Case

Case: Its Not a Burqa or Bikini its a Burqini

Recently, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Chamber of Commerce welcomed the New South Wales (NSW) Business Womens Trade
Mission, which was led by Kristina Keneally, State Minister for Aging and Disability. One member of this delegation Aheda Zanetti was
an entrepreneur who has made waves with her product-the Burqini.
Zanetti designed and created the Burqini, which is a piece of swimwear that oers the wearer modesty as well as sun protection. lt is becoming a huge hit not only among conservative women, but also with cancer patients, burn victims, and senior citizens. According to
Zanettis testimony, which can be found on the companys Website (www.ahiida.com), she migrated to Australia from Lebanon at a very
young age. As a young Muslim/Arab girl, she faced many challenges growing up in the city of Sydney. She was an active person and liked to
participate in community activities and sport; however, she found herself restricted due to her cultural background and religious beliefs.
Zanetti missed out on all the sporting opportunities that Australia has to oer. Her dream was to create a garment suitable for Muslim girls
in Sydney to wear while playing sports. She was inspired to design the Burqini after watching young Muslim girls struggle to play netball
(which is similar to basketball) in bulky layers. Zanetti decided to create specialized sportswear for the active Muslim woman.
Zanettis Burqini is a full-coverage swimsuit. The name Burqini is derived from the words burqa (a black covering worn by some Muslim
women) and bikini. It hit the international market in January 2007, and since then devout Muslim women have been snapping it up. The
polyester suits are designed to adhere to Islamic traditions that require women to dress modestly. The Burqini was also designed to eliminate the risk of drowning that occurs when the yards of fabric used in traditional a burqa become soaked. The Burqini oers a comfortable
alternative to a skimpy two-piece or clingy one-piece suit for .vomen who are worried about modesty, health, weight, or the tolls of age.
The UV-resistant, stretchy swimsuits start at $90 and have found upwards of 6,000 buyers most of them online locations as varied as
Malaysia, South Africa, Mexico, Ireland, and the United States.
Marketers predict that the product will take the Middle East and other parts of the world by storm. Women state that they can dot only use
it to goto the beach, but also to surf, ski, bike ride, climb mountains, roller blade, or go hurtling down the Jumeirah Sceirah, a speed slide
that hurtles users at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, cascading a breathtaking 108 feet at Dubais popular Wild Wadi water theme park.
Australias famous life savers have recently discovered another use for the Burqini-it can be used as a stinger suit, protecting them from jellyfish stings.
Prior to the Beijing Olympics, female Iranian athletes examined its usefulness. Bahrains Olympic short-distance running champion,
Ruqaya Al Ghasara, used the outfit at the Beijing Olympics for the 200-meter race. She said that wearing the Burqini during the Olympic
trials improved her performance and that her outfit, which was made breathable, moisture-controlled fabric, allowed freedom of movement
and flexibility while enabling her to maintain her modesty. Zanetti, in her own words, states it oers sun protection and modesty not too
fitted and not too loose, just right.
Overall the Burqini is a winner, and it is bound to be a winner around the world.
Sources: Vivienne Swann. (2007). lt's just rightl Friday Magazine by Gulf News, December 21-27, 2007, pp. 92-95; vvvvw.ahiida. com. Accessed September 10, 2008.

I. Suppose you want to launch Burqini in Bangladesh and want to develop a communication campaign. Analyze the following in
regards to communication planning process:
a.Determine the target market.
b.Determine the communication Objectives
c.Discuss which communication strategy will you be using
II. Discuss the dierent communication mix (tools and media) that you will be using for Burqini to eectively reach its target audi-
ence. Also discuss why and how these tools will be eective for your communication campaign.