The Brand Marketing of Halal Products:

The Way Forward

Patrick Low Kim Cheng*

A timely paper, through literature review and research method of interviewing 34 respondents, the
author examines the brand marketing strategies—applying 4Ps (Price, Product, Promotion and
Place) and other strategic options—of Halal products with reference to Halal companies in Brunei
Darussalam, marketing their Halal products to the region, if not to the world.

Introduction
Islamic branding is taking a centerpiece on the global stage. It is no longer confined
to a country’s demograpy, identified by the narrow lines of nationality or ethnicity
(Nair-Gheswalla, 2007). The reasons are that Islam is the fastest growing religion on earth,
both by birth and adoption. The world Muslim population today is at 1.4 billion, or 22%
of the total population, and has earned a niche for itself as a whole new market to be
reckoned with (Nair-Gheswalla, 2007). It is estimated that by 2010, the Muslim
population will exceed three billion (Evans, cited in The Brunei Times, 2007).
The community has become a huge market segment and companies are scrambling
to satisfy brand new needs they never knew existed. The growing Muslim population
is pushing the companies to produce Halal products to satisfy the customers’ endless
demands (Burgmann, 2007).

Objectives of the Paper

• To uncover and identify that Halal (Arabic word for ‘permitted’ but is used by
Muslims around the world to denote food that has been prepared according
to Islamic dietary regulations) (Drury, 2007) is fast becoming a new market force
and identifier, and businesses—even those Muslim or Halal business—should
change, illustrate the branding marketing of Halal products such as looking at the
key 4Ps (Price, Product, Promotion and Place) of marketing including the product
naming and packaging, and public relations, promotions and advertising.
• To successfully adapt and cater to the needs of the Muslim consumers.
Effect of Halal on Marketing
The Brunei Halal brand has been officially launched by Negara Brunei Darussalam; and
the Second International Halal Product Exposition held is seen as the country’s initiative
to become one of the world’s major players in the multi-dollar global Halal market
(The Brunei Times, August 19, 2007). A branding positive action step, Brunei Halal brand

* Chartered Marketer, Certified MBTI Administrator, and Certified Behavioral Consultant (The Institute For
Motivational Living, USA), Universiti Brunei, Darussalam. E-mail: patrick_low2003@yahoo.com

© 2008
The TheMarketing
Brand Icfai University
of HalalPress. All Rights
Products: Reserved.
The Way Forward 37
is a project initiated by the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources along with the
cooperation of the Brunei Islamic Religious Council, Ministry of Religious Affairs and the
Ministry of Health. The creation of the Brunei Halal brand is in line with Brunei Darussalam’s
aggressive effort with the Islamic nation moving towards developing a diversified, competitive
and sustainable economy. Brunei Darussalam has also developed Brunei Halal Standards as
guidelines for the use of Brunei Halal Certification (Brunei Halal, 2007).
The global market is estimated to be worth around $150 bn a year (The Brunei Times,
August 19, 2007) and the Halal food industry is also pegged to grow at a rate of 2.9%
annually (Asia Inc., July-August 2007).
Halal is natural, safer, healthier, cleaner and greener (Drury, 2007). In this regard, Islam,
as a way of life, expects human beings to conserve the environment for several reasons
which may be summarized as follows:
• The environment is Allah’s creation. The creation of this earth and all its natural
resources is a sign of His wisdom, mercy, power and His other attributes and
therefore serves to develop human awareness and understanding of this creator
(Ar-Ra’d, 13: 2-4; 21: 79, cited in Al-Haran and Low, 2008).
• Muslims should seek to protect and preserve the environment because by doing so
they protect Allah’s creatures which pray to Him and praise Him. Humankind might
not be able to understand how these creatures praise Allah but this does not mean
that they do not do so, Allah says.
The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, declare His glory: There is
not a thing but celebrates His praise, and yet ye understand not how they declare His
Glory!” (Al-Israa 17:44, cited in Al-Haran and Low, 2008).
Based on the Islamic teachings, mankind is expected to protect the environment since
no other creature is able to perform this task. Human beings are the only ones that Allah
has “entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the earth. This trusteeship is seen
by Islam to be so onerous and burdensome that no other creature would accept.”
(www.islamonline.net, Islam and Environment).

Literature Review
Emphasis on Halal is indeed growing. It is moving into the mainstream, affecting and
changing how business is being done. Halal is affecting how marketing is being done.
Meat is supposed to be the Halal market leader, but these days, it is a matter
of wholesome meat; a matter of meat and dietary balance plus all about being healthy.
Many other things such as milk, bread, juices, soft drinks, prepared meals and other
foodstuffs carry the label of Halal, and the Halal logo becomes a label and symbol of quality
and religious compliance (Al-Haran and Low, 2008).
Live chicken are transformed into poultry that every Muslim can eat. Halal’s
burgeoning popularity can be linked to religious fervor; and beliefs that it is cleaner,

38 The Icfai University Journal of Brand Management, Vol. V, No. 4, 2008

healthier and tastier (Burgmann, 2007). And this makes it sound as the New Green.
Then again, some argue it is driven by the consumers’ urge to follow ritual or their desire
for acceptance, while others see it as a part and parcel to another rising trend.

Research Methodology
As in Low (2007), the research methodology employed involved interviewing. Low (2007)
yields much information from respondents since in-depth interviews and the most widely
applied qualitative methods were applied. Such a methodology allows the researcher
to generate greater insights, and as in this research, it is more appropriate
(Malhotra, 1995). Tull and Hawkins (1993) highlight that interviews can supply more
and better quality ideas to interviewee than just the use of the focus group.
Thus, semi-structured interviews were held with 34 Bruneians: 30 business people and
four administrators in the Civil Service (some were students who were at the point of
research pursuing their Master of Business Administration: MBA) to get their views on
the brand marketing of Halal products. Convenient sampling was relied on, and the
interviewees were business people and administrators, and those who had been referred
to. All the respondents were local Bruneians and Muslims.
Conducted in a meeting setting, the interviewing sessions took place at conveniently
located sites, and 34 business people and postgraduate students with work experience were
selected in the sample. They were selected because the nature of their work involved
marketing. Data was collected for a period of nine weeks from August 10, 2007 to October
23, 2007.
A pilot test for this study was run on the list of key questions to be posed to the
interviewees. The final questions are shown in Exhibit 1 below. Question 4: “What other
strategic branding options or ways would you, as marketer, do or apply to promote, say, your
own brand of Halal products?” was amended and updated because previously, the question
“What other ways would you as the marketer do or apply to promote, say, your own brand
of Halal products?”, was felt to be too plain and did not exact and extract much strategic
branding input. The words ‘strategic branding options’ were vital, and the words ‘please
elaborate’ were necessary to draw the interviewees out to be more expressive.
Exhibit 1: Key Questions
1. What are your views on the marketing of halal products?
2. What are your perceptions of the brand marketing of halal products?
3. What are the key factors in the branding of halal products?
4. What other strategic branding options or ways would you, as marketer, do or apply to promote, say,
your own brand of halal products?
5. Any other comments that you wish to make or share?

The purpose is to get a detailed account from the business people and working adults
on what their perceptions were on ways to up the brands of Halal products in Brunei and
this part of the world. There is no substitute for pre-testing the interview questions

The Brand Marketing of Halal Products: The Way Forward 39

regardless of how experienced the researcher or how familiar the subject area is as
it gives an opportunity to determine if the questions are appropriate and identify those
which are not easily understood (Stewart and Shamdasani; 1990).
In the beginning, the researcher’s initial intent was to tape record each interviewee’s
views. However, as in other studies (Low, 2002 and Low and Or, 2004), recording might
be disturbing, and uncomfortable to the interviewees, be less expressive or obstruct their
willingness to offer responses to the posed questions. Therefore, no taping was done by
the researcher. Instead, he relied on note-taking during the interview sessions.
The interviewees were expressive and the researcher did probe for the interviewees’
detailed responses. To avoid memory lapses and omissions, all note-taking was completed
within 24 hours after the interviews.

Findings
As for the question, “What are your views on the marketing of Halal products?”, the
majority replied that there was a need for ‘more coordinated approach’, ‘building awareness
even among Muslims’ and ‘building bridges with or gaining support with Non-Muslims
such as those who understand the big picture and even empathize the idea of eating
healthy food’ and ‘being generally green’. All respondents agreed to the idea of ‘creating
a symbol, some icon…as a trust mark being placed on the Halal products so that Muslims
would know that such products are Halal or acceptable for the Muslim community’
(interviewees’ input, mentioned 36 times). ‘The symbol can represent the Halal quality
of the products’ (interviewees’ input). Such Halal symbol gives the consumers the
psychological comfort that they have bought the religiously correct products; it also
minimizes their post-purchase dissonance.
Next, in terms of, ‘What are your perceptions of the brand marketing of Halal
products?’, a majority (30) of the interviewees or 88.23% of the total interviewees
expressed the need for proper communication (mentioned 36 times) and 28 interviewees
or 82.35% of the total interviewees highlighted that they wanted to see more clear
positioning of Halal products as the way forward in branding such products.
With regard to the question, ‘What are the key factors in the branding of Halal
products?’, There should be ‘a clear distinction between haram (forbidden) products and
Halal (Islamic allowed or permitted) products’ (interviewees’ input; mentioned 25 times)
and the ‘marketing communications should be made in that direction’ (interviewees’
input; mentioned 36 times). Twenty-five interviewees or 73.52% of the total interviewees
opined ‘product packaging’ as a key factor in brand marketing of Halal products.
Halal companies need to commit and ‘convey quality to their customers’ (interviewees’
input; mentioned 16 times).
To the question, ‘What other strategic branding options would you as marketer do or
apply to promote, say, your own brand of Halal products?’. A majority of 25 interviewees
or 73.52% of the total interviewees expressed the need for Halal companies to look

40 The Icfai University Journal of Brand Management, Vol. V, No. 4, 2008

at other Muslim and non-Muslim companies in the region and relate these to their
companies’ strategic brand management of their Halal products. What the respondents
were expressing indicated that Halal companies must increase their customer service, give
what their consumers need, and be more professional in improving their product
packaging as well as benchmarking and learning from other Muslim and non-Muslim
companies in South-East Asia especially Malaysia.

Analysis and Discussion

“Things Healthy are the In-thing!”
Halal can be healthy in the ordinary sense of the word (interviewees’ input, mentioned
16 times). Health can be one of the factors deployed to brand the marketing of Halal
products; after all, healthy food is said to be the fastest growing sector of the food market.
In the US, for example, Wholefoods, a one store startup in the 1970s is now a $3.7 bn
company with 26,000 employees. It recorded an average growth rate of 19% over the last
five years compared to 2.5% of the general grocery market (Evans 2007, p. 6).
The above is amplified by Young’s point (cited in Gheswalla, 2007) that such branding
of Halal products offers a big opportunity for the Westerners to consume Halal products,
as Halal taps into concerns about purity, health and wellness which are universal and
it says something about the quality of things that are produced.

Assimilation
The marketing and branding of Halal products is enhanced by foods everywhere in the
world being assimilated with changed local tastes. Foreign foods in some countries as in
Europe become assimilated and local tastes change, encouraged by global tourism and
reverse colonization. Curry is the number one take away meal in the UK and Kebabs are
a typical German staple (Evans, 2007).
After examining the growing importance of Halal and the fact that Halal (lawful in the
Islamic sense) is fast becoming a new market force and identifier, the next part of the paper
will assess and highlight the branding strategies in marketing of Halal products.

Proper Names, Quality and the Brand Marketing of Halal Products

The study of consumer behavior is vital when it comes to brand marketing of Halal
products. In essence, Muslim consumers are very much like any other consumers. Muslim
consumers would certainly want quality products which also conform to their beliefs
(Halal). In this aspect, Gobe’s (2001) concept of emotional branding should be applied
since this emotional branding strategy marked a rather simple but revolutionary shift
in thinking—placing the consumer, not the product, at the forefront of a brand’s strategy.
Being religiously correct is very critical to Muslims— it is their emotional ‘concerns’ and
how they are seen by others when it comes to buying or consuming brand Halal products.
Halal product sellers must not just sell the products but supply or serve the ‘core benefits’
(Low, 2002a, p. 152 and Low, 2006) to their consumers and make them satisfied.

The Brand Marketing of Halal Products: The Way Forward 41

They must also connect, communicate and relate with the buyers and consumers of their
products (Low, 2001).
Consumers would very much turn their attention to a well-marketed product which
does not have a Halal mark on it and read its ingredients in contrast to purchasing one
which has less credibility but has a Halal mark. McDonald’s in Singapore can be seen as
a prime example; it has seen an influx of eight million patrons a year after it obtained
a Halal certification. Since being certified Halal, KFC, Burger King and Taco Bell have all
seen an increase of 20% in customers (Hairalah, cited in Hazair, 2007a, p. 13).
Quality Halal certifications, coming from credible sources, appear, all the more, to give
assurances to the consumers. Hence the increase in their numbers.
As the study’s findings have shown, ‘proper names are critical, a great contributing
factor to the brand marketing of Halal products’. (interviewees’ input, mentioned nine
times). Success in the Halal business and marketing can be attributed to strong brand
name and more importantly, knowing what the customers want. It is indeed tactless for
producers to name their products after haram or forbidden foods, ‘Halal consumers are
quite sensitive to these issues’ (Hairalah, cited in Hazair, 2007a, p. 13). Again, note that
this amplifies Gobe’s (2001) point that real brands are about ‘meaning and truth’. Certain
terms are misnomers; for example, it is awkward to speak of Halal beef bacon since bacon
implies pork which is haram or forbidden. The name which indicates Halal must be
meaningful and truthful. Indeed so, among other things, Islam also encourages the
concepts of istiqamah (consistent, continuous improvement) and amanah (trust).
Real brands thus need to bear “meaning and truth”.

Product Packaging
Twenty-five interviewees or 73.52% of the total interviewees indicated ‘product packaging’
as one of the prime factors in brand marketing of Halal products, and in this regard, when
a Muslim consumer buys a Halal product, he is doing so because of his commitment
to Islamic principles and teachings. Some Halal food producers have developed
a patronizing attitude towards the buyers, feeling that the consumers’ lives will remain
hard and dry since they will not be able to enjoy the product (El-Mouelhy, 2007).
Such an attitude needs to be changed. The quality must be there as well as the willingness
of the suppliers to supply such quality Halal products.
According to El-Mouelhy (2007), the patronizing attitude is a very real and common
happening. It has affected the Halal food trade between many countries. He cited that
some of the high income oil rich Muslim countries used to import poultry, meat and dairy
products from some of the fellow Muslim countries that were rich in agriculture and cattle.
The exporters of those Muslim countries took the importers for granted and on some
occasions failed to either maintain quality or meet various other commitments that they
had made. This resulted in problems for the importers. The exporters who, despite
complaints, did not do much to improve the situation; lost the buyers’ trust, and they
started looking for other sources of supply.

42 The Icfai University Journal of Brand Management, Vol. V, No. 4, 2008

 El-Mouelhy (2007) further argues that the failure of Muslim exporters of Halal food
products to recognize that the consumer is the final arbiter led the consumers to those
suppliers who strongly believe in the consumer as a king. Thus in Europe where
Non-Muslim suppliers are located, and they may not have heard of or eaten Halal food
in their entire life, yet they are successful. The reason—they know the golden rule of
marketing, namely: The consumer is king in the market!
Besides, today in many Muslim countries, poultry, meat, dairy products and other foods
are imported from Europe, Australia, New Zealand, America, and other countries and the
importing countries are happy because they are not only getting Halal food but also high
quality food (El-Mouelhy, 2007). Consumers are becoming more complex in terms of their
needs and they want to eat Halal meat that provides them with all protein. Protein is
needed to build, repair and maintain tissues, organs and cells in the body.
In Brunei, the recently unveiled Halal accreditation label serves as a platform for its
local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to grow. The Halal accreditation label which
promises and delivers its gift of developing safe and fresh products for Muslims and
non-Muslims in the international market, can add value to the Sultanate’s local products
(Han, 2007). Already global food and drink giant, Nestle has shown its interest in wanting
to obtain Brunei Halal seal (Hazair, 2007b). Besides, with this Halal label support, local
companies, joining forces with international companies, can also provide services that can
lead to other spin-off opportunities and business growth.
The branding of Halal products can also draw strength from the Halal quality definition
while building its product brand personality just like what cigarettes have in the form
of the Marlboro Man personality. In this regard, brand character can be a great door opener
if used in systematic and aggressive manner (Alsop and Abrams, 1986). Basically, the Halal
or what this researcher would call the ‘New Modern Muslim’ personality has to be defined
before it can be shaped.
A need exists to avoid Haram or forbidden names for Halal food, and these include
names such as chicken ham, Halal beef bacon and alcohol-free beer. This can be misleading
to the Muslim community (Dr. Mohammed Asraf, Secretary General of the Islamic Society
of North American Canada, cited in Hazair, 2007). Though ‘not an easy task’
(interviewees’ input), businesses perhaps need to come up with names with an Islamic
identity so as to increase consumer confidence and positively affect sales.
The Halal labels should not only be descriptive, but also be clear and meaningful
to the consumers. Such a move assists in clear positioning and top-of-the-mind awareness
of the Halal products and advances the brand further. The technique is to identify the
source of the food elements. More so, if the food components contain unfamiliar
elements—for example, porcine; it could cause confusion and problems for Muslim
consumers (Junaidah Hj Abu Bakar, cited in Han 2007a, p. 5).

The Brand Marketing of Halal Products: The Way Forward 43

Public Relations, Promotions and Advertising
Promoting a brand is the prime factor to making Halal products click. “By creating a Halal
brand, we (businesses) have the opportunity to touch the lives of more people. Creating
a trust mark for the Muslim community…it (Halal) could become its own power brand.”
(Bayman, cited in Hazair, 2007c). “Advertisers also have to find socially acceptable ways
to communicate those products,” (Miles Young, chairman of advertising giant Ogilvy and
Mather Asia-Pacific, cited in Gheswalla, 2007).
Propriety and quality must be conveyed to the consumers (interviewees’ input;
mentioned 16 times). In marketing communications of Halal brands, it is not sufficient
to say a company has a quality product. Halal businesses should strategically gain their
customers’ trust by upholding high standards. Interestingly, Williams’ (2007) two key ideas
of businesses branding their products through conveying quality can be applied here:
• Halal businesses should choose their words carefully. In choosing words, describing
something as ‘high quality’ actually limits one’s message. Instead, choose terms like
‘premium’ or ‘unparalleled’. The more expensive one’s product relative to
competing products, the more sophisticated the terms one should choose.
Also, consider carefully before one includes ‘quality’ in one’s name or tagline.
Upscale products benefit from a more subtle approach. It is preferable to imply
quality when naming one’s products.
• They should indeed be committed to their niche. If they’re of ‘Halal excellence’
choice, they can’t also be of ‘low Halal operational quality’/‘low processing quality’
choice. It is one or the other in the consumer mind because the two concepts are
seen as opposite ends on the spectrum. Advertise ‘value’ or ‘affordability’, but avoid
‘low cost’, ‘inexpensive’, ‘cheap’ and other words that connote low quality.
Next, in this researcher’s opinion, Halal companies, believing in the Islamic cause—
and walking their talk—can be passionate in advancing the Halal cause. They can also
sponsor and/or provide scholarships of Islamic postgraduate studies in local institutions
of higher learning such as the Centre for Islamic Banking, Finance and Management
in the Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
Additionally, participating in expositions and seminars on Halal products is good as it
brings awareness to Muslims and non-Muslims alike of the available Halal products and
their suppliers/wholesalers at both the national and international level (Al-Haran and
Low, 2008).
Then again, the power of contrast (Kothari, 2005) or yin-yang effect (Low, 2005) can
be applied here to brand Halal products. Contrast means comparing and emphasizing
differences, making the differences stand out. Branding works well when the marketing
communications are consistent (Epromos, 2008); the latter should be using the same Halal
accreditation labels, symbols and icons. Easily recognized Halal accreditation labels will

44 The Icfai University Journal of Brand Management, Vol. V, No. 4, 2008

promote the religious compliance for the Muslims. However, it needs to appear with
a forward looking font to differentiate it from other trademarks. Stylized Arabic very much
associated with Islam, can be incorporated into the labels.
Halal businesses can also advertise in the Halal journals and media both in Brunei and
overseas. Advertising is the key to marketing and sales. From the Halal advertising
perspective, strategy depends upon whether a particular market is a comprehensive Muslim
majority or a mix of so many different communities (Al-Haran and Low, 2008, p. 46).
In a clear-cut Muslim majority case where the total presence of non-Muslims is only
marginal, it is appropriate to emphasize the Halal nature and characteristics of the food
so that it attracts the common folks in the society who are a majority. However, in
a multi-religious society where Muslims are a significant proportion of the population, the
product can be marked as Halal on the label so that the members of the community are
aware of its status as well as promoting the product in the Muslim and ethnic media. Here,
for the non-Muslims, the product’s quality, that they are cleaner, healthier and tastier
(Burgmann, 2007) and the overall health factor should be emphasized.

Pricing
In terms of pricing, strong Halal brands have to be created and built. Brands can add value
to a product allowing the manufacturer and sellers to enjoy the ability to command
a higher pricing for their products. Here, a vital point to note is that value is created
by the way of packaging, the image it portrays and the interactions of the consumers with
the seller company; it is not defined by the sellers but by the buyers and consumers
(Kotler, 2000; Low, 2002a and Dolak, 2003).
Good Halal branding, while commanding higher prices can also attract or entice
the non-Muslim consumers. Ordinarily speaking, there is strong perception of high quality
associating with high pricing as in luxury goods or health products, more so when Halal
products are marketed and branded as health food.

Place
As argued in Low (2007a), companies selling Halal products should capitalize on the Muslim
diasporia, selling in Malay Muslim and/or Arab Muslim, Middle Eastern and Central Asian
countries. In this way, the companies have an expanded market and playing field.
However, from the producer’s point of view, there are two types of markets for Halal food:
1. The Market in non-Muslim countries.
2. The Market in the Muslim countries (El-Mouelhy, 2007).
In the case of the non-Muslim countries, the problem is serious because the Muslim
communities are scattered. Thus it is difficult to distribute through dealers because
in many cases there are no dealers but only the scattered small retailers. The labor cost is so
high that the price will not become competitive compared to the same product that lacks Halal

The Brand Marketing of Halal Products: The Way Forward 45

attributes. Despite these difficulties one cannot discount the big potential
of Halal food market. The answer lies in making the product Halal in the first place as well
as making it available for all (El-Mouelhy, 2007). Also Halal product marketers need
to take part in exhibitions and conferences of the Muslim Communities in various big centers.
The real issues in the markets of Muslim countries are that businesses need to
• Seriously avoid a patronizing attitude and be aware that customer is king, honoring
the commitments on a regular basis.
• Commit, ensure and upkeep quality.
• Know the culture of the local distributors. When dealing with these distributors,
it is important to know their expectations and their way of saying ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
One should also be ready to learn how things can be made to move in that culture.

Other Branding Strategies for Halal Products

It is true that with the strong Islamic background of the nation strengthened by the
national philosophy of Malay Islamic Monarchy, the global market can be assured that
Brunei Darussalam’s Halal certification is stringent. The highest approval level for the
Halal certification is the Islamic Religious Council of Brunei Darussalam members
comprising prominent clerics (Brunei Halal, 2007). Halal businesses in Brunei needs to see
what other Muslim and non-Muslim companies are doing (interviewees’ input; mentioned
10 times). Benchmarking and continuous improvements are critical; and much learning,
applications and benefits can be derived. It is interesting to observe foods and consumables
labelled Halal which is now being done by the Malaysian government. This is of great
interest in the international arena since no global common standard exists for it at this
time. Establishing a global standard would make marketing of such products simpler and
open up new possibilities for the creative and innovative strategies in Islamic branding
(Young, cited in Nair-Gheswalla, 2007).
Under the people aspect of brand marketing of Halal products, anyone that is directly
or indirectly involved to the Halal business should give an overall ‘safe and comfortable’
perception and ‘quality’ impression, and that can have profound loyalty effects on buyers.
To enhance that impression, employees must thus be properly trained.
Indeed benchmarking, learning and applications as strategic brand management
coincides with Young’s remarks (cited in Nair-Gheswalla, 2007) that Malaysian Airlines:
MAS, Petronas and Proton are companies that are examples of seemingly Islamic brands,
which have gone global. They can thus be emulated and, in fact, such an area in that
direction can be the scope of future research.
The fact that the majority (73.52%) of the interviewees claimed Halal companies need
to look at other Muslim and non-Muslim companies in the region also point to strategic
alliances and collaborations; these should be applied and stepped up. Halal businesses,
facilitated by the Brunei Halal body and/or Brunei Government, should work more on this.

46 The Icfai University Journal of Brand Management, Vol. V, No. 4, 2008

Such an example includes the project, which is being currently run by the Brunei
Government and is being coordinated in Australia by Elders, can help to fill the gap
in the Halal market (Sheridan, 2007). Brunei Halal brands can indeed gain market share
as well as a win-win for both countries.

Conclusion
In short, businesses and marketers should realize that Halal marketing is very much like
ordinary marketing and apply the 4Ps aptly. They should also recognize that Muslim
consumers would be loyal and perceive that they have bought the right product brand
when:
• They always get the product they want. (Ease and convenience to customers
is also enhanced).
• They always get quality (They match with their religious beliefs and values; they
feel psychologically and physically safe; they feel comfortable.)
• The supplier has kept his promise, supplying the right quality products and
building the customer’s trust in them.
• The Halal nature of the product is beyond doubt, there should be some form of
Halal certification, and some respectable authority stands behind the producer’s
claims.
The positioning of Malay Islamic Monarchy of Brunei, together with the people’s way
of life or lifestyle can be a strategic option to market Halal products, since it is aligned
with the Halal brand. The reputation of the country too helps in the marketing of the
Halal brand in Brunei and the region. And indeed, by focusing on and growing its Brunei
Halal brand, Brunei Darussalam can, in fact, further diversify and grow its non-oil and gas
industry, moving away from the dependence on its oil and gas industry while
strengthening its economy.

Limitations and Benefits of the Study

All the respondents in this research were Muslims and Bruneians. The study however
would have yielded more and varied answers should it be conducted among non-Muslims
as more out-of-the-box brand paradigms, marketing options and/or fresh strategic
responses and perspectives may perhaps emerge. If the above is the case and if assessed as
yielding benefits, researchers may consider this avenue or pool to tap when doing such
a research in the future. If the latter is adopted, as a word of caution—the author wishes
to advise researchers to note a caveat here as Muslim scholars may point to the fact that
non-Muslims are not aware of the practices of Islamic teachings.
Although research has yielded much result, the study could have been expanded
to increase the pool and numbers of respondents. However, this is in most ways acceptable
and understandable given the fact that the study was conducted at the researcher’s
personal expenses, and without any help or sponsorships from other organizations.

The Brand Marketing of Halal Products: The Way Forward 47

 In any case, the study is apt and, indeed, helpful. After all, there is a growing influence
of Islam on brands and there is the rise of Shariat or Islamic finance; there is Halal
compliance in food and cosmetics; there is a whole culture of branding that corporations
are unaware of or are struggling with. True, it may also be quite a controversial topic but
mainly because there has been so little talk about it in the past and never at all in public
(Young, cited in Nair-Gheswalla, 2007). The study can, in some ways, too raise the
awareness of a growing influence of Islam on brands. 

References

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50 The Icfai University Journal of Brand Management, Vol. V, No. 4, 2008