Diversity is no longer just a buzzword in advertising; it’s a fundamental requirement for the world’s largest brands and agencies. The call for diversity and inclusivity in advertising is growing louder, echoing the demands of both consumers and employees. This blog post delves into what diversity means in advertising, provides an example of diversity in action, explores the crucial reasons behind its importance in halal advertisements, and offers strategies to ensure that advertising truly reflects our diverse world, with a focus on the role of AI in achieving these goals.

What Does Diversity Mean in Halal Advertising?

To understand diversity in halal advertising we must first understand diversity in Islam itself.

O mankind, indeed we have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is knowing and acquainted.

Source: Quran 49:13

This passage explains why humans are diverse and how we all share a common origin. It states that all of us come from one man and one woman, and the different races we see today are like branches of the same initial race that started with these two individuals. The Creator divided humans into nations and tribes to promote cooperation and distinction among them. This division allows different groups to come together as a community and cooperate in worldly matters. The only thing that should set people apart is their moral character. In terms of birth, we’re all the same because we have the same Creator, the same basic building blocks, and we all come from the same original parents.

Diversity in halal advertising involves the inclusion of a wide range of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. It means representing various races, ethnicities, genders, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds in the content and messages conveyed by halal advertisements. Diversity isn’t just about showcasing differences; it’s about celebrating them and ensuring that everyone can see themselves in the stories and images presented.

Read: Catering to Black Muslim Consumers: What Every Business Ought to Know and Hispanic American Muslim Consumers – What You Need to Know

Example of Diversity in Halal Advertising

One striking example of diversity in advertising of a Muslim product has been Nike. Whether it is advertising its sports hijab collection or swimwear for Muslim women, it always shows models of different ethnicities.

Photograph Courtesy of Nike

Although it took a mainstream giant brand to initiate such inclusivity in its marketing collateral, we are now seeing the same trend being followed by some Muslim-owned brands like Henna and Hijabs.

Why Is Diversity Important in Halal Ads?

Diversity in halal advertising is not just a matter of checking boxes; it has profound implications:

1. Reflecting Reality: Advertising that represents Muslims should mirror the actual Muslim population. A diverse audience of Muslims spread throughout hundreds of ethnicities deserves to see their experiences, cultures, and identities accurately represented.

2. Connecting with Muslim Audiences: Diverse audiences connect more deeply with advertisements that resonate with their lives and values. This leads to greater engagement and customer loyalty.

3. Promoting Inclusivity: Inclusive ads send a message that everyone is welcome. Muslim brands that embrace diversity convey that they value and respect all individuals.

4. Avoiding Stereotyping: Inclusive advertising helps break stereotypes. For example, there are still many who think that Islam is the religion of the Arabs. Showing a diverse spectrum of Muslims from all parts of the world challenges such biases, and promotes positive social change.

The Role of AI in Ensuring Diversity in Halal Advertising

Halal advertising using AI can ensure diversity and high quality in halal advertising.

AI’s role includes:

1. Data Analysis: AI can analyze vast amounts of data to understand consumer preferences and behavior. This can help you tailor content to resonate with diverse Muslim audiences.

2. Image Recognition: AI-powered image recognition can identify and promote more diverse images, ensuring that your halal advertisements feature a wide range of Muslim individuals.

3. Content Personalization: AI can help personalize advertisements based on user demographics and preferences, ensuring that diverse content reaches the right type of Muslim audience.

4. Inclusive Language: AI-driven language analysis can identify and eliminate biased or exclusionary language, making content more inclusive to Muslims from all walks of life.

5. Audience Insights: If executed using the right data, AI can provide deep insights into the preferences and behaviors of different demographic groups within the Muslim community, enabling Muslim advertisers to create content that resonates with diverse communities.

Why Diversity Matters in Muslim Advertising

Now, let’s take a closer look at diversity in the context of Muslim advertising. The Muslim community is one of the most diverse in the world, spanning various ethnicities, languages, and cultural backgrounds. Embracing this diversity is not just a matter of being politically correct; it’s a business imperative.

Muslim consumers have tremendous purchasing power, and they are increasingly discerning in their choices. However, to effectively engage with this audience, advertisers must recognize and respect their diversity. The “one-size-fits-all” approach doesn’t work in Muslim advertising.

AI plays a pivotal role in understanding and catering to this diversity. It can analyze data to identify different segments within the Muslim community, including their preferences, behaviors, and values. This information can guide advertisers in creating content that resonates with various Muslim demographics, from Arab Muslims to South Asian Muslims to converts and more.

Furthermore, AI can assist in crafting messages that speak to the unique needs and aspirations of different Muslim segments. For example, during Ramadan, advertising that focuses on family and community might resonate with one group, while another may be more interested in health and fitness-related products.

The result is not only more effective advertising but also a deeper connection with the Muslim community, which recognizes and appreciates the effort to understand and represent its diversity.

Read: Islam and Ethics of AI Advertising – Part 1 and Islam and Ethics of AI Advertising – Part 2

How Do You Ensure Diversity in Advertising for Muslims?

Ensuring diversity in advertising for Muslims involves several steps:

1. Audience Research: Understand the diverse segments within the Muslim community, including their cultural, linguistic, and regional variations.

2. Inclusive Storytelling: Craft stories that resonate with various Muslim demographics, avoiding stereotypes and embracing the richness of their experiences.

3. Authenticity: Ensure that your advertising genuinely values and represents the diverse voices within the Muslim community.

4. Collaboration: Partner with content creators, influencers, and platforms that can help you reach specific Muslim segments effectively.

5. Personalization: Utilize AI to personalize your advertising content based on the preferences of different Muslim groups.

6. AI-Driven Insights: Leverage AI to gain deep insights into the behavior and preferences of Muslim audiences, helping you tailor your campaigns effectively.

7. Continuous Learning: Stay informed about the diversity within the Muslim community and educate your team about the importance of representing this diversity in halal advertising.

The Importance of Multicultural Marketing for Muslims

In a world where multiculturalism is the norm, neglecting to represent Muslims in advertising is a significant risk. The consequences are not limited to missed business opportunities; they also include the risk of alienating a substantial and influential audience.

Multicultural marketing is not just about the occasional campaign during cultural festivals or holidays. It’s about an ongoing commitment to understanding and respecting the diversity within the Muslim community and reflecting it authentically in your advertising.

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, and as consumers become more discerning, multicultural marketing for Muslims is no longer optional—it’s a strategic imperative. Embracing diversity in Muslim advertising is not just a matter of good ethics; it’s a sound business decision that can open doors to new opportunities and strengthen connections with a diverse and influential audience.

Conclusion

Diversity and inclusivity in advertising, including halal advertising, are not passing trends but essential requirements for your halal brand. Beyond token gestures, diversity means accurately reflecting reality, connecting with diverse audiences, promoting inclusivity, and dispelling stereotypes.

AI is pivotal in achieving diversity by analyzing data, recognizing images, personalizing content, and eliminating exclusionary language. It helps bridge the gap between advertisers and the diverse Muslim community.

In a multicultural world, omitting Muslims in advertising risks alienating a significant audience. Multicultural marketing for Muslims is no longer a choice but a strategic necessity that opens doors to new opportunities and strengthens connections with this influential audience. Embracing diversity in Muslim advertising is not only ethical but also a prudent business decision in our interconnected, discerning world.

The post Embracing Diversity in Halal Advertising: A Necessity, Not an Option appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

“Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” – The APPG on British Muslims

The Islamophobia Industry Report – Canada

The following information is based on a report titled: Canadian Islamophobia Industry: Mapping Islamophobia’s Ecosystem in the Great White North lays out networks’ funding that is influencing Islamophobia.

Given that it has “become a multinational industry,” a Canadian study identified the networks that fund and influence Islamophobia.

The 127-page report concludes that the Islamophobia industry is worth $1.5 billion in the United States alone. According to four years of research, the market is coordinated by 39 US-based organizations.

“Islamophobia networks are transnational. They’re not just in Canada or the United States. A lot of funding for this industry comes from the US, and some studies show it’s a $1.5 billion market in total. Some of this support is promoting anti-Islamic propaganda”. – Jasmin Zine, Wilfrid Laurier University

The report further explains that:

• Transnational connections between individuals involved in spreading Islamophobia in Europe and elsewhere, “strengthen the power of these networks and help them to distribute their disinformation and misinformation significantly more widely”.
• Media outlets play a significant role in the Islamophobia industry. Media outlets and Islamophobia influencers use social media platforms to professionalize and monetize their propaganda and bigotry.
• Soft-power organizations wield power by promoting anti-Muslim campaigns in order to achieve specific political, ideological, and religious goals that fuel Islamophobic subcultures. They also use coercive tactics like bullying, harassment, and intimidation to silence those who disagree with them.
• Additionally, there are “local informers,” who are Muslim dissidents and ex-Muslims who act as authoritative interlocutors, fabricating and accrediting conspiracies and narratives that are anti-Islamic. They provide anti-Islamic initiatives and political cover.
• Think tanks and officially recognized security experts “create a cult of expertise” in order to promote Islamophobic conspiracy theories that portray Muslims as potentially dangerous extremists and national-security threats.

In her report, Jasmine Zine stresses that “the industry is a term that’s been used to represent the orchestrated organized nature of Islamophobia groups that have come together and are working in concert to orchestrate controversies to create propaganda to organize campaigns that promote Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism.

Islamophobia Awareness Month 2022

To raise public awareness of Islamophobia, a coalition of Muslim organizations launched the Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM) campaign in 2012. It aims to raise awareness of the evils of islamophobia in society by highlighting the positive contributions of British Muslims. The month-long campaign takes place every year in November.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the initiative, which is being commemorated with the hashtag #tacklingdenial. Denial of Islamophobia manifests itself in a variety of ways in both political and social contexts. Why is combating denial so important? Because how can we begin to have a rational discussion about it and then address it if you allow people to deny the existence of Islamophobia? Denial ends this conversation.

If you wish to support the campaign please go to the Islamic Awareness Month participation page.

What You and I Can Do to Combat Islamophobia

1- You can start with spreading awareness by supporting Islamic Awareness Month as a business, as an individual, or as a community.

2- Study your religion and get a firm grip on the basics. Most of the claims that Islamophobic individuals are expressing are very easily refuted. You should be able to intellectually defend your belief. The Islamophobe may not want to listen to reason or logic at first but may do later, or those around him or her may be triggered to research Islam from a neutral perspective. Learning about your religion after all is your duty as a Muslim in order to lead a proper Islamic life.

“Verily, Allah will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allah)” – Quran 13:11

3- We, Muslims, are an easy target because although our global population is 1.98 billion strong we are divided, racist against one another, and intolerant to those who have different jurisprudence standpoints than us. As long as we are not united, it does not matter much what we do. We can run campaigns that help ease the pain but they cannot cure the sickness that is Islamophobia.

“Soon the nations will be summoned to you just like one is invited to a feast.” It was said, “Will we be few on that day?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “No, rather, you will be many in that day, but you will be scum like such flowing down a torrent. Allah will remove your esteem from the chests of your enemies and Allah will insert feebleness in your hearts.” It was said, “O Messenger of Allah, what is this feebleness?” The Prophet said, “Love for the worldly life and hatred of death.” – Sunan Abī Dāwūd 4297

4 – Create lobby groups that advocate the needs and wants of the Muslim community to local governments and slowly move up to a national level.

5 – Strive to be an economical power by a) Muslim consumers supporting Muslim businesses and b) Muslim businesses spreading awareness of their brands to help Muslim consumers find more Muslim products and services.

6- You can promote an inclusive workspace by hiring a diverse staff and ensuring that all staff is treated equally.

7-  Businesses should try to incorporate  Muslims in their advertising campaigns without confirming biases and stereotypes.

The post The Billion Dollar Islamophobia Industry Must be Stopped appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

What Does Multicultural Marketing Really Mean?

Simply put, multicultural marketing is the external marketing strategy that is the result of an internal diversity and inclusion program of a business or organization.

Isaac Mizrahi, of CMO Network, in his article for Forbes, Diversity And Inclusion And Multicultural Marketing Are Not The Same explains that:

“Diversity helps in bringing the right representation, and inclusion is a must to having these voices heard at the decision-making level.”

In the same article, he quotes Gonzalo del Fa, President of GroupM Multicultural, who defines multicultural marketing as:

“…an external effort for a corporation to promote and sell products or services, including market research and advertising to one or more audiences of a specific ethnic background.”

Multicultural marketing expert and founder of HYPE,  Juanita Velez sums it all up better than anyone else:

“You may have heard of the party analogy when defining Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI):

• Diversity is where everyone is invited to the party
• Equity means that everyone gets to contribute to the playlist
• Inclusion is when everyone has the opportunity to dance

While DEI looks to shape corporate cultures to be more diverse, equitable, and just; inclusive multicultural marketing aims at growing the business by investing in research and strategic initiatives to authentically market to multicultural audiences.”

Source: Let’s Call It What It Is: Multicultural Marketing, Not Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Multicultural Marketing Has Come a Long Way

In November 2021, the Association of National Advertisers published a report in which they concluded that: 

“…finally, there has been progress in increasing ethnic diversity in the advertising/marketing industry. The overall ethnic skew of the marketing/advertising industry is more diverse than ever, at 30.8 percent, yet despite the progress, there is still work to be done.”

Although multicultural marketing has come a long way, there are still some serious barriers that need to be overcome.

Some of the main reasons for some brands being left behind according to the  Association of National Advertisers mentioned (in their 2018 Multicultural and Inclusive Benchmark Survey) are very stereotypical:

• 13% of brands believe they do not need to target diverse groups directly because they reach everyone with their general marketing efforts. 
• 14% think they do not need to segment because purchase triggers and universal truths for their brands are the same for all segments. 
• 15% do not have the bandwidth or expertise.

Luckily, for those who do want to pursue a more diverse and inclusive option we wrote extensively about taking the right steps for better diversity and inclusion in your marketing in our article How to Target Advertisements to Muslims with Impactful Diversity and Inclusion Marketing.

Although our articles address businesses and organizations that target Muslims, the frameworks we use apply to any entity targeting any audience.

Here are some more relevant topics on diversity and inclusion:

• Muslim Brands Must Be at the Forefront of Disability-Inclusive Marketing
• How to Create an Inclusive Eid Ad Campaign
• Catering to Black Muslim Consumers: What Every Business Ought to Know
• Hispanic American Muslim Consumers – What You Need to Know

So, What’s Wrong With the Current Picture?

I recently enrolled in the AdAge Next: Multicultural Marketing event and was shocked to see the dominance in representation by some groups and the lack of representation by others.

AdAge is an excellent source of knowledge for marketers and advertisers. However, they can only present what’s available in the real world. If we go back to the Association of National Advertisers, which is also a very competent organization, you can immediately see that the groups represented in their 2021 report are those who have been speaking out loudly for their rights of representation in the past decades.

Since Muslim Ad Network specializes in advertising to Muslim consumers we will focus on the absence of Muslim representation in the current efforts for more inclusive multicultural marketing and advertising.

The Case for Muslim Representation in Multicultural Marketing

The global Muslim market is heading towards $3 trillion and the American Muslim market is being likened to the Hispanic market in the 90s:

“… advertising executives, used to dividing American consumers into every sort of category, say that ignoring this group – estimated to be about 5 million to 8 million people and growing fast – would be like missing the Hispanic market in the 1990s.”

Source: New York Times, April 27, 2007

So we are talking about a substantial market opportunity. Even if businesses and brands didn’t feel obliged for ethical reasons to represent Muslims in their marketing and advertising media, they would be smart to consider doing it for their bottom line.

Why do Muslims Need to Be Advertised to Separately?

It might not register at first how important it is for Muslims to be targeted by marketers and advertisers separately. One could say that just like Christians, Muslims already fall under many of the groups already being represented if not all of them.

Yes, that is true, however, where Christians today would buy a house using a mortgage that includes interest, wear the same outfits that your favorite celebrity wore this year at the Oscars, or eat at any restaurant, the overwhelming majority of Muslims can’t.

Despite the ethnic diversity of Muslims, the overwhelming majority buy products and services that are compatible with Islamic laws and jurisprudence a.k.a Shariah.

This shapes not only their buyer behavior, but also defines their perspective of marketing and advertising material that they see on their screens or outside on billboards.

In a recent consumer survey that we conducted for Ramadan:

“An overwhelming 92% are more likely to buy from brands that understand their faith. This does not mean that your marketing team should become scholars in Islamic theology. However, a basic understanding and adherence to Islamic Advertising Principles should help.”

It is, however, the responsibility of Muslim marketing and advertising experts to become loud voices and participate on the podium to ensure they are part of the conversation.

Organizations like the Association of National Advertisers and Ad Age can only present and amplify what is in front of them.

Meanwhile, the Muslim consumers and those who target them can get stronger by meeting at a central platform that enhances the Muslim consumer industry.

Muslim Ad Network is the biggest of those platforms with over a decade of experience in bringing Muslim consumers and brands together. Contact Muslim Ad Network today to discuss the possibilities for your business or organization.

The post Multicultural Marketing – Risk of Not Representing Muslims appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

While mainstream advertising has recently started to take diversity and inclusion into account, Islam has been advocating it for one and a half millennia.

Yet today most of the advertising targeted toward Muslims is very monotonous in nature and ethnocentric (to apply one’s own culture or ethnicity as a frame of reference) at best.

This may partly be caused by brands consulting or working with Muslim marketing agencies or in-house marketing teams that lack diversity themselves.

In our last blog post on how to choose the right Muslim marketing agency, we addressed this issue:

“Make sure that the agency has a thorough knowledge of the composition of the Muslim consumer market. The Muslim market is made up of people from all ethnic backgrounds, and when we say “all” we mean “ALL”!”

In this blog post, we take a look at how to create inclusive Eid ad campaigns so that you don’t isolate any group within the Muslim community. After all, the more Muslims you resonate with, the better your ROI.

April is Diversity Month

At Muslim Ad Network we are keen to bring back the spirit of diversity in Islam. At a time when Muslims are a fragmented community, we want to play our part in changing that.

It all starts with making sure everyone is included and no Muslim is left out. 

This blog post coincides with Diversity Month (April):

We take a look at how you can create a more inclusive Eid ad campaign this year based on:

• Using Neutral Messaging
• Diversifying Your Ad Content While Avoiding Tokenism
• Making Your Ad Content Accessible

#1: Use Neutral Messaging in Your Eid Advertising

While many Muslims celebrate Eid ul Fitr (celebration after Ramadan ends) and Eid ul Adha (celebration during the pilgrimage season) as religious holidays, some celebrate it as a cultural holiday rather than a religious one.

Keeping this in mind, it makes sense to think about the language you use to promote your Eid ad campaign this year.

You may want to consider different messaging to serve the variety of perceptions people have of Eid. However, this could get a bit complicated. Focusing on common values allows you to be inclusive to all Muslims, regardless of religiosity levels, sects, or ethnic backgrounds.

With neutral messaging, you can focus on themes like community, family, and giving back; all of which are highly revered in Islam.

Your ad could, for instance, focus on the importance of connection and unplugging from our phones and social media. Such ad campaigns would be relatable given how hooked we are to our phones. It is also a clever way of celebrating the spirit of Eid and connecting with family whilst offering a  neutral message.

#2: Diversify Eid Ad Content But Avoid Tokenism

Create ads that include and speak to more than one demographic. This is an important factor when planning your Eid marketing campaign. You should also be aware of the type of Muslim consumers that are out there and incorporate that into your strategy.

However, be careful not to tokenize any group within the Muslim community. Your Eid ad content should authentically reflect the Muslim community. Think about how your Muslim audience intersects with various races, dress codes, body types, ages, and (dis)abilities.

Creating fully inclusive and diverse Eid content cannot be debated as Muslims from all walks of life celebrate this joyous day; it is a must!

Your diversity efforts should be at the forefront of your marketing strategy – not just at the top of your Instagram feed during Eid. You can learn more about this by reading How to Target Advertisements to Muslims with Impactful Diversity and Inclusion Marketing.

“It’s not enough to simply cast diversity and inclusion…you need to build it into the fabric of your brand.” – Larry Milstein, LaterCon speaker, and Gen Z expert, 

Your inclusive Eid marketing campaigns must be an extension of your everyday content, so it becomes business as usual once Eid comes around. The takeaway? Your Muslim advertising should be inclusive all year-round.

If you can’t afford your own photoshoots, purchase stock images that represent diversity. In addition to that, expand your network of influencers so that your influencer marketing strategy is more representative of your diverse Muslim audience.

#3: Make Your Content Accessible

“People with disabilities are the largest and most diverse minority globally. Disabilities are represented by all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds.”

Source: Muslim Brands Must Be at the Forefront of Disability-Inclusive Marketing

The creation of accessible content is not only beneficial to those with visual and hearing impairments but can also strengthen your digital community and improve engagement.

Accessibility doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive.

Subtitles are a quick win for all of your video content, whether it’s for YouTube, TikTok, or IGTV. The majority of videos (85%) on Facebook are watched without sound, so you need to make sure your video is streamlined for silent viewing.

Another way to create accessible content easily is by using engaging image descriptions in your social media captions. These are helpful for people with visual impairments.

You can include alternative (Alt) text in your social media posts, including on LinkedIn and Instagram. It goes without saying that this should be the case for website images.

Alternative (Alt) text is meant to convey the “why” of the image as it relates to the content of a document or webpage. It is read aloud to users by screen reader software, and it is indexed by search engines.

Source: Harvard University – Digital Accessibility

For everything you want to know about accessibility please check out the WCAG Accessibility Check List

Conclusion
Access to the internet has turned the world into a global village and the new generation of Muslims see the world differently from how our parents saw it. No longer is ethnic culture the driver of Islamic identity as deemed by first-generation Muslim immigrants to the West.

If our marketing and advertising content do not catch up, we will waste a lot of time and money creating campaigns that for the most part fall on deaf ears.

We must also remember those who have disabilities, but of course, deserve as much attention as everyone else. This is especially true because compared to mainstream advertising, Muslim advertising is far behind on this issue.

If you are looking for a partner to advertise to Muslims for Eid and beyond who embodies what we mentioned in this blog post contact Muslim Ad Network. We have been advertising to Muslims for over a decade.

The post How to Create an Inclusive Eid Ad Campaign appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

The definition of disability under the UK Equality Act 2010:

You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.

People with disabilities are the largest and most diverse minority globally. Disabilities are represented by all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds.

The World Health Organization reports that one billion people or 15% of the world population has some kind of disability.

According to Google:

Disability-inclusive marketing is built on the premise that marketing should represent and be accessible to all people with or without disabilities. Not only is including people with disabilities the right thing to do, but it also makes marketing more authentic.

Islam’s Approach Towards Disability

In 2012, the International Journal of Adolescence and Youth published the article, Islam and the Cultural Conceptualisation of Disability which provided “ … an analytical perspective of Islamic philosophy on disability by examining some texts from the Qur’an and Sunnah…”.

This section of our article will be mainly based on this publication.

The article explains Islam’s positive outlook towards people who incur a more challenging way of life, including those with disabilities. Islamic sources of revelation, the Quran, and the Sunnah, declare the existence of disabilities as a natural part of human nature.

Early Muslim Tradition and People with Disabilities

Muslim leaders from early Islamic tradition were very conscious of people with disabilities. They were proactive in providing care and accessibility. Accessibility is a subject that we will dive deeper into later on.

In the biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him), we learn that Ibn Umm Maktum, who was blind, was given the important position of calling Muslims to prayer. On more than ten occasions, the Prophet (peace be upon him) put him in charge of Medina when he, the Prophet, was out of town.

This custom of inclusion became part and parcel of Islamic tradition; demonstrated by incidents after the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) death.

Take for instance Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, the third caliph of the Muslim nation. He provided a blind man with housing near the mosque when the father of the blind man told him about his son being unable to reach the mosque.

Another example, mentioned in the same publication, is Walid ibn Abd al-Malik, a Muslim caliph belonging to the Umayyad Caliphate. He “established the first care home for intellectually disabled individuals. He also built the first hospital which accommodated the intellectually disabled as part of its services. He also assigned each disabled and needy individual a caregiver”.

Islam and Inclusion of People with Disability

Muslims understand the rights of disadvantaged people – the poor, needy, sick, people with disabilities, etc. – and this needs to be part of how a Muslim runs his business also.

Inclusion is also another example of Islam’s concern for those who are in a disadvantaged situation… Since disadvantaged individuals may also be withdrawn, isolated, pessimistic, and are perhaps more likely to suffer from psychological illness, including disabled people in social occasions, such as visits and marriage, is highly encouraged in Islam.

Source: Islam and the Cultural Conceptualisation of Disability

In the case of services, products, and communication, this would mean proper representation and accessibility.

Disability-Inclusive Marketing: Why it’s Important for Muslim Brands

Business Opportunities

Apart from the main issue – the spiritual side of the coin and the responsibilities we have as Muslims towards people with disabilities- there is also an immense business opportunity.

Here are two key findings by the  American Institute of Research (AIR) in a 2018 report titled, A Hidden Market: The Purchasing Power of Working-Age Adults With Disabilities:

• The total net disposable income for people with disabilities is about $490 billion, which is similar to that of other significant market segments, such as African Americans ($501 billion) and Hispanics ($582 billion).
• Discretionary income was $21 billion, which is greater than that of the African-American and Hispanic market segments combined.

In another report, the AIR explains that “there are about 64 million people with at least one disability in the U.S. and approximately 35 percent of this population is of working age (ages 16-65)…”.

Big Brands and Disability-Inclusive Marketing

Big brands have started demonstrating how being inclusive benefits both people with disabilities and the bottom line at the same time. Nike is an awesome example of this. 

On the 1st of February, 2021, they announced a new tech-inspired by a fan on Twitter who has cerebral palsy. Matthew Walzer, who describes himself as an advocate for people with disabilities on his Twitter account, wrote a letter to Nike asking for an accessible shoe design for those who struggle with tying laces. 

Nike unveiled their first hands-free shoe: the Nike GO FlyEase after reading Matthew’s letter.

The response from different communities and the world at large is a positive sign for brands aiming to make their products and services more inclusive. Muslim brands should be at the forefront of such a movement and must not be left behind.

How to do Disability-Inclusive Marketing the Right Way

There are two main aspects of disability-inclusive marketing that you need to master:

1. Accessibility for People with Disabilities
2. Inclusive Marketing for People with Disabilities

Accessibility for People with Disabilities and the ADA

The United States Department of Justice released specific guidelines in 2010 for all public organizations to become accessible to people with disabilities: the “Americans with Disabilities Act” (ADA). 

The ADA includes all disabled people who use computers and smartphones.

The ADA is obligatory to all electronic information and technology, the world wide web, all its websites, and apps. ADA compliance applies to virtually all businesses and web developers.

The European counterpart is known as the European Accessibility Act which is defined as “ an anti-discrimination law that would apply to public services and products from private businesses”.

Source: EU Web Accessibility Compliance and Legislation

In the United States, the lawsuits related to the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) compliance rose by 23% around all online platforms including web, app, and video in 2020.

“In 2016, Domino’s was sued for failure to make their website and mobile app accessible with assistive technology. In response, Domino’s appealed the case to the Supreme Court on the basis that there were no clear rules for how to make their services accessible, but their request was denied. This decision made headlines as it exemplified that lack of accessibility knowledge does not exempt businesses from the requirement to provide equal access to their products and services to people with disabilities.”

Source: Siteimprove

So make sure you are well-versed in all ADA aspects.

If you want to make your website ADA compliant please read Is Your Website ADA Compliant? by Business News Daily. For Mobile Apps, you can read the 6-Step Mobile App Accessibility Checklist.

Inclusive Marketing for People with Disabilities – Dos and Don’ts

Underrepresentation of People with Disabilities

The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media found in a study that “characters with disabilities make up only 2.2% of characters in 2019 ads”. In the United States, 26% of the population is disabled but they are represented only in 1% of primetime ads.

It’s time for brands, especially Muslim brands, to stand up and be counted. Given the emphasis on the inclusion of disadvantaged people in Islam, based on the examples we mentioned earlier, Muslim brands must be at the forefront of disability-inclusion marketing.

Think with Google advises the following:

“From ideation to launch, marketers must bring the perspectives of disabled people into the creative process to guide storytelling and content. Seek out opportunities to convey that people with disabilities use your products, and make sure that only disabled actors are cast to play disabled characters.”

Source: Think with Google

This is in line with what we mention about mainstream brands looking to create Muslim-friendly products or simply wanting to advertise to Muslims. A great example of this is how Under Armour worked with Muslim women from the ideation stage all the way to production and retail when creating their new sports hijab in 2020.

Disability-Inclusive Marketing Best Practices

Here is a rapid-fire best practice list for disability inclusion for marketing and advertising based on experts and disability rights movements:

• Remember that disability transcends race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc. so represent accordingly.
• Avoid having your media representation of people with disabilities feed into negative or harmful stereotypes.
• Avoid what is known as “inspiration porn”. This would include any media portrayal with the following aspects:
  • Exaggerated sentimentality 
  • An uplifting moral message for non-disabled viewers using people with disability
  • Objectifying people with disabilities even when they are named.

• Avoid only focusing on physical disability.
• Represent people with disabilities in everyday situations, in school, at work, in the community.
• Learn and educate your marketing team about disability pride language so you can avoid offensive terms like “demented person” and instead use terms like “person with dementia”.
• Keep in mind that disability inclusion groups strongly advocate for disabled roles to be played by disabled actors.
• Emphasize independence and don’t always depict people with disabilities with a caregiver.
• When depicting people in wheelchairs, show wheelchairs that people with disabilities use in their daily life. Many stock images and videos default to hospital wheelchairs.
• Partner with influential creators from the community of people with disabilities.
• Involve your brand with the community of people with disabilities and get to know their (media) needs.
• Have a look at some useful resources on the Disability: IN website.

Muslim Ad Network is committed to keeping you informed about the most important aspects and trends of marketing and advertising. This passion is grounded in the desire to help businesses and organizations achieve their goals. At the core of all this is MuslimReach, our ad targeting technology that gives us the ability to serve ads to Muslim consumers in ways no one else can.

The post Muslim Brands Must Be at the Forefront of Disability-Inclusive Marketing appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

Why Businesses Must Stop Ignoring Black Muslim Consumers

In 2020, the Black Lives Matter protests around the world instigated a commitment among many individuals and organizations to educate themselves about Black history, heritage, and culture – not only to understand racism but to stand in solidarity against it. 

As Black History Month is commemorated in the UK this month, it’s important to remember the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement. Outside of the US, the UK had the largest Black Lives Matter protests in the world. These global movements contributed to the highlighting of institutional and systemic racism. 

The pressure was put on businesses to take tangible action against racism.

Some brands made their stances clear and others not so much. How important is it that brands incorporate equality? Could you become guilty of denying an audience simply because of the color of their skin? In this day and age ignorance is no longer bliss.

The Reality of the Black Consumer

In 2019 Pepper Miller, president of The Hunter-Miller Group, and Reginald Osborne, principal and multicultural marketing executive at the Van Osborne Group, were presenters at the Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference. Miller and Osborne explored how brands can play a role in addressing social justice issues in the Black American community and the main topic of their discussion was around the concept of ‘woke marketing’.

In an article by ANA, they define woke marketing as “a call to action to business leaders to create and use purpose-driven marketing to do good by creating messages that communicate authenticity and demonstrate empathy and cut through the clutter of messages for underserved communities”.

Black Muslims are part of the largest and longest-standing segment of society in the U.S. that is discriminated against daily. There is therefore increased importance for brands to engage with and understand this audience, taking a more ‘woke’ approach to their marketing.

As a brand trying to target the Black Muslim consumer, it is important that you take the time to understand the perception, characteristics, and differences that are associated with this audience. If you start to take a more realistic approach to your communication then you are more likely to engage them, which will consequently, have a positive impact on your bottom line. 

You have to stop ‘reaching’ via the general Muslim market. As a brand, you have to be responsible in your marketing and engage your audiences whilst appreciating their reality. That’s how you create a loyal consumer but also how you become different from the competition. 

If you are pursuing a total-market strategy for Muslim audiences you have to start by understanding how the Black Muslim consumer is opportunistic if communicated with correctly instead of defying them through generalization. That’s how you can stay one step ahead of the marketing game. 

The Black Consumer Market 

Potential

In August 2021 McKinsey & Company released an article highlighting how the $300 billion Black American market was being underserved in the United States.

In it, they reveal that,

“… companies may well be missing the chance to cultivate a significant emerging market. With a little ingenuity and deeper analysis, companies may find that serving the Black American consumer will allow them to tap into significant value while contributing to a meaningful economic revival.”

The article also mentions spending by Black households has increased 5% annually over the past two decades. This is a superior growth rate to that of White households (3%).

One of the main reasons for marketers to start recognizing the potential of the Black consumer market according to Next TV is that:

“African-American consumers are making gains and upending outdated stereotypes on multiple fronts from education to income to social media and civic engagement,” the report states, “becoming increasingly affluent, influential and culturally diverse.”

The United Kingdom has seen the Black and minority ethnic population double in the last 30 years and is expected to double again by 2045. This is according to Promota Africa, an agency that specializes in Black and minority markets.

They mention that this market is currently worth £300 billion per annum.

How Your Halal Brand can Connect and Convert Black Muslim Consumers?

Black Consumer Diversity

According to Pew Research, 10% of  Blacks living in the United States are foreign-born. Black consumers do not belong to a “homogenous group”. There are many subcultures within the African American community. 

As Forbes explains in their article, Why Marketing To Black Consumer Subcultures Matters,

“Heritage matters. And to deny African or Caribbean immigrants that heritage by not representing it in advertising sends the message that your brand subscribes to the false narrative of homogeneity.”

In the United Kingdom, the Black population follows a similar sentiment. Most of those who belong to this group are migrants from Africa or the Caribbean. One must remember that Africa is a vast continent with diverse nations and cultures.

Tip: When targeting Black Muslim consumers make sure you involve every sub-group by highlighting the different cultures in your media.

Black Consumer Preferences 

Brand Values

Recent research by Numerator found that Black American consumers are more likely than others to buy from a brand with values that match theirs.

The research mentions that approximately 22% of Black consumers say a brand’s values are important in their purchase decisions which are far greater than the general population, which scores under 18%.

This sentiment is even stronger among the younger generation. Think with Google mentions that 70% of Black Millenials say that they are more likely to buy from a brand that takes a stand on race-related issues.

Tip: Muslims, in general, find values to be very important as it is engraved in their teachings. However, it may resonate even more for the Black Muslim population since they have been on the wrong end of social justice in recent years. So make sure your brand’s social justice campaigns for Muslims include them to maximize its impact.

Early Tech Adopters

According to Refuel Agency, which specializes in select target audiences throughout the United States:

“… 61% of African American adults agree that new technology is “fascinating” to them. Additionally, young Black consumers are 11% more likely than the general population to own a smartphone — 97% of them have them.”

They mention that:

• Young Black consumers are using tech to engage with brands via social media, stream video content, and as a tool for creation and entrepreneurship.
• 66% of young Black consumers stream video content on a regular basis. That is 14% more than the general population.
• 73% of Black Gen Z and Millennials are avid gamers!

Tip: Do you own a high-tech brand or do you do your advertising on high-tech platforms and apps? Make sure you represent young Black Muslim consumers.

Tip: Thinking of getting your halal brand started in the metaverse and NFTs? Be one of the first to represent this group of avid gamers.

Black Passion Points

Collage Group, a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certified by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), released a paper called Black Passion Points in May 2021.

Here are some of the passion points they mentioned that are also relevant to Muslims of Black ethnicity:

• Black consumers are most likely to consider themselves stylish or fashionable. They rank first at 46% followed by Hispanic consumers at 40%.
• More than two-thirds of Black consumers express their personality through their appearance.
• Black Americans practice religion more often than other ethnic groups. At 63% they are even further ahead than Hispanic Americans who come in second at 55%.
• When it comes to religious community involvement, Black and Hispanic Americans share the first position at 49%.

Tip: If you are a modest fashion brand you are missing out on some serious potential if your creatives and media do not represent Black Muslim consumers. No other minority group takes style and fashion to heart more.

Tip: Black Americans practice religion at a much higher rate than other ethnic groups. No other religious group practices religion as much as Muslims. Just think of the 5 daily prayers which is the minimum one can do. When addressing Black Muslim consumers make sure that religion and religious rituals are part of the conversation.

Muslim Ad Network has over a decade’s worth of experience helping brands gain more brand awareness and revenue through advertising to Muslim consumers online. 

We are ready to answer your questions at any time so feel free to contact Muslim Ad Netwowk today.

[button text=”start targeting muslim consumers” color=”success” style=”shade” size=”xxlarge” animate=”blurIn” radius=”10″ depth=”4″ depth_hover=”5″ link=”https://update.muslimadnetwork.com/get-started/”]

The post Catering to Black Muslim Consumers: What Every Business Ought to Know appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

In 2016, Tabish Hasan, Chief Executive of Muslim Ad Network, was featured in The Guardian as he compared the failure of established mainstream brands to tap into the Muslim market today to the same sentiment regarding the Hispanic market in the United States in the 1980s. 

Now those brands can’t afford not to engage with the Hispanic market.

He said,

The Muslim lifestyle market is moving in the same direction – it’s so big, it has so much spending power. It’s just a matter of time.

There is no one majority ethnic group in the United States that dominates the American Muslim consumer audience. The Hispanic Muslim community is one of many. It is important therefore to learn a bit more about each one of them.

In the spirit of Hispanic Heritage Month, we want to start that journey by taking a look at the Hispanic Muslim consumers in the United States.

The Strong Historic Bond Between Hispanic Americans and Islam

In 2020, U.S. News published an article that explained how the growing number of Latin American Muslims in the United States proudly talk about their historic and cultural ties to Islam, the Arab world, and the Spanish language.

We came to Islam because it appeals to our very Latinoness (Latinidad). We are converts just like born Muslims are nothing more than the descendants of converts.

— Shinoa Matos, Journalist, New York

What’s fascinating though is the rapid speed at which the Hispanic American community is turning to Islam.

In 2009, just 1% of U.S. Muslims identified as Latino, reported the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a Washington-based advocacy group that provides research and education about American Muslims. Nine years later that figure had increased to 7%…

Source: U.S. Latino Muslims Speak the Language of Shared Cultures

Here are some facts that could explain this attraction that Hispanic Americans have towards Islam based on the Berkeley La Raza Law Journal research paper: Raza Islamica: Prisons, Hip Hop & Converting Converts.

Fact 1 – Glorious Past

Islam attracts Latino individuals because they see it as a vehicle to reclaim their historical ties to a glorious past their forefathers enjoyed, in the Islamic world.

Fact 2 – Spain

Americans of Hispanic heritage also have a strong bond with Spain’s eight centuries of influence of Islam through Muslims during the Middle Ages who originated from Northwest Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta (The Moors).

Fact 3 – Arab Latinos

A significant number of Hispanic people bear their roots from Muslim West African slaves who were shipped off to Latin America during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. There was also an influx of Muslim Arabs from modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Jordan who immigrated to Latin America during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Muslim Hispanic American Consumer Culture

The beauty of Islam is that it did not eradicate the cultures of people who converted to Islam. It encouraged the part of cultures that is beneficial and not contradictory to Islamic law and forbade the harmful ones.

Because of this, the Hispanic culture is still prevalent within the Hispanic Muslim community. Your business, brand, or organization needs to know how to navigate between the Hispanic and the Islamic culture.

I would like others to be able to understand and identify the difference between the true practices of our religion Islam vs the diverse cultures that Muslims who practice Islam belong to. For example, someone can be Mexican and Muslim and nowhere in the religion are we encouraged or obligated to choose between the two. We can be just as proud of our faith and culture. We do not need to compromise.

— Nahela Morales, ICNA Dallas, Texas

Here is the big problem for marketers and advertisers though. Not all Hispanics are the same. Everyone knows this by now. Cubans, Puerto Ricans, immigrants from different countries in South America; there are just too many moving pieces there.

The ethnic mix of the Latino Muslims reflects people of a broad spectrum including: Africans, Native Peoples, and Europeans etc. This has increased because of the diaspora, the Triangular Slave Trade, and the Pre and Post-Colombian Exchange.

— Jamal Abdul-Karim, MEd., Teacher, Maryland

And although not all Muslims are the same; there is so much that brings them together. So it is always a safe bet to lean towards Islam when marketing to Hispanic Muslim Americans.

This issue is not unique to Hispanics. It’s the same with Arabs, Southeast Asians, Africans, and even Caucasians.

Here are some general statistics and behaviors about Hispanic consumers. These are statistics and behaviors that are not in direct collision with their Muslim faith.

An example of a statistic or behavior that would collide with their Muslim faith such as dollars spent in buying alcoholic beverages is of no use when pursuing an understanding of Hispanic American Muslims.

Keeping this in mind will give you an advantage when advertising to the larger Hispanic group because now, you can take into consideration the dos and don’ts for Muslim Hispanics and not just Catholic Hispanics.

Buying Power

Hispanic American consumers spent $1.3 trillion in 2015. The expected buying power for 2020 was forecasted at $1.7 trillion.

Expenditure

Hispanic Americans will spend approximately $1.9 trillion on consumer goods by 2024. Hispanic Americans make up only 18% of the U.S. population. Yet, they were responsible for 26% of real expenditure growth between 2009 and 2019.

Open to New Products

An astounding 29% of Hispanic American consumers will readily try new beauty and personal care products. This is an opportunity for your new Muslim-friendly halal beauty and care line.

Authenticity is Vital

About 60% of Hispanic Americans find authenticity to be one of the most appealing qualities in a brand. This is closely related to the concept of purity: the sincerity that your brand provides to Muslim consumers.

Social Justice

While 34% of Hispanic American consumers say that they find socially responsible brands as the most appealing, the concept of social responsibility for business entities in Islam is part and parcel of being a business person. It is deeply rooted in Islamic business and advertising principles.

In Conclusion

This is not an exhaustive list or even the tip of the iceberg. There is much a brand needs to know about the Hispanic American consumer in general. However, there is even more that needs to be researched when it comes to the Hispanic American consumer of the Islamic faith.

Understanding this and other sub-niches is very important when targeting Muslim consumers.

One of the biggest reasons for this is to be able to engage Muslim audiences of different ethnicities at the most granular level possible. 

In his decade of experience helping companies target million of Muslims online, Muslim Ad Network CEO, Tabish Hasan, has come across many business entities that are very particular about not using religion to target consumers.

He suggests using ethnicity, such as in the case of Southeast Asians in New York. The same could be done with Hispanic Americans. For example, Hispanic Americans who are concentrated in certain areas in the United States, if there is a high volume of Hispanic Americans accepting Islam – which is currently the case.

It may take your business or organization time to formulate the best way to engage and convert such specific sub-niches. However, in Muslim Ad Network, you have a reliable partner who has been doing just that in the sphere of online advertising.

The post Hispanic American Muslim Consumers – What You Need to Know appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

What is Diversity and Inclusion Marketing?

First, let’s understand what both words – diversity, and inclusion – mean.

Diversity refers to the traits and characteristics that make people unique while inclusion refers to the behaviors and social norms that ensure people feel welcome.

Source: builtin.com

Diversity and inclusion marketing recognizes that different cultures have different values, experiences, expectations, and mannerisms of communicating. Looking at minority cultures in the west like that of the Muslims, diversity marketing acknowledges the need to offer alternative ways of communicating to these diverse groups. 

With that knowledge, brands and organizations develop a marketing mix and communication methods that cater to these diverse groups present in the market.

It’s about showcasing to the world what it is that you do without shutting the door in people’s faces.

Source: Ramat Tejani | Amazon Web Services

Why are Diversity and Inclusion Important in Your Marketing Efforts?

Simply put, if your target audience doesn’t feel that you see them, they will find someone else who does. This could mean missing out on business opportunities.

But it’s not just about making them feel seen, it’s how you make them feel when you see them.

Minority consumers are very advertising-savvy; they can spot the difference between an authentic message and a ‘just-add-the-hijabi-girl-to-the-banner’ type of message.

Consumers are increasingly noticing the brands and businesses who make a conscious effort to buck stereotypes and authentically represent all of their target audience. And similarly, consumers can see when a brand is exuding tokenism, misses the mark, or isn’t making an effort at all. This initiates action in the form of protesting with their pockets or speaking up on social media.

Source: Diversity is not a Marketing Strategy

A while back, we discussed marketing to Muslim consumers and not getting the cold shoulder. The article mentioned some of the well-crafted successful inclusion marketing campaigns and the not-so-well-crafted ones.

For the latter, we mentioned that you should not do it just for the sake of diversity and inclusion. This will feel like tokenism and even exploitation in order to sell more.

Diversity and inclusion offer your business an opportunity to penetrate new markets and generate new revenue. It allows your business or organization to target new populations and increase engagement.

How Does One Go About Creating a Diversity Marketing Campaign?

Adapting Your Message to the Market

For impactful diversity marketing, you need to adapt the message to the market, instead of trying to adapt the market to the message. So if you were to communicate to Muslim consumers, your message would need to be one that does not collide with their values. 

Trying to force-feed them a message that does so in the spirit of being ‘OK’ because it’s cool for example, will not work. Recently Netflix did exactly this, when, in one of their shows, a Muslim woman broke her fast in a bar with alcohol. It was not received well to put it lightly.

A poor attempt in marketing and advertising that we see more often that entails trying to adapt the market to the message is developing an ad campaign first, and then trying to take on a multicultural aspect by adding a minority group member. 

Your inclusion marketing campaign must start with the multicultural context in mind. You will not only need to research buying habits, but also values, ideals, perceptions, and methods of communication. 

If you are looking to understand the Muslim consumers for your diversity marketing campaign, we recommend the following topics:

• Halal Marketing- All You Need to Know
• How Mainstream Brands Can Identify and Serve Muslim Niche Markets
• How to Build a Muslim-Friendly Brand
• 7 Simple Consumer Psychology Tactics to Gain More Muslim Customers
• How to Influence the 3 Types of Online Muslim Consumers
• What You Must Know About Islamic Advertising Principles
• The One Reason Every Brand is Failing to Capitalize on the Muslim Consumer Market Effectively
• 3 Ways of Cutting Through the Noise to Reach Muslim Consumers

The Right Knowledge and Combination of People in Your Team

Although your marketing team doesn’t need members of every minority group, nonetheless you should be actively recruiting talent from diverse perspectives or work with external consultants and agencies. For targeting Muslim consumers, Muslim Ad Network is the best option as it’s the first and biggest advertising network specializing in Muslim audiences.

Don’t be a brand or organization with a group of like-minded individuals who decide that an ad campaign looks good to them without consulting members of the minority group they are targeting.

Even if you have members of a minority group in your marketing team, it may not be enough. For instance, Muslims are so diverse, and some who call themselves progressive Muslims might have ideas that could create a negative impact and a backlash ( Netflix example). 

So make sure you get your research right and understand where not to tread.

One of the biggest challenges brands have when it comes to producing effective inclusive marketing—particularly for diverse audiences, is the lack of cultural intelligence they have for the audience they are serving.

Source: Data Shows Consumers Want Diversity In Marketing—Why Many Brands Struggle To Get It Right And How To Fix – Forbes

This is not exclusive to Muslims but plays part in all minority groups and your inclusion campaign should be aware of this.

As a diversity campaign is developed, the profile of the target audience should also develop, and further diversify. Again, Hispanics are composed of many different subgroups. Similarly, there are many differences within black communities—they are not just a single, like-minded market group.

Source: Marketing Schools

Your entity must also create real contact with the Muslim communities. You will not only establish a reputation in the target group but you will also connect the business to community leaders. This will give you insider knowledge, a better context for communication methods, and the right expectations. So work alongside individuals inside the community to enhance the credibility of your business.

Diversity and Inclusion Marketing Audit and Next Steps

Audit your existing marketing to see if you are up to the standard required to engage minority consumers properly.

How is Your Marketing Inclusivity?

• Do you have diverse marketers working in your marketing team?
• Does your marketing reach everyone in your target audience? For example: If your ads are appearing on publisher sites that promote gambling or alcohol, you will miss out on a large part of the Muslim audience.
• Is your website representative of minority consumers?
• In the decision-making process, does your marketing team have an environment where everyone can share their opinion?
• Do you have a diverse range of people approving the content and campaigns that your business shares?
• Do you do research and understand all segments of your audience adequately?
• Have your previous campaigns showcased people who appear to be from diverse backgrounds?
• What’s your process for challenging stereotypes in your marketing?
• Are your diversity and inclusion stories and images real and relatable?
• Do you work with communities and influencers relevant to your target audience from diverse backgrounds?

Are you happy with your answers to the above questions? Every business, organization, and brand has room for improvement, and here are some steps you can take to help you with that.

Steps for Better Diversity and Inclusion in Your Marketing

• Foster the similarities between members in your audience. That way, your marketing message covers a larger scope with a single message.
• Make sure you have an accurate representation of the minority groups you are targeting involved in the approval phase. Even better than that, they should be involved in the early stages of your campaign.
• Upskill your team in diversity marketing. Send them for training to learn more about minority groups, cultural competency, and more.
• Use inclusive copy and check your tone.
• Make sure your imagery and representation are not playing into stereotypes.
• Remember that diversity, representation and inclusion are not about a “diverse” image or person in a marketing campaign, that is simply tokenism.
• Share your platform with people from the targeted minority group.

We mentioned earlier how marketing to minority groups opens up new business opportunities and revenue streams. The global Islamic economy reached $2.1 trillion in 2017 and is expected to reach $3 trillion in 2023. Let us help you target the Muslim minority consumer group today. Contact Muslim Ad Network for more information.

The post How to Target Advertisements to Muslims with Impactful Diversity and Inclusion Marketing appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.