connections, drive engagement, and foster brand loyalty within this diverse and dynamic demographic. As technology continues to evolve, embracing AI-enabled strategies will be essential for staying competitive and relevant in the ever-changing landscape of social media marketing. Additionally, staying informed about halal advertising trends and adhering to ethical guidelines ensures that businesses approach their campaigns with sensitivity and integrity, ultimately fostering stronger connections with Muslim consumers.

For more information on how we can help you connect to over 250 million Muslims today, contact Muslim Ad Network.

The post Leveraging AI for an Impactful Social Media Strategy to Reach Muslim Consumers appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

We recently published an article to help you find the right influencers for your halal marketing. What if you were able to take it a step further and work with a virtual influencer, better known as a meta-influencer in the metaverse? 

“A virtual influencer, at times described as a virtual persona or virtual model, is a computer-generated fictional character that can be used for a variety of marketing-related purposes…” – Wiki

It seems more and more plausible that the metaverse is the next online frontier for halal brands so we encourage you to learn and experiment as much as possible.

Advertising in the metaverse for halal brands is in its early infancy, so creating and working with meta-influencers may sound too far-fetched for Muslim businesses at the moment. However, web3 is moving at the speed of light, and if you blink you get left behind. So, at the very least try to gain knowledge and start experimenting with the elements of web 3.0, like NFTs and the metaverse among other things.

Disclaimer: The Muslim Ad Network blog strives to give you top-notch information to help you market and advertise your business and organization. We urge those of the Muslim faith to investigate the permissibility (halal/haram) of tactics like creating avatars and meta-influencers for marketing purposes.

How Meta-influencers Can Change Your Muslim Marketing Approach

The metaverse – predicted to become an $800 billion industry by 2024 – offers your business or organization the chance to take advantage of consumer trends and investigate fresh ways to engage with customers. This is why influencer marketing in the metaverse is a natural piece of the puzzle. Influencer marketing is already massive on web2, with Insider Intelligence estimating it to be a $15 billion industry in 2022. 

Let’s look at the four elements of meta-influencer marketing that will change your Muslim marketing approach:

1- Collaboration

There are many ways to collaborate with influencers on social media. These include sponsored social media posts, product discount codes, and more. Although these are effective ways to establish your presence, metaverse influencer marketing offers a more captivating collaboration with your brand.

Together with a meta-influencer, you can create a fully immersive 3D experience for the Muslim consumers you are targeting. For example, you can have the meta-influencer try out different modest fashion outfits to showcase your new autumn collection to their most active followers.

2- Monetization

You can monetize your joint ventures with meta-influencers on the metaverse thanks to NFTs or non-fungible tokens. The influencers you work with can grant followers admission to your sponsored events using NFTs. For example, you can offer collectible NFTs that also serve as tickets for your next installment of Halal Expo on web3. 

When used in this way, these special tokens create income for your brand and the meta-influencer. Not only that, but it will boost brand recognition, and give your Muslim customers a sense of exclusivity.

3- Initiation

We mentioned that influencer marketing is a massive industry. It is important to know that a growing part of that belongs to meta-influencers. However, there is a growing trend of brands creating their own meta-influencers. This could be something you could explore if you are confident of its permissibility in Islam. 

Why? Because:

1) After your initial investment, you do not need to be paying large sums of money to meta-verse influencers to feature your products; Lil Miquela – for instance – is reported to get paid $1600 per Instagram post.

2) Although meta-influencers like Serah Reikka have tried to reach out to Muslim audiences, the rest of her content is not palatable to a Muslim audience. This would be the case with all the virtual influencers currently available for collaboration.

4- Diversity

The real-world influencer industry has a diversity problem. A 2020 study by MSL showed that although black, indigenous, and people of color represent a market worth $4.8 trillion in buying power, there is a 35% pay gap between black and caucasian influencers. This is the biggest racial pay gap in any industry.

This is an opportunity for you when using or creating your own meta-influencer to promote those with minority backgrounds, given that they have the relevant Muslim audience for your products of course.

Conclusion

In this short blog post, we highlighted the current situation with brands collaborating with meta-influencers. We also discussed how your brand may use these influencers to engage Muslim users in the metaverse. We would like to reiterate that at the moment you should at least focus on gaining knowledge and experimenting with web3 elements including the metaverse and meta-influencers.

To start engaging with Muslim consumers more directly through online advertising, feel free to click the “START TARGETING MUSLIM CONSUMERS” button below:

The post Marketing to Muslim Consumers With Meta-influencers appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

In the summer of 2021 we discussed the concept of halal brands taking part in the metaverse, in the article “Is the Metaverse the New Online Frontier for Halal Brands?”. In it, we discussed:

• What the metaverse is and why it is awesome 
• How the metaverse and NFTs are manifesting themselves in consumer markets
• What your halal brand needs to know about the metaverse environment
• Articles explaining which aspects of the metaverse are halal
• Muslim presence in the metaverse

Our article today will discuss halal advertising in the world of the metaverse including but not limited to:

• What you need to know as a brand or marketing team
• Ways to advertise on the metaverse

What You Need to Know Before Advertising to Muslims on the Metaverse

Muslim Consumer Interest in the Metaverse is Growing Fast

In an article that was updated on April 2022, Geri Mileva of Influencer Marketing Hub said:

“… consumers seem to be catching on. The keyword ‘metaverse’ yields 677,000 results on Google. Meanwhile, the hashtag #metaverse is widely used on Instagram, with more than 60,000 posts…”

At the time of writing this article – June 2022 –  the keyword “metaverse” yields 186,000,000 results on Google and the hashtag #metaverse has 1,963,598 posts.

Meanwhile, the keyword “halal metaverse” yields 2,050,000 results, and “metaverse in Islam” gets you 6,500,000 results.

The Metaverse Mirrors Real Life

“The spatial internet is the culmination of everything that AR and VR are developing today. It’s the idea of taking information about things, locations, or historical events and actually locating that information out there in the world where it’s most relevant.” 

Leslie Shannon, Nokia’s Head of Trend Scouting

The metaverse, a shared virtual space where your audiences use virtual avatars to represent themselves, is not child’s play. Real-life events happen including transactions, investments, entertainment, art shows, and more. 

An example of this is when someone bought a video clip of Lebron James dunking a basketball for $208,000 through a virtual auction system. Kristi Waterworth of Nasdaq on real estate investment through the metaverse:

“Will NFTs (non-fungible tokens) be a thing in real estate and real estate investing in 2022? Absolutely, without a doubt, yes…”

These virtual worlds of the metaverse continue to evolve and experience growth based on decisions and interactions made by consumers, mirroring real life in the real world.

Anticipating this growth and where it is heading regarding your halal product and service will give you an unparalleled advantage in the market.

Metaverse Characteristics that Matter for Brands and Marketers

In 2020, Mathew Ball wrote an article about the characteristics of the metaverse. We outlined characteristics you may need to understand if you are going to advertise your halal brand on the metaverse.

Persistent: The metaverse does not reset, pause, or end, it just continues indefinitely.

Synchronous and live: Although pre-planned events will take place, the metaverse, like real life, will be a living experience that is constant for everyone and always available.

Offers agency: It provides each participant with an individual sense of “presence”. In the metaverse, everyone can participate in a specific activity together, simultaneously, and with individual agency.

Fully functioning economy: Halal consumers and businesses can create, own, invest, sell, and be rewarded for an incredibly wide range of “work” that produces “value” that is recognized by others.

Parallel to reality: It contains experiential worlds that combine digital and physical reality, private and public networks and experiences, as well as open and closed platforms.

Unprecedented data interoperability: The same digital items/assets, content, and so on can be used and reused across different channels and experiences.

Everyone creates content: The metaverse is populated with “content” and “experiences” created and operated by many contributors; some of whom are independent individuals, while others are informally organized groups or commercially-focused enterprises.

Halal Marketing and Advertising on the Metaverse

Now that you are armed with this valuable information, let’s look at how to advertise your halal business on the metaverse.

Parallel marketing: since the metaverse experience is parallel to reality, it’s logical to create marketing experiences that relate to real-world experiences or mimic what real-life marketing entails.

Immersive advertising: Get your ads featured in relevant metaverse worlds. For example, you could have your billboard in one of the virtual cities of real estate metaverse advertising your halal mortgage offering.

Collectible items: Roblox offers branded virtual worlds such as The Collector’s Room in the Gucci Garden experience. Users can collect limited-edition Gucci items in this virtual world. As a result of selling the collectible items, Gucci collected 286,000,000 Robux (Roblox’s virtual [not crypto] currency). Do you think you can emulate that with your modest fashion business?

Metaverse metrics: AdAge reports that by applying connected TV’s concept to metaverse advertising we can determine what metric to use based on real-time buying occurring in virtual auctions. An example of a metric related to metaverse advertising is the cost per completed view or the video completion rate.

Metaverse events: While Fortnite and Roblox have led the way in reaching large-scale audiences with entertainment events, Muslim metaverse worlds with event-hosting capabilities like Metakawn have started to pop up.

Metaverse eCommerce: A major trend in the metaverse is direct-to-avatar (D2A). By 2025, in-game purchases are expected to surpass 74.4 billion U.S. dollars. More than a decade ago in Second Life, Muslim women had avatars wearing the e-hijabs.

There is a lot of talk about what constitutes permissible metaverse activities and those that are not permissible. You should educate yourself on those first before engaging in metaverse marketing for your halal business.

There is no doubt however that our consumer lives are moving into the next version of the web: web 3.0, including the dynamic world of the metaverse. Muslim consumers are not being left behind and if you target potential Muslim customers, you need to start researching the halal marketing opportunities that adhere to the Islamic Advertising Principles in the metaverse.
Meanwhile, do not hesitate to contact Muslim Ad Network for all your halal advertising needs; we will be happy to help you achieve your business goals.

The post Halal Advertising in the Metaverse appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

The internet has kept on evolving from the day it came into our lives. We’ve gone from email being the best thing that ever happened. Then we moved on to social media, mobile, virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.

All these iterations of the internet, however, may not have been as big as the metaverse is expected to be. This has a direct impact on brands including halal ones and those advertising to Muslims online.

With Muslim brands and those brands targeting Muslim audiences already behind in today’s internet world, we wanted to discuss what the next one looks like. We want to give you, the reader, an opportunity to understand where the internet is heading so you can be ready.

What is the Metaverse and Why is it Awesome?

The term “metaverse” has been thrown around for many years in the world of gaming. Today, it is taking on an entirely different presence on the internet.

Let’s take a step back and talk a bit about the internet. When the internet started its existence and became a thing a lot of our lives changed. It created convenience, new business opportunities, new billionaires, and even new economies. 

Metaverse is the new phase that will take the internet to the next level. So far we have had the choice of purchasing products, services, and entertainment either in the real world or in the virtual world.

Metaverse is creating a brand new world where it brings the real physical world and the virtual world together. You can look at it as twofold. We have the physical persona in real life and then we have our digital persona in the digital world – on LinkedIn, Gmail, Instagram, Reddit and many more platforms. What metaverse does is create a convergence between the physical you and the digital you by sucking you into the computer.

Well, not literally, but by taking your two-dimensional online experience and turning it into an augmented three-dimensional experience.

Epyllionco Managing Partner Matthew Ball explains:

The best way to think about it is a quasi successor state to today’s mobile internet in much the same way today’s mobile internet was built off of the internet of the 90s and 2000s. In this instance, however, the iteration is not necessarily going into a smaller computer but into virtual worlds; virtual simulations enabling the purchase of things in the real world through those environments. But also in particular purchasing things that solely exist in virtual environments. Lastly, we think about the augmentation of the world around us, not just the idea of AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) inside of a store but really the connectivity of the real world through the internet of things into virtual simulacra at the same time.

How the Metaverse and NFTs are Manifesting Themselves in Consumer Markets

Lessons from Gaming

This phenomenon is already well advanced in the world of gaming. Think of Roblox and Fortnite who have used it to give players the ability to buy NFTs (Non-fungible tokens) and use them across different games.

So for example, you can buy a character costume on Fortnite and use it on Minecraft. This is another feature of metaverse that is going to break the internet.

You know how Apple and Google apps are not compatible? Imagine your favorite Muslim consumer app being compatible for both without having to create a version for Google Play and another for App Store.

In the world of the metaverse, everyone works together because no one owns it. An awesome example is DC versus Marvel superhero characters who you will never see together on the big screen, in comic books, on TV, or anywhere else. However, in the metaverse world of Fortnite, they are all working together.

Real Events by Real Artists and Real Money

Today, on these gaming platforms, young people hang out together like they would in real life. They spend real money buying virtual products like clothes (avatar skins) so they can look cool during their virtual hangout.

They even attend concerts by real music artists who perform using their own avatars. In fact, in 2020 the rapper Travis Scott performed a virtual concert on Fortnite that drew 12.3 million attendees. This surpassed the prior record of 10.7 million for a virtual show featuring DJ and music producer Marshmello in 2019.

Not Just Child Play

This is how Upland, a virtual real estate company based in the Silicon Valley, United States describes how users can make real money on their NFT metaverse:

Join a new, virtual economy where you have the opportunity to make money in the metaverse. Start out by earning a return on your properties and collecting fees from visitors. Feeling ambitious? Flip some of your properties for profit in our free and open marketplace or generate income by becoming a business owner in Upland.

Upland allows you to purchase the NFTs of the digital versions of properties from the real world. Payment can be made with cryptocurrency or a credit card. Some of these real estate properties go for thousands of dollars and are located all over the world. This is levels higher than kids buying avatar skin on Fortnite.

This is not child play at all, as many of the real-world behaviours are shifting into the world of the metaverse, where people are purchasing virtual products for thousands of dollars, attending political rallies and more.

Emily Chang of Bloomberg Technology, mentions that:

…the market opportunity for the metaverse could be 800 billion dollars by 2024.

Before we move further, make sure you download The Ultimate Guide to Understanding and Marketing to the Muslim Consumer. Your brand’s guide on breaking into one of the fastest-growing untapped consumer markets in the world.

What Your Halal Brand Needs to Know About the Metaverse Environment

What’s the Experience of Brands Currently on the Metaverse?

Brands have found their entry into the metaverse challenging. Most are at the stage of experimenting with relevant ways to create their own environments and display ads for virtual world dwellers.

According to AdAge:

With the real world becoming increasingly challenging, the social network (Facebook) sees the virtual world as its next frontier.

Coca Cola and Campbell Soup Company were the latest big names to start experimenting with the metaverse at the time of writing this article; joining other consumer goods brands like Taco Bell, Gucci, AB InBev, Procter & Gamble, and e.l.f. Cosmetics.

Coca-Cola auctioned off its first NFTs — unique digital assets stored on a blockchain. Meanwhile, Campbell Soup Company commemorated the change of its iconic soup label with its first NFT digital art pieces.

Here is the deal though: brands have to play by certain rules as each platform has its own approach to branded content:

• Roblox, for example, does not allow for just any brands to work with them on experiences.
• When Facebook started allowing ads in its Oculus virtual reality games in June of this year, backlash from players stunted the application. 
• Minecraft applies strict commercial guidelines regulating the use of logos and advertising on its platform. 

Other brands have started creating their own virtual worlds so that they can adhere to regulations and at the same time enable them to collect first-party data.

Immersing your halal brand into metaverse is serious work and will need some investment. Facebook and other brands for instance “are forming metaverse-focused marketing teams, similar to digital or social teams that have evolved over the past decade.”  – Christina Wootton of Roblox, VP of Brand Partnerships

Islamic Jurisprudence Issues and the Metaverse

Disclaimer: Muslim Ad Network is not claiming to have knowledge of Islamic Jurisprudence. We can only tell you about the opportunities in advertising for your brand. We do feel compelled as Muslims to make you aware of the Islamic standpoint(s) on certain methods or platforms you may want to use for your brand. This is because our motivation is to help brands grow awareness online in a halal way. However, we can only tell you the general standpoint(s) on a high level. You may need to consult people of knowledge for better decision making.

If you are a Muslim practitioner, you may need to seek Islamic Jurispundence advice about involving your brand in the metaverse due to the gaming environment (although this is not the only environment) the content in them, and the depiction of animate objects as avatars, etc.

The general understanding is that drawing inanimate objects is permissible: mountains, trees, planes, cars, etc. In the case of Upland, for example, this is buildings. There is nothing wrong with that, according to the scholars.

With regard to animate objects, forbidden kinds of pictures, an exception is made in cases of necessity, such as drawing pictures of criminals to identify and arrest, or pictures for identity cards, licences, passports etc. and other cases of necessity.

…He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity …

Source: al-An’aam 6:119

Here is an article that will give you some idea on the Islamic stance on NFTs: “NFTs: Shariah Compliant?”

More high-level information on cryptocurrency and tokens in this research article: “The requirements of cryptocurrency for money, an Islamic view”.

Muslim Presence in the Metaverse

The E-Hijab

Back in 2007, the International Journal of Learning and Media published a paper called, “E-hijab: Muslim Women in the Metaverse”. It stated:

Although many religions exist in Second Life, female Muslim women whose avatars wear the e-hijab bear a clear visual manifestation of religious identity. For the most part, these women tend to use this new public space to attend religious events and congregate to discuss religious issues.

Islamic NFT Art

Soon, the First NFT digital Islamic art agency is expected to launch in the Middle East. According to Arab News:

The NFT art market has grown more than 800% in just the first four months of 2021, from $52 million in January to a whopping $490 million by the end of April, according to a Business Insider report.

With this in mind, the Behnoode Foundation – based in Dubai-  is due to launch the first-ever NFT digital Islamic art agency in the Middle East. It aims to modernize Islamic artwork and “sell its unique digital footprints through live auctions to fine art collectors around the world”.

Fintech Shariah Compliant NFTs

Meanwhile, an ethical decentralized finance (DeFi) is planning to launch a blockchain marketplace for Islamic non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

IFNFintech explains:

The marketplace, currently being developed by Marhaba Decentralized Financial Platform (MDFP) and to be built on the Binance Smart Chain, is designed to encourage and promote Islamic arts and contemporary calligraphy. It will be a no-code platform to enable the creation of NFTs, allowing artists to create and upload their artwork to the app, which will then be converted into an NFT using smart contracts.

Palestinian Activism NFT

The presence of Muslim users in the metaverse has always been there and today manifests in all forms.

Recently, Palestinian artist, Khaled Jarrar, created an NFT that represents the take-over of Palestinian land by Israeli settlers. Alexandra Chaves of The National News mentions that:

Jarrar’s NFT is an animated image entitled “If I Don’t Steal Your Home, Someone Else Will Steal it”, which shows a valley in the West Bank overtaken by Israeli settlement homes cascading across the screen. The limited-edition NFT comes with a handful of soil that will be sent from Ramallah to the collector.

Talk about bringing the virtual world and the real world together.

Conclusion

The metaverse is considered to be the next frontier for brands online. Marketers, brands, and even the likes of Mark Zuckerberg have started preparing. So should your halal brand or Muslim-friendly product start doing the same?

The answer is yes, but this does not mean you should go out and start building metaverse marketing teams already? It is a good time to test the waters like Coca-Cola recently did. It is also the right moment to learn more about the metaverse and formulate an interim strategy on how you want to approach it.

For Muslim businesses, halal brands, and anyone trying to advertise to Muslim consumers, there is still a lot of unchartered land in the current online advertising world.

Work with Muslim Ad Network to optimize and maximize your online advertising efforts targeting Muslims today. When the time is right, we will be there to help your organization enter the world of the metaverse.

The post Is the Metaverse the New Online Frontier for Halal Brands? appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.