It is a fact that Muslims do not just eat curry, and therefore as a product category, Halal food is still undeveloped, with few major brands catering for it and those that do sticking to curry options.
ieat, a brand we helped to launch this year, is bucking the trend, producing the UK’s first halal ready meals of British favourites, such as shepherd’s pie, chicken & leek pie, pizza etc.
Founder Shazia Saleem was frustrated with not being able to enjoy traditional British foods. So, in true British entrepreneurial spirit, she created her own range and launched it in Sainsbury’s last month.
Educating the public about a product and a new category is a daunting task. It requires the brand to be clear about its audience: their desires, their behaviours, their purchase triggers. For brands to stay relevant, they need to understand the context in which they exist. Also, embracing multiple cultures in our diverse society is something brands have to do to be attractive to the highly influential ‘Generation Z’ audience.
For ieat, the strategy was built on insights into how modern culture is shaping the identity of British Muslims, particularly the under-40s (or third generation Muslims), who have grown up in the UK and who are far more inclined to engage with other cuisines and societal behaviours while still wanting to maintain a relationship with their mother culture. This group wants to be part of the British food scene as much as everyone else, but while the restaurant scene is catching up, retailers have been much slower.
However, this demographic needs a new set of brand communications rules; it’s not enough to be in Muslim community newspapers or just talked about at the Mosque any more. While these help, in order to fully reach this growing group, with its new styles and habits, the brand needed to be more flexible and approach a multitude of different channels, including social media.
As part of our communications campaign, locally targeted community PR and marketing went hand in hand with larger, national messaging for a far wider footprint.
This strategic thinking should be followed by all manufacturers looking to tap into this new product category. It will help drive sales, revenue and ultimately profit.
Omaid Hiwaizi is chief strategy officer UK for Geometry Global. This is a personal blog and views expressed are his own.
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