Dr.

Baker Ahmad Alserhan

7 March 2010
Suggested course to the EMBA

Course Title:
Strategic Islamic Marketing
Course Description
The course offers an exciting overview of the marketing opportunities,
challenges and traditions in the Islamic countries. With more than one
fifth of the world population, these markets are spread across three
continents where Islamic values have largely shaped the societal
structures, culture and legal norms that influence consumer preferences
and behaviour. More specifically, the course will cover the following areas:
 The Islamic world
 Trade with the Islamic world
 The Muslim consumer:
1. Belief & its implications to marketing
2. Practice & its implications to marketing
3. Sources of law & its implications to marketing
 The Muslim consumption pattern
 The Muslim dressing pattern
 Gender separation and its implications
 Islamic marketing/business ideals
 Advertisements and promotions to Muslims
 Current trends in Islamic markets
1. Commercialising Islam
2. Global events and the Muslim consumer
3. Islamic Hotel Branding & Muslim Hospitality
4. The global Halal market and the Halal supply chains
5. Halal excellence centers
6. The global Islamic finance market
7. Retail practices
8. Pricing practices

Course Rationale:
International marketing practices, embedded in a strong ethical doctrine,
can play a vital role in raising the standards of business conduct
worldwide, while in no way compromising the quality of services or
products offered to customers, or surrendering the profit margins of
businesses. Adherence to such ethical practices can help to elevate the
standards of behavior of traders and consumers alike. Against this
background, the course identifies the features of the Islamic framework of
International Marketing practices and Ethics. International marketing
issues are examined from an Islamic perspective which, it is argued, if
adhered to, can help to create a value-loaded global ethical marketing
framework for firms both SMCs or MNCs, and establish harmony and
meaningful cooperation between international marketers and their Muslim
target markets.
.
Course Objective
Marketing in the emerging Islamic markets is a challenging business
function since Western and international companies must contend with
unfamiliar customs, cultural differences and legal challenges. This coures
provides marketers who want to reach this emerging and very lucrative
consumer base with much needed information about what to expect and
what to avoid. More specifically, it aims to teach readers and practitioners
about:
 The differences between the marketing environments of both
Islamic and international markets
 The differences between the marketing environments of the
various Islamic sub-markets
 How to sell to Islamic markets
 Islamic marketing as a global growth strategy
 How Islamic law determines marketing practices

Suggested References for the course

Text book:
Marketing in the Emerging Markets of Islamic Countries. By Marin
Marinov, 2007.
Marketing in an Islamic Environment. Cedomir Nestorovic, 2008.
Handbook on Islamic Marketing, Ozlem Sandikci, 2010
Islamic Branding and Marketing, Paul Temporal, 2010

Additional readings:
Cases in Strategic Marketing Management: Business Strategies in
Muslim Countries. by John A. Quelch, 2000.

The Bazaar: Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World. by Walter M.

Weiss and Kurt-Michael Westermann, 2001.

Specific Journals:
Journal of Islamic Marketing
Journal of Business Ethics
The Halal Journal

Specific Conferences:
The International Conference on Islamic Marketing and Branding
Oxford Global Forum on Islamic Branding and Marketing
The world annual Halal forum