Branding in Halal Industry

Mariam Abdul Latif

Halal Consultant MATRADE, 19 December 2011

Scope

Introduction Certification and Branding The Halal Story Branding Summary

Five Consumer Questions/Issues

1. Does the product conform to my religious
2. 3.

4.

5.

belief/requirements? Does the food product affect the health of my family? Does the production of the food product utilize properly slaughtered animals according to the religious requirements? Are the production and processing lines clean and hygienic? Are the people handling the food products/processing comply to GHP?

Trends Fueling Certification

Growing household

incomes Increasing food safety concerns Growing separation between agricultural producers and consumers Concerns about status/causes of food consumed

Hierarchy of Consumers Food Preferences

Branding vs. Certification

Branding A name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one sellers good or service as distinct from those of other sellers. Certification To confirm formally as true, accurate, or genuine. To guarantee the product is meeting a standard. Ex: MS1500:2009.

Halal, Nutritious, Safe, Affordable

Label may display one or both of these items

Branding
Generally privately owned & managed Focus on product attributes that are

desired by a companys target markets Successful at local or regional level if consumers associate brand/label with desirable quality attributes (Ex: Colgate, Kleenex, Coke, etc.) Nestle)

Producer Payoff from Certification

Immediate recognition by high-income consumers for niche

attributes Studies show consumers willing to pay premiums for label identified characteristics Halal Food safety Specific nations/country of origin Natural/organic/reduced chemical inputs Humane animal treatment Nutritional related factors (e.g. high antioxidant, low fat) Social responsibility

The Halal Story

The world outside the Muslim market is discovering Halal.

More people are choosing to consume Halal foods

- religion, health and wellness, led to a growth of businesses being involved in the Halal value proposition Consumer demand is key. Halal and all-natural foods have evolved from being a niche market to a lifestyle. Businesses have a say in influencing this market by creating a brand that reinforces this proposition. Consumers are putting an effort to be mindful of the foods they are putting into their bodies and feeding their families. They trust the brands they are buying and are relying on these brands to provide health, taste and quality.

The Halal Story contd

When it comes what we put into our mouths, especially

our childrens, trust is the most important element in any halal and natural food brand strategy. Without trust there is no relationship, and trust can only be built with credibility, commitment and consistency the foundation for any business ;-) Consumers have to trust your brand and your products. We need to start creating brands, package design, value based positioning and cause-related marketing strategies that communicates and markets the Halal value proposition and its end benefits. We need to start telling the story for consumers to buy into the Halal story.

SOME FUNDAMENTALS IN BRANDING

Develop your Story

Articulate the Halal value proposition: non-toxic, organic,

environment-friendly, clean, wholesome, safe

The industry already has a single Halal brand. It marks

and denotes integrity.

What the business needs to do is to reinforce this

promise and market the lifestyle with a proposition Example: BETTER FOR YOU. BETTER FOR THE COMMUNITY. BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

So where do we start?
The main thing is to define the identity what is your

business and what is the product you want to offer your customers (trust)
BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT ONE IS AND WANTS TO BE.
From there one constructs the politics of the image,

which interprets the identity within the sphere of action where you want to exist in who are your competitors. THE CENTRAL IMAGE IS THE BRAND (This is what the consumers see)

What is the Brand then?

The brand contains the features that differentiate and

define the company. IT HAS TO BE UNIQUE!

It includes the following form: Logo Colors Typeface Textures

Photos
Images

MALAYSIAN HALAL LOGO/BRAND

What next
Apply the brand through all the media that relate to the

mentioned target consumers, such as stationary, brochures and publications, whether through direct marketing or on billboards and also from websites and other multimedia. Then make public the identity and image. This part is what we call persuasive communication. Here, you are seeking to attract people to your brand identity. The agenda is created through all forms of advertising. CREATE THE WARMTH EXPRESS THE PROMISE COMMUNICATE

Make your Brand Endearing

Your brand is your trademark the being of your

business. There are very nice brands out there that has failed because the communication strategy or the product itself failed. A brand is nothing if the proposition is not there, ie. if theres nothing inside The brand should promote the values of your company and product Proper brand promotion with the right position and proposition, may increase the results of the business by as much as 30% Branding can impact the bottom line by reaching target audience in the most effective and efficient ways

Halal Branding

LOYALTY AND TRUST

Bridging between industry and consumers The Name you can Trust! Halal Products Quality Halal Agency - Reliable Halal Personnel Professional

 Protecting

the integrity of the entire Halal value chain is very important = Branding
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SUMMARY
Integrity of Halal products from farm to fork is

important and made possible by certification, this is the foundation of branding Halal branding is important for product marketing, continuous revenue to industries and an informed choice to customers Always look for the Halal label/logo when you purchase a product/service and entering a food premise Building and marketing Halal brands are in principal the same as others the difference is knowing your target groups, the product and the benefits Halal presents. The brand is like a glass, the product is the content.

Thank You and Wassalam