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Journal of Islamic Marketing
Building holistic brands: an exploratory study of Halal cosmetics

Isabelle Aoun, Laurent Tournois,
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Building holistic brands: Building

holistic
an exploratory study of Halal brands
cosmetics
Isabelle Aoun 109
Doctoral School, Grenoble Ecole de Management, Grenoble, France, and
Laurent Tournois
College of Business Administration/Marketing, University of Dubai,
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Abstract
Purpose – Branding in faith-based consumer markets, in which marketing practices, religion, and
consumption intersect, is largely unexplored. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how brands
integrate religious concerns into their strategies through Halal branding. The central logic of authors’
view is that branding applied in a particular consumer market (i.e., Muslim) could enrich dominant
(Western) branding theory.
Design/methodology/approach – Although challenging, qualitative research offers a valuable lens
in international marketing research in allowing researchers to study organizations and contexts in their
natural settings, enabling a more holistic approach, instead of imposing one’s culturally informed
pre-conceptions (Boyacigiller and Adler, 1991). In this regard, a multiple case study approach
considering Halal cosmetic brands is used. A replication logic is applied in interpreting the data.
Findings – Holistic branding is a broader concept than what mainstream theory acknowledges; brand
attributes go beyond the functional and emotional, offering insights into a spiritual dimension. The proposed
model identifies attributes that reflect the brand’s worldview and contribute to holistic branding: spiritual
ethos and belief system, sustainable and eco-ethical philosophy, wholesomeness and inclusiveness.
Research limitations/implications – This exploratory research represents the initial step for
faith-based/Halal branding; the discussion is confined to the cases under study. The results are not
conclusive and require further empirical research to validate their broader applicability.
Practical implications – The study highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to branding
of faith-based products. The Halal market (cosmetics and toiletries) may be attractive to companies that
seek to widely develop products targeting faith-based Muslim consumer markets.
Originality/value – The study contributes to an area of growing concern from an academic point of
view (i.e. Halal branding) by proposing to add a spiritual dimension to holistic branding. Several
questions remain and should stimulate further research. Hence, researchers would be able to
understand more clearly the meaning of the religious environment and the impact that environmental
forces are likely to exert on business decisions.
Keywords Branding, Islam, Halal, Cosmetics, Faith-based consumer markets, Holistic branding
Paper type Research paper
Journal of Islamic Marketing

Vol. 6 No. 1, 2015
pp. 109-132
The authors would like to thank the two anonymous Journal of Islamic Marketing reviewers for © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1759-0833
their helpful and precise comments. DOI 10.1108/JIMA-05-2014-0035
JIMA Introduction
6,1 Over the past 10 years, religion has gained increased importance, in parallel with
socioeconomic and political factors, in affecting consumer behavior in emerging
markets. Marketers thus have become more interested in developing specific (i.e.
faith-based) branding strategies[1] that precisely target certain ethnic groups. The
political and economic reforms leading to greater trade liberalization also have opened
110 doors to market-generated forces that facilitate the emergence of Muslim consumers as
a promising market segment – one with rising purchasing power, whose members are
interested in modern consumption but remain sensitive to the values of their faith (Nasr,
2009). Muslim societies, like most global societies, have undergone structural changes
and witnessed the emergence of faith-based consumptionscapes (Sandikci and Ger,

2007), now found in categories ranging from consumer goods to travel, hospitality,
education, tourism, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, personal care, entertainment,
edutainment, fashion, lifestyle and various religiously inspired branded products. Thus
a growing amalgamation now constitutes the global Halal market, estimated to be worth
more than US$2.3 trillion in 2012 according to the World Halal Forum 2013, and
expected to increase to US$10 Trillion by 2030 as released during the Halal World Food
Exhibition (Gulfood) that was held in Dubai (UAE) on February 23-27, 2014
(www.halalhighlights.com/HH%20Feb14.html). “Halal” means that which is permitted
or lawful by the Shariah (Islamic law), in contrast to “haram”, which means prohibited or
unlawful (Mukhtar and Butt, 2012). The level of Shariah compliance of products and
services is established by the degree to which the offering demonstrates the values of the
faith and Islam’s guiding principles. It can range from Shariah friendliness to full
compliance (www.ogilvynoor.com/index.php/why-islamic-branding).
As business opportunities have stretched beyond food and financial services, local
and international firms have yet to fully meet the rising demand for Halal-certified
offerings. Recently, several consultancy reports have sought to educate and instruct
Western multinationals on Islam and Muslim lifestyles (Sandikci, 2011). Companies
such as Nestlé and HSBC are cited among the first to have recognized the growing
potential and accordingly developed products, services and communication campaigns
targeting Muslim markets. International brands also have responded to Halal concerns
to various degrees, such as Colgate-Palmolive’s or Avon’s Halal-certified product
ranges, L’Oreal’s and Unilever’s increased investments in Muslim-majority Asian
markets through expanded manufacturing facilities behind their cosmetics and
skincare ranges (Reuters, 2012) and communication campaigns targeting the
fast-growing middle-class Mulsim consumers in developing markets.
Local firms began to address demands for Halal products and services earlier,
although their long-term commitment is yet to be proven. The cosmetics sector appears
to offer instances of brands responding to marketing’s intersection with consumption
and faith. Cosmetics firms anticipated that Muslim-friendly products will be a key trend
shaping consumption in the Middle East and North African regions in 2012: 81 per cent
of consumers responding to one survey agreed that they “would definitely choose a
brand that is sensitive to my religious needs, over one which is not” (www.jwtmea.com/
jwtmenatrends2013/). The landscape is changing, with consumers becoming more
aware of the need to apply the guidelines of their faith to their lifestyles, such that they
mix local values and material consumption practices with sacred symbols (Jafari and
Suerdem, 2012).
The ease with which businesses have adopted the term “Halal” to mean Shariah Building
compliant, and the interchangeable use of “Halal” and “Islamic” (e.g. Islamic finance is holistic
de facto Halal) underscores the tradeoffs between the sacred and the commercial.
Actually, on Halal usage and consumption, practice has answered with the
brands
commoditization of Halal mainly inscribed within product marketing, which resulted in
the formation of ingredient brands, co-branding or brand extension, rather than a
“spiritual ethos” as noted by Wilson and Liu (2010, p. 109) who argue instead that 111
“marketing and brand thinking has to adapt to accommodate and preserve the essence
of what Halal actually is” instead of attempting to contain it within existing frameworks.
Therefore, this research seeks to expand research on brand and branding as part of
the growing body of knowledge that explores the effects of religions on markets
(Mittelstaedt, 2002). Kale (2004) notes that religion and spirituality have been integral
elements of economic activities for decades. Cornwell et al. (2005) show that consumers’
ethical positions are affected by religion, and Doran and Natale (2011) investigate the
role of religion in fair trade consumption. However, few studies have addressed how
brands have integrated religious concerns into their strategies, that is to say that we
focus on the firm’s/marketer’s perspective. We propose to fill this gap by borrowing
from holism theory and propose a reading of it applied to branding, with a
comprehensive outlook that integrates the brand’s view of the world and how it interacts
with it through a spiritual dimension, bestowing a belief system onto brands. The
purpose of our paper is not to review in detail literature on religiosity and spirituality.
Most of this literature is in the field of psychology (whether at the individual/consumer
or the employee/manager level) that is outside of the scope of our paper. We seek to
contribute to the ongoing debate about brand building in religiously driven markets,
whereas the dynamic between religion and the marketplace thus far has remained
understudied (Muhamad and Mizerski, 2010). Extant branding literature has ample
gaps regarding the use of branding strategies in the context of Muslim faith-based
consumer markets (Temporal, 2011).
On the one hand, given the theoretical background of the studied phenomenon, this
research is exploratory by nature. On the other hand, given the phenomenon’s real-life
context, we incline toward action research in order to better understand brands and
markets and improve the efficiency of decisions. Thus, we attempt to bridge the gap
between so-called traditional action research and academic knowledge (Perry and
Gummesson, 2004) using analytic generalization (Yin, 1994). The latter is concerned
with theory building and the development of a holistic framework out of past, specific
situations that can be used to design action in future, other situations (Gummesson,
2000).
We use a multiple case study approach as the basis from which to develop theory
inductively. Holistic branding theory is emergent in the sense that it is located in and
developed by recognizing patterns of relationships among constructs within and across
cases and their underlying logical arguments (Eisenhardt and Graebner, 2007). We
explore faith-based/Halal branding practices to identify the various characteristics of
holistic branding facilitating the formation of a brand’s worldview. In this sense, our
study constitutes contextual research that acknowledges the marketplace logic, as well
as the central role of religion in modern Muslim consumption (Ger, 2013).
In the next section, we review existing literature on branding from both the
mainstream and Islamic perspectives. Then, rather than considering these two research
JIMA fields as antagonistic, we gather their conceptual linkages in a framework inspired by
6,1 holism theory. The second section elaborates on the methodology and discusses the
findings. Finally, we conclude with the theoretical and practical implications and
propose directions for further research.
112 Branding: an evolutionary perspective

Research on branding emphasizes two approaches to defining a brand: the first involves
viewing the brand as an add-on to the product, and the second goes beyond the product
and considers the brand as the sum of all marketing mix elements (Styles and Ambler,
1995). The latter approach has initiated several streams of research, which we review
synthetically.
The first research stream centers on brand equity building and financial value
maximization, with models that recognize both the functional and emotional
components of brands (De Chernatony, 2002; Dyson et al., 1996) and in which brand
image and values are the core of the branding concept (De Chernatony and Riley, 1998).
Studies on attitudinal and behavioral components of branding (Aaker, 1991) shed light
on how consumers perceive brands (Blackston, 1995; Keller, 2003).
The second research stream expands the source of brand equity, to a brand identity
construct, advocating broader relational and cultural approaches to branding. Drawing
from brand personality and character, it emphasizes the humanlike characteristics of
brands (Aaker, 1997) – and thus their ability to interact and build a relationship with
consumers (Fournier, 1998). Models in this research stream propose interactive brand –
consumer relationships (Brodie, 2009) and a strategic approach to the value of brands as
a matter of internal, external and corporate sustenance (De Chernatony, 1999; Simões
and Dibb, 2001; Urde, 2003).
A third research stream is characterized by a wider relational approach to brands
integrating the logic of brand meanings (Kay, 2006) and cultural codes (Schroeder, 2009),
in which cultural meanings and symbolism (Bourdieu, 1985) are incorporated in and
transferred by the brand’s identity (Aaker et al., 2001). As brands gain cultural meaning,
the interaction between brands and consumers shifts from static to collaborative (Holt,
1997); consumers become dynamic participants in this co-creation process through their
consumption, allowing for identity co-construction as consumers and brands interact in
the social space (Cova, 1997; Holt, 2002). Brands increasingly are considered as living
entities, and consumers become more communal in their pursuit of social identification,
so literature has shifted from individually collaborative relationships with brands to
communal identity co-construction (Cova and Cova, 2002). Essentially, the consumption
act has become social (Badot et al., 2007).
Finally, regarding the evolution of mainstream branding thought, existing theory
presents brands as multidimensional constructs that combines multiple attributes, “real
or illusory, rational or emotional, tangible or invisible” (Ambler, 1992, in Ambler and
Styles, 1997). For instance, building on previous studies, De Chernatony and Riley (1998)
propose an “atomic model” that conceptualizes brands mainly around functional
(tangible) capabilities such as product performance, and symbolic (intangible) features
such as the emotional values of the brand’s personality. However, these studies fail to
address the spiritual dimension of brands arising from the intersection of faith and
branding. Although the characteristics of religiosity and the sacred aspect in brands are
meant to develop and cultivate a consumption community of devout and reverent
followers (Schouten and McAlexander, 1995), they still must be converted into brand Building
propositions that respect faith-based (i.e. Halal in our study) requirements. holistic
brands
Branding from an Islamic perspective
Alserhan’s (2010a) was the first to establish the conceptual distinction between Islamic
brands and Islamic products (the latter are not de facto Shariah compliant) and the need
to understand the implications of the Halal principle, beyond product or service 113
offerings, across organization processes, and throughout the supply chain. An Islamic
brand paradigm reflects the concept and practice of Halal according to traditional
branding constructs and provides a classification of brands, from explicitly to implicitly

Islamic (Wilson and Liu, 2011). However, when prior literature acknowledges the
growing influence of Islam on brands through the concept of Halal (Low and Cheng,
2008; Mukhtar and Butt, 2012) and the need for brands to meet individual spiritual needs
(Alserhan, 2010b; Salman and Siddiqui, 2011), it points to literal definitions and
materialistic application of Halal branding – in other words, a plain definition of Halal as
a functional brand element (Wilson and Liu, 2010), departing from the contemporary
branding constructs that emphasize intangible elements of a brand. To our knowledge,
the only model advancing a spiritual dimension to branding (Mourad and El
Karanshawy, 2013) is inspired by Gad’s (2003) “brand mind space” multidimensional
branding framework, composed of functional, social, mental and spiritual dimensions,
in which the latter is limited to the perception of the brand’s social responsibility (Kujala
et al., 2011). Among the few existing empirical studies, most utilize a unilateral lens of
religion as a conceptual framework when investigating Halal branding (Abdullah and
Ahmad, 2010; Ahmed, 2008; Badruldin et al., 2012; Ireland and Rajabzadeh, 2011;
Marzuki et al., 2012); they remain inconclusive as to the specific elements of a Halal
brand proposition. An exception is Bin Nooh et al. (2007), who identify a list of factors
associated with Halal food branding in a Muslim-majority market, but with no
generalizable results across markets or industries.
Developing brands around the values of faith has prompted a growing body of
literature that investigates Islam as a religion and the worldview of Muslims. We thus
find an apparent dissociation of Islamic branding from mainstream theory; branding
theory does not extensively address the intersection of faith and marketing – in
particular, it lacks consideration of the spiritual dimensions of wisdom traditions
(El-Amir and Burt, 2010). We posit that holism offers a mediating concept that can
address this omission and go beyond a unique religious perspective.
A faith-based approach to branding

Holism as a worldview
Although holism is a recurrent concept, it is not always clearly defined (Rebernik and
Mulej, 2000). Widely used in the philosophy of science, the concept of holism differs in
the social sciences; its numerous definitions can relate to a multiplicity of models in
management research, mainly as a systems thinking approach (Demeulenaere, 2000).
In marketing literature, the word “holism” and its derivative terminology “holistic”
commonly refer to the totality of an approach, to include the full dimensions or elements
(Pop et al., 2009; Tsai, 2005) or capture the spiritual aspects and integral worldview of
practices and processes (Bell and Morse, 2005). In that sense, although no clear definition
exists with regard to branding applications, holistic approaches to marketing advocate
JIMA a well-balanced approach to achieving economic, social and environmental
6,1 sustainability (Carson et al., 2004).
The term “holism”, coined in 1926, evolved out of a theoretical Gestalt psychology
construct as a way of thinking and worldview that is not confined by dogma, a
particular divine faith or any specific spiritual belief system (Bloom, 2005). With Greek
semantic origins meaning “whole”, the scientific meaning of holism cannot be
114 dissociated from spirituality, in that it incorporates:
[…] a multi-dimensional approach to religious and spiritual expression which impacts
economics […] and business practice in which the emphasis is on wholeness and integration,
rather than separation and compartmentalization […] and offers a more integrated and
humane approach beyond spirituality, transcending any religion or wisdom tradition system
(Bloom, 2005, p. 85).
We propose a reading of holism theory applied to branding in which the focus is not on
religious beliefs but on the worldview stemming from such religious beliefs (Gustafson,
2000).
Islam as a belief system

The religion of Islam is a totalistic system of beliefs and actions that governs the faith,
individuals and societies and transcends the material world (Said, 1997). It is an
all-encompassing philosophy of life and a practical code of conduct in the lives of its
followers (Rice, 1999). “Shariah” literally means “the way” in Arabic, and properly
understood, it “aims at the liberation of man” (Ramadan, 2001, p. 47). Thus, it is more
than a set of guidelines or legal rules to follow. To believing Muslims, it takes root in the
essence of Islam and is permeated with a higher purpose. Underneath the guiding
principles are values to guide actions (Al-alak and Eletter, 2010). Halal is a central
concept to the Shariah and the Muslim faith, encompassing a wider philosophy than
simply product branding or marketing; it is an ethos and a moral code of conduct with
a strong ethical stance (Wilson and Liu, 2010). Toyyiban is another central concept to
Shariah, with an even wider meaning related to wholesomeness, associating goodness,
cleanliness, healthiness and safety (Noordin et al., 2009). Both these central concepts
suggest a more balanced, sustainable and humane approach to systems and practices.
Therefore, these concepts broadly influence individual and economic wealth, production
and consumption practices; beyond food and labeling issues, they involve sustainable
governance to create economic and social value through ethical, moral and socially
responsible business drivers (Al-alak and Eletter, 2010) and intentions (Alserhan, 2011).
A holistic branding framework

For Muslims, branding cannot be dissociated from faith and should involve
consideration of the spiritual needs of the target Muslim consumer (Alserhan, 2010b;
Salman and Siddiqui, 2011). We argue that holism is in tune with this sense of a belief
system, in which the person’s “worldview forms the context within which we organize
and build our understanding of reality” (Kim et al., 2009, p. 1). We propose, using holism,
a wider perspective that integrates a worldview construct to branding through the
spiritual dimension, which cannot be dissociated from a belief system. In line with
mainstream branding, research identifies brands as living social entities with
humanlike characteristics, personalities and identities and as meaning systems
with specific values, convictions and symbols. Integrating a worldview to brands shapes the Building
perspective through which brands view and interact with the world (Figure 1). holistic
In the case of Halal brands, the spiritual dimension is essential: the true meaning of
Halal is “governed by the heavens […] and can never remain in its entirety within
brands
materialistic branding frameworks” (Wilson and Liu, 2010, p. 108). The holistic
perspective allows for a reconciliation with the spiritual ethos of Halal and Toyyiban
and an application for faith-based brands. The potential symbolism of Halal and 115
Toyyiban, the positive associations of the concept and the strong moral stance at its core
provide signals of the ways in which branding can embody spiritual pursuits of brands
forged with “divine intent”, such that the relationship between brands and consumers
ceases to be materialistic and transforms into good deeds (Alserhan, 2011). The concepts
of Halal and Toyyiban expand conceptual thinking to include new elements beyond
social responsibility, to encompass the evolution of the brand’s meaning from
“functionally oriented values, which then become augmented with emotionally oriented
values, as brand management sophistication increases, driving a visionary promise that
adds value to all stakeholders” (De Chernatony, 2009, p. 104). The functional dimension
reflects the tangible attributes and the benefits of the product or service associated with
the brand. The emotional dimension reflects the intangible attributes and is value
driven. The spiritual dimension reflects the holistic attributes and the brand’s
worldview stemming from a belief system, adding a strong component to traditional
branding constructs. Thus, we move away from proposing a “niche application of
general theory” (Wilson and Grant, 2013, p. 8) to extend the boundaries of the
mainstream discipline to new knowledge frontiers (Wilson, 2012a, 2012b) by borrowing
from holism theory.
Issues raised in the Halal cosmetics industry

The misconception of Halal as pertaining only to dietary laws and financial transactions
is changing, as more firms outside “meat and money” are entering those markets.
Historically, food and finance sectors have mostly responded with literalist executions
of Halal branding, in which we consider that the spiritual dimension is missing.
Therefore, we chose to look at branding outside those industries and into the category of
Halal cosmetics and personal care products.
To properly delineate the boundary conditions of this study, we first start by defining
what cosmetics and personal care products are. According to the USA Food, Drug and
Cosmetic Act (2012), these are “articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled or
sprayed on, introduced into or otherwise applied to the human body […] for cleansing,
Figure 1.
Holism as an
integrating concept
JIMA beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance” [FD&C Act, sec.
6,1 201(i)]. Products included in this definition are anti-aging creams, skin moisturizers,
perfumes, lipsticks, eye and facial makeup, shampoos, permanent waves, hair colors,
toothpastes and deodorants, are among the products included in this definition. Second,
we use the credentials and classification of Halal-certified cosmetic and personal care
products provided by the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (Khattak,
116 2009). In this product category, several ingredients may be of concern. Typically,
products cannot contain alcohol, pork, pork-based gelatin or pork by-products, or any
other animal by-product, unless the slaughtering followed Islamic tradition. In addition,
the use of animal fats, animal testing, dangerous chemicals and other ingredients is
considered unacceptable for Muslim consumers.
Muslim consumers globally spent $26 billion on cosmetics consumption in 2012
which represents 5.7 per cent of global expenditure and is expected to reach $39 billion
in 2018 (Thomson Reuters, 2013). With such growth prospects, Halal cosmetics is
promising to be the next big thing after food and finance according to industry
commentators. Although the market appears to be primarily located in Asian Muslim
majority markets, the trend for Halal cosmetics is entering mainstream European and
North American markets, but nowhere is it more pronounced than in the Middle East.
With a burgeoning market estimated at circa Dh2.06 billion – i.e. USD561 million (Lowe,
2010), demand reported 20 per cent sector growth in 2011 (Yeomans, 2012), and is
expected to maintain double-digit growth in the coming years, driven by high
disposable income and young demographics.
As businesses, international manufacturers and governments spotted the potential,
conferences on Halal cosmetics have multiplied since the first international conference
held in 2010 in an effort to provide practitioners (manufacturers, distributors and
certification agencies) with a deeper understanding of this emerging industry, and to
address R&D trends, and regulatory aspects like standardization and certification
(www.malaysiaexhibition.com/exhibition-venue/details/35-international-conference-on-
halal-cosmetics-and-toiletries.html). Halal certification is a process through which
certification authorities test the products for their compliance with Shariah (Islamic law)
standards, which brands need to abide by to be labeled as Halal (Shafie and Othman,
2006). Muslim consumers do not give the same importance to all product categories in
terms of Shariah compliance with the precepts of their faith. When it comes to cosmetics
and toiletries, the importance of Shariah compliance is relevant to consumers (Ireland
and Rajabzadeh, 2011).
The introduction of the Halal Cosmetic Standard [MS 2,200: 2008] by the Malaysian
government in June 2010 has set the tone for Halal labels for cosmetic and personal care
products that meet the Islamic law, particularly from an ingredients perspective
(Premium Beauty News, 2012). In addition, all ingredients must be stored,
manufactured, packaged and delivered in accordance with strict Halal standards.
Despite continued standardization efforts, the industry is still fragmented with multiple
certification bodies and standards by country. According to a report by the Organic
Monitor, more than 57 certification agencies globally are now authorized to issue
“Halal-certified” labels (Premium Beauty News, 2012). Formulation, heterogeneous
certification standards and the lack of a cohesive certification framework are major
challenges ahead. As a result, awareness of Halal cosmetics remains low within the
Muslim community (Hunter, 2012), thus hampering the possibility for current Building
manufacturers/brands to move outside of niches and new players to enter this market. holistic
Across the globe, Muslim consumers are increasingly asserting their Islamic
sensitivities in the marketspace to products such as cosmetics. Despite its growing
brands
importance, existing literature and studies have mainly considered the “consumer side
of the story”, i.e. its buying behavior (Rosita et al., 2012; Rahim et al., 2013; Ahlam
Nuwairah et al., 2015). Comprehensive insights for both researchers and managers 117
would come from examining the manufacturers’ perspective and how they responded to
these concerns as few precursor brands already anticipated this phenomenon in
considering compliance from a holistic perspective rather than an ingredient approach
to Halal requirements.
Methodology
Study’s unit of analysis
We adopt a multiple case study approach to investigate a “contemporary phenomenon
set within its real-world context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon
and context are not clearly evident” (Yin, 2012, p. 4). We believe this research
methodology is suitable to increase understanding of contextual phenomena in a
relatively young area of the marketing discipline in which there are insufficient
theoretical frameworks and empirical data. Indeed, we aim at shedding light on
branding initiatives undertaken in the Halal products consumer market. We explore the
construction of Halal cosmetic brands, the elements that contribute to the holistic
dimension of branding and how these brands translate the sacred and spiritual
meanings into their offerings through related attributes, as well as how they fit within
the proposed holistic framework.
In this study, the “unit of assignment” (Yin, 1999, p. 1,214) is the “Halal cosmetic
brand”. Regarding the selection process of cases for analysis, we conducted an extensive
research through business reports, articles from magasines specialized in cosmetics and
Web sites in combining keywords such as Halal, cosmetics and brands/branding. We
have been able to identify 40 brands. Then, we examine each of them in terms of Halal
positioning and communication, product offering that considers Halal requirements,
and their presence in the product category. In this regard, 17 cases are shortlisted
(Table I). Finally, we narrow down our selection to One Pure, Saaf and PHB Ethical
Beauty. The time-frame in which the cases were selected spans from the creation of the
brand Wardah in Indonesia that is considered as the first one of its kind in the skincare
product category in 1995-2013. Although equivalent to a period of almost 20 years, our
approach does not intend to provide an overview of the life history of Halal cosmetics
industry but to emphasize the proximal causes of the behavior (of the selected brands)
and circumstances (Bromley, 1991).
We selected these three brands/cases on the following criteria:
• they explicitly communicated their position as Halal; and
• they were among the first-category entrants[2].
Based on an historical approach, we draw a plot of brands (Figure 2) to illustrate that the
brands we chose for analysis are pioneers in the Halal-certified cosmetics and personal
care products category, and two of them have made conscious rebranding efforts over
the years. All three brands can be considered as critical cases because reflecting the
6,1
118
JIMA
Table I.
Shortlisted cases
Cases Brand name Founded Range Base Website
1 Safi International 1999 Skin Care, personal care, toiletries USA http://safi.com.my
2 Inika 2006 Make up Australia www.inikacosmetics.co.uk
3 Saaf 2007 Skin Care UK www.saafskincare.com
4 One Pure 2007 Skin Care Dubai www.onepurehalalbeauty.com
5 Jamal Paris 2007 Skin Care, make up France www.jamalparis.fr
6 Hussana 2008 Hair care, body care, skin care, baby skin care UK www.hussana.com
7 Samina 2009 Make up (mineral make up) UK http://saminapuremakeup.co.uk
8 PHB Ethical Beauty 2010 Skin Care, hair Care, cosmetics UK www.phbethicalbeauty.co.uk
9 FX mineral cosmetics 2010* Make up UK www.fxcosmetics.co.uk
10 Glamore 2010 Make up, skin acre, personal care Malaysia www.halalcosmeticproducts.com
11 Essence of Islam 2010 Skin Care UK www.essenceislam.com
12 Amara 2011 Make up USA www.amaracosmetics.com
13 Miracle Halal Mineralz 2011 Make up UK www.miraclehalalmineralz.co.uk
14 Royal Cosmetics 2011** Skin Care Japan www.royalgoldcream.jp
15 Halal & Organic 2012 Skin Care UK www.hoskincare.co.uk
16 Hasna *** Make up France http://hasnacosmetics.fr
17 Sahfee *** Skin Care, hair Care Holland www.sahfee-halalcare.com
Notes: * Date joined Facebook; ** date obtained Halal certification; *** date not identified
Building
holistic
brands
119
Figure 2.
Halal cosmetic
brands
theoretical considerations developed earlier in this paper (Yin, 1999). Beyond the
selection process in accordance with the purpose of the study and the identification of
the appropriate unit of analysis, our major concern was rigor (Feigin et al., 1991; Zucker,
2009) to create meaning from existing data.
Data collection and analysis

As advocated by Yin (1999, p. 1,218), we draw on multiple sources of evidence to collect
the data to amass converging evidence and to triangulate over a given fact that is outline
the basic characteristics of holistic brands and the core components that contribute to
holistic brand propositions: documentation, archival records (when available), direct
observations and physical artifacts such as product-press books and packagings (Yin,
2003). Thus, we analyze both visual and textual materials.
Moreover, because the Muslim digital audience has reached critical mass, with an
estimated global average of 269 million Muslims online (El-Fatary et al., 2011), we also
went through company and brand Web sites, online forums and digital interviews over
a period of six months. The two latter data sources are used as means of learning from
Halal products’ consumers as opposed to merely studying them (Spradley, 1979).
Because of immersion in the context of the Halal cosmetics and personal market, our
approach might be considered “critically quasi-ethnographic” in some aspects
(Murtagh, 2007).
We follow the following three principles recommended by Rowley (2002):
(1) Triangulation helps us to corroborate the same finding, i.e. holistic brand
attributes and the spiritual dimension appear in all cases studied.
(2) Collection of the evidence base as listed in Table II.
(3) Data analysis is structured to make the chain of evidence clear and to establish
converging lines of evidence.
JIMA Online Online documents/archives
6,1
Website browsing Brands web sites
Social channels monitoring Facebook, Twitter channels, YouTube, forums
Forums and blogs Content analysis
Muslimah’s musings (blog) http://muslimahsmusings.blogspot.com
120 Muslimah in reverie (blog) http://muslimahinreverie.blogspot.ca
Sweet modesty (blog) www.sweetmodesty.com
Ummah (forum) www.ummah.com
Sunni forum www.sunniforum.com
Bhuz forum www.bhuz.com

The student room (forum) www.thestudentroom.co.uk
Muslimah beauty (blog) muslimahbeauty.com
Shayy in Wonderland (blog) www.shayyinwonderland.com
Hijabistas (blog) www.hijabistas.net
Bonafide Supernova (blog) www.bonafide-supernova.com
Expert opinions articles and news portals and E-zines
Reuters UK http://uk.reuters.com
Organic monitor www.organicmonitor.com
On Islam www.onislam.net
Household and personal products industry www.happi.com
Premium beauty news www.premiumbeautynews.com
Cosmetic design Europe www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com
Cosmetic design www.cosmeticsdesign.com
Cosmetics business www.cosmeticsbusiness.com
Gulf news http://gulfnews.com
News golobe www.newsglobe.com
The national UAE www.thenational.ae
Al Arabiyya www.alarabiya.net
Aquila style www.aquila-style.com
Table II. Diplomatic aspects http://aspectediplomatice.ro
Data sources Green Prophet www.greenprophet.com
In this regard, each case is considered as a separate sub-inquiry and we use

replication logic to generalize from the cases (Yin, 1994). Replication is derived from
mainstream branding and Islamic branding theories. Finally, we conduct all
analyses in a critical way in order to discern connections between brands’ language
and other elements, and because of the inherent “knowledge interest” (Fairclough,
1992) of this kind of approach.
Findings and discussion

Major results of the study
The results emphasize the spiritual dimension as an essential part of the core brand
components that contribute to the construction of holistic brand propositions.
Cross-case synthesis revealed holistic branding as a wider construct, and we identified
four attributes:
(1) Spiritual ethos and belief system. Building
(2) Sustainable and eco-ethical philosophy. holistic
(3) Wholesomeness and health. brands
(4) Inclusiveness.
Spiritual ethos and belief system. The raison d’être for all three brands sprang from the
spiritual origins of its founders as an extension of their belief system. 121
The founder of One Pure, Layla Mandi, explains that she conceived of the brand
when she realized there were no skincare products in line with her religious beliefs. Her
Web site landing page highlights a founding argument, namely, that beauty and
religion do not need to conflict, and offers of a range of “religiously correct” cosmetics
aimed at women who look for skincare products that are in line with their religious
beliefs:
Enjoying the luxury of healthy skin, whilst remaining true to your principles with the new
range of Halal-certified skincare from One Pure.
Dr Mah Hussain-Gambles, founder of Saaf Pure Skincare, a “safely, scientifically, and
thoughtfully formulated organic skin care range” notes:
I created Saaf so my family and friends could use skincare products that are incredibly
effective as well as totally natural, pure, and safe.
PHB Ethical Beauty, founded by Rose Brown, originated when she noted a dearth of
cosmetics that are compatible with her beliefs as a vegetarian:
I’m a vegetarian and I was having trouble finding products that were free from animal fats.
[…]. Our philosophy is that you don’t have to compromise your beliefs when buying our
beauty products, because Pure Halal Beauty is where Beauty and Belief Co-Exist!
Sustainable and eco-ethical philosophy. The three brands’ visual identity components
and their communication messages foster the perception of Halal-certified products as
being more ethical and eco-friendly, joining the Halal with the organic and the green,
with a non-exploitive and humane approach. Ingredient certifications reinforce the
claims on the broader ethical grounds of caring for the environment, and they connect
with the idea of interdependence and sustainability, which includes the concept of social
responsibility toward the environment, community, economy and business
(management and manufacturing practice). All three brands take responsible stances
toward society and the world at large by promoting the ethical and humane treatment of
animals, rejecting animal testing (cruelty free) and avoiding the use of harsh chemicals
or unnatural ingredients in their formulations:
• One Pure promotes ethical beauty, riding on the rising concern for transparency
and promising Shariah compliance throughout its entire value chain, as stated on
the brand’s website.
• Saaf is simultaneously situated as a Halal brand with all the properties of a Halal
product, an organic range with all its associated benefits and a vegetarian-/
vegan-friendly brand. The range banks on Dr Mah’s homeopathic and
pharmacological background and is certified Halal, organic and natural, as well as
vegetarian-registered, cruelty-free, vegan-registered, genetically modified
organism-free, irradiation-free and alcohol-free.
JIMA • PHB is positioned on a wider “ethical cosmetics” platform as a natural cosmetics
6,1 and beauty brand combining nature and science with ethically harvested and
paraben-free ingredients, cruelty free testing and recyclable packaging. It has
been rebranded, from Pure Halal Beauty to PHB Ethical Cosmetics. In the owner’s
own words:
I wanted to offer people something that was completely pure – made with natural
122 ingredients and without the use of alcohol or chemicals – and something that’s
completely transparent. This is why every product in the PHB Collection carries The
PHB Promise. This is a guarantee that the ingredients used in our range are always
natural and organic, Halal certified, vegan society registered/suitable for vegetarians,
and paraben free.
Wholesomeness and health. Wholesomeness implies purity and praiseworthiness of the

whole. Natural ingredients (ingredient sourcing) and products that do not contain
harmful chemicals suggest personal well-being, as well as community well-being.
Purity is a recurrent theme across the three brands, as explicitly stated in the brand
names:
• One Pure puts forth purer and cleaner beauty products, with value chain
compliance throughout the manufacturing process, including the fluids used to
clean the equipment.
• “Saaf” means pure in Persian. Although it does not include the word “Halal” in its
brand name or logo type, Saaf claims 100 per cent naturally derived ingredients
and organic properties, combined with safe science methods used to create the
products.
• PHB (Pure Halal Beauty) Ethical Beauty promotes handmade products using only
natural and organic ingredients, free from the common synthetic chemicals or any
harmful or toxic ingredients. This credo is applied to the product range, as well as
the manufacturing process and facilities.
Inclusiveness. Williams and Sharma (2005) establish faith-based Islamic brands as

intended to appeal specifically to Muslim consumers. However, our findings indicate
that the branding strategies adopted by the brands under study allowed them to appeal
to Muslim and non-Muslim consumers alike. For example, in an interview on Al Hurra
TV (www.youtube.com/watch?v⫽x47IqDbHwio), Layla Mandi spoke of the broader
target of One Pure, namely, Muslim women living in Muslim or Western society, as well
non-Muslim women at a later stage, and then a potential line extension for men:
I’m targeting a market that has not been approached yet. So I’m targeting for sure Muslim
women and of course Western women or European women who are interested in buying the
product.
Saaf appeals to Muslim women in the UK who are looking for organic skin care
products, in line with Shariah principles. It also caters to a wider audience, by marketing
to women concerned about the chemicals in their skincare products. Dr Mah Hussain
Gambles notes:
The industry has also benefitted from a rising concern about the use of harmful ingredients in
cosmetics and 75 per cent of my customers are non-Muslims. The principles are the same –
they want something that does not harm the body, the purity and that is exactly the same as Building
the Halal movement.
holistic
Finally, the founder of PHB was keen to highlight that the product range was not just for brands
Muslims. In the founder’s words:
Our products are Halal certified to offer peace of mind to our Muslim sisters, and they’re Vegan
Society Registered for Vegans and Vegetarians […]. Halal is PHB’s “unique selling point” […]
with Halal people might assume it’s just for Muslims, but actually no, quite the contrary […]. 123
We’re just trying to help people to understand what Halal means so they don’t think, “Oh it’s
Halal it’s not for me”, they think “Halal” and see that as a reassurance.
Central to the present study is the definition of the holistic brand attributes. The
framework in Figure 3 lists the four attributes. In this view, we propose that the
conceptual foundations of holistic brands lie in a spiritual ethos, reflecting a spiritual
dimension to branding and mirroring a certain worldview, rooted in a belief system.
Below, we briefly discuss these findings with regard to the literature on Halal and
“commercial” brand communities.
Holistic branding, Halal and “commercial” brand communities: common

denominators and major differences
As the brand belief system determines the spiritual dimension of the brand, this result
can be compared to those of the studies on brand communities where the brand becomes
sacred for fans and generates a quasi-religious cult (Belk and Tumbat, 2005; Muniz and
Schau, 2005). Through the concept of “brand cult”, Belk and Tumbat (2005) propose a
Figure 3.
Dimensions of
holistic branding
JIMA metaphor for understanding the phenomenon of extreme belief in a brand. In the case of
6,1 the Macintosh computer, they found that:
The Mac and its fans constitute the equivalent of a religion. This religion is based on an origin
myth for Apple Computer, heroic and savior legends surrounding its co-founder and former
CEO Steve Jobs, the devout faith of its follower congregation, their belief in the righteousness
of the Macintosh, the existence of one or more Satanic opponents, Mac believers proselytizing
124 and converting non-believers, and the hope among cult members that salvation can be
achieved by transcending corporate capitalism (pp. 207-208).
In this regard, both belief systems share common characteristics, as well as fundamental
differences.
Indeed, Mac users and Halal cosmetic consumers espouse the same beliefs in Heaven
and Hell, in what is good and what is wrong and that salvation can be achieved by not
considering business and consumption purposes for their own sake. Moreover, both
belief systems are based on a founding myth and both are rooted in the deep personal
convictions of the brand’s founder(s). However, while the notions of good and evil are
take a human figure in Apple’s case, for example, in its opposition to Microsoft, they are
expressed differently in the case of Halal cosmetics. Indeed, the attributes follow the
teachings of the Qur’an and obedience to the Will of Allah/God. A fundamental point is
that He cannot be represented physically or in any allegorical form whatsoever. This
differs from the iconic material that has been built from Steve Jobs himself in the case of
Apple. In the case of (Muslim) faith-based products, the myth of the hero “disappears” in
the origins of the religion. Thus, corporate mythology has to be distinguished from
religious mythology.
Finally, another major difference is that the initiative comes first from the brand itself
instead of being driven by its loyal consumers. In the latter case, the sacredness is
conferred by those enthusiastic members that sacralized one brand as opposed to other
so-called “profanes” brands that are competing in the marketplace (Belk et al., 1989).
Muniz and Schau (2005) also explored this phenomenon in studying the community that
has been built around a late product that is the Apple Newton. Their approach, although
relatively ethnocentric, replaces the actions and behaviors of the community in a
socio-temporal perspective centered around modernity and its two icons that are the
technology and the brand. It highlights a distancing in relation to these two values in
favor of a reinterpretation of the Divine and a return to tradition. In this sense, the belief
systems on which brands are based converge but using a different path. Both are close
with the difference that in the case of Halal cosmetic brands, it is a proactive approach in
which brand attributes stick to the guidelines of the Qur’an that serves as “a guide to
mankind and a clear guidance and judgment (so that mankind will distinguish from
right and wrong).” (Q 2:183 in Khouj, 2012), helping individuals/consumers to live a
better life.
In summary, the cause of the holistic brands we described serves a wider purpose
that aims to balance the individual, the society in which he or she lives, and the afterlife.
Therefore, in one hand, some brands become cult and in the other hand, brands are built
around the central principles of a religious cult, i.e. the Islam in our case. They position
themselves against mainstream cosmetics as brands with a purpose, taking
responsibility for society and the world at large, and affirming care and respect for the
whole ecosystem of which they are part across the brand’s functional, emotional and
spiritual dimensions. The functional brand elements identify them by including the
Halal label and other certifications, as well as descriptively by their choice of the brand Building
name and logo type. In addition to the tangible aspects of branding that focus on holistic
ingredients and certification, the brands strategically use the values underpinning the brands
concepts of Halal and Toyyiban to feed their emotional and spiritual dimensions. We
argue that they are in tune with a view of the world as worth sustaining, beyond the
brand’s own interest, stemming from a belief that includes wanting to leave a legacy and
make things better for the future. 125
Conclusions, limitations, and future research directions
This article investigates nontraditional branding environments, which are only now
becoming more prevalent in markets, even though they were identified nearly 20 years
ago (Rooney, 1995). Drawing on existing branding and holism theory, this article
proposes a wider perspective on branding in faith-based consumer markets, moving
beyond a unique, religiously framed approach. In the proposed model, we identify
several key attributes of Halal brands and add a spiritual dimension to the functional
and emotional ones that are characteristic of mainstream branding theory.
Regarding existing literature, this research is just one step in the difficult and
time-consuming process of theory development (Eisenhardt, 1989). Just as its parent
marketing discipline underwent paradigm shifts over time, so has branding thought
evolved in meaning, content and structure (Bastos and Levy, 2012). In our assessment,
the sources of brand value have polarized around the functional and emotional
attributes of brands, with a lack of consideration for the various traditions and ensuing
spiritual dimensions of branding. The current research explores the holistic dimensions
of brands competing in faith-based markets. It sheds more light on the concept of holistic
branding by describing its dimensions, as revealed by the commonalities and recurrent
patterns observed in the cases in this study. Although “the next wave of branding will
come from the Islamic world” (Temporal, 2011, p. 296), and yet, Islamic branding must
address universal values that resonate with human kind instead of selling Islam to
Muslims (Temporal, 2009). Indeed, in the case of Halal cosmetics and personal care
products, they are in harmony with the ethical and animal welfare concerns of
discerning consumers worldwide (Thomson Reuters, 2013). As a result, Dr Mah
Hussain-Gambles, founder of the first Halal cosmetics company in Europe, Saaf Pure
Skincare, emphasized that 75 per cent of her customers being non-Muslims (The
Financial Press Express, 2010).
Our discussion of holism constitutes an original contribution to branding theory and
its application to faith-based cosmetics and personal care products. The relevance of
related research will grow, especially in the increasingly competitive environments such
as the Halal cosmetics industry and as brands cross socio-cultural contexts, marking an
evolution from the functional dimension to the emotional and spiritual. Moreover, as
Halal consciousness in cosmetics among Muslim consumers will grow, branding
practices will evolve giving niche players the opportunity to compete on a wider scale
thanks to very positive market forecasts. And Thomson Reuters (2013) to conclude that
given the latent demand and positive trend, opportunities exist in ingredients
manufacturing, global branded concepts of organic and Halal cosmetics, and
opportunities for many Organization of Islamic Cooperation-based pharmaceutical
conglomerates to take a leadership role in developing this space’ (p. 145).
JIMA As an exploratory, qualitative study, our research represents an introduction to the
6,1 general topic of faith-based branding, and our discussion is necessarily confined to the
boundaries of the cases we study. As in all case studies, the results should not be
considered conclusive but instead require further empirical research to validate their
applicability to other categories. Thus, the current study paves the way for studies of
holistic branding, as it continues to gain a foothold in research in marketing. Our
126 findings also indicate several potential topics for research. First, studying holistic
branding from a consumer’s perspective would be instructive. Second, the impact of a
holistic branding strategy on consumer purchase intentions and the question of what
drives purchase decisions are important research topics, because consumers are the
ultimate attributors of brand meaning. In this regard, a this stage, current results in the
field call scholars and practitioners to move from descriptive to causal studies in terms
of the relationship between holistic branding and brand awareness for instance. Third,
the particular aspects of a holistic branding strategy that may have significant impacts
on consumer behavior and cross over to wider audiences are worth researching. Fourth,
additional research could explore the applicability of this model to other industry
market segments, brands or product categories. Although challenging, qualitative
research offers a valued lens in building comprehension and extending knowledge
across emerging and fast moving topics (such as holistic or Halal branding) in
international marketing (Andriopoulos and Slater, 2013).
Notes
1. Following Rooney (1995), we consider branding a strategy, whether implemented at the
corporate or product level, or both.
2. A synopsis of the selected brands is available upon request.
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About the authors

Isabelle Aoun is a Marketing Professional and a Doctoral Student at the Grenoble Ecole de
Management. Her primary area of research is in branding on Muslim consumer markets.
Laurent Tournois is Assistant Professor in Marketing at University of Dubai (UAE). His
research interests are in the field of customer value creation strategies, proactive cannibalization
processes and proliferation strategies on both mature and transition economies. He previously has
served as European Brand Manager at L’Oreal. In addition, he has consulted with a variety of
companies at board of directors’ level, including Reed Exhibitions, Arcelor-Mittal, Paris Chamber
of Commerce, and L’Oréal France FMCG Division with a focus on implementation issues
regarding customer value creation strategies and on improving competitiveness of a
branded-product portfolio. Laurent Tournois is the corresponding author and can be contacted at:
ltournois@ud.ac.ae
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Building holistic brands: an exploratory study of Halal cosmetics

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Building holistic brands: Building

Journal of Islamic Marketing

and witnessed the emergence of faith-based consumptionscapes (Sandikci and Ger,

112 Branding: an evolutionary perspective

branding constructs and provides a classification of brands, from explicitly to implicitly

A faith-based approach to branding

Islam as a belief system

A holistic branding framework

Issues raised in the Halal cosmetics industry

Data collection and analysis

Bhuz forum www.bhuz.com

In this regard, each case is considered as a separate sub-inquiry and we use

Findings and discussion

and paraben free.

Wholesomeness and health. Wholesomeness implies purity and praiseworthiness of the

Inclusiveness. Williams and Sharma (2005) establish faith-based Islamic brands as

Holistic branding, Halal and “commercial” brand communities: common

science”, Mind and Society, Vol. 1 No. 2, pp. 3-16.

(accessed 5 September 2014).

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