Wilson, Jonathan A.J. (2014) Being hip and Halal: more than meat and money. In: Macromarketing and the Crisis of the Social Imagination: Proceedings of the 39th Annual Macromarketing Conference. Macromarketing Society, London, UK, p. 1008. ISSN 2168-1473 (Print), 2168-1481 (Online)

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Abstract

In this presentation the author investigates the impact of certifying and branding commodities as Halal, and the growing usage of Halal branding beyond food and finance. At its most basic level Halal is an Arabic word which means permissibility of actions and consumption, as outlined by Islam. The majority view is that Halal is the norm and Haram, or non-Halal, is the exception. In-depth interviews with industry practitioners, certification bodies, and thought leaders were conducted over a five-year period. Whilst the author concurs with this construct as a general principle, it appears that the recent phenomenon of creating Halal logos and branding strategies have created both opportunities and challenges, which are changing classical interpretations and understanding of what Halal is. So much so, that Halal branding is also now practiced in countries with almost exclusive Muslim majorities. The drivers of which are a type of hyper-sensitivity and hyper-interactivity, encouraged by: the commodification of entities, through branding and boundary ownership; increased ingredient scrutiny; mass-manufacture; technological and genetic engineering advancements; challenges by single issue politics and anti-branding movements. Halal labelling is being used both as a hygiene factor and a badge celebrating an Islamic identity—the implications of which on branding strategies poses challenges. Norms and exceptions are being reversed increasingly in consumers—due to brand created traits of risk aversion, attached to fear, suspicion, context and spirituality. A new conceptual argument proposed for the relevance, usage and purpose of Halal branded commodities.

Item Type:	Conference Proceedings
Title of Proceedings:	Macromarketing and the Crisis of the Social Imagination: Proceedings of the 39th Annual Macromarketing Conference
Additional Information:	[1] Part of Panel Session 9a — Religion & marketing: Is there a crisis in the imagination of macromarketers (part II). [2] Summary/Abstract published in Proceedings. [3] Copyright Statement: The Macromarketing Society does not take copyright for papers appearing in the proceedings. The copyright of each abstract or paper in the proceedings belongs to the paper’s author(s). [4] Proceedings of the Annual Macromarketing Conference (Print) ISSN 2168-1473, (Online) ISSN 2168-1481. [5] The 'Macromarketing and the Crisis of the Social Imagination: 39th Annual Macromarketing Conference' held alongside 'Economic Development, Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice: Despite or Because of Markets?: The 14th Bi-Annual International Society of Markets & Development Special Interest Group Conference.'
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Halal, Islamic marketing, Islamic economics, Muslim consumer behaviour, branding, macromarketing
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Business Faculty of Business > Department of Marketing, Events & Tourism
Related URLs:	Publisher
Last Modified:	14 Oct 2016 09:28
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/11785

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