• by Lisa Mabe-Konstantopoulos , Op-Ed Contributor, June 14, 2011

Smart marketers are constantly working to stay leading edge -- keeping a pulse on consumer trends, identifying emerging lifestyles, and assessing life stages to best identify how to better target new groups. Holidays and seasons are often leveraged so brands can have an excuse to insert themselves into consumers' lives. This August, an estimated eight million Americans will be observing Islam's most holy month, Ramadan. Along with fasting, traditional Ramadan evenings encompass festive celebrations and feasts among family, friends, and communities. For brands and retailers, this month-long celebration offers an ideal entry point for creating rapport with Muslim consumers -- a growing niche that is increasingly gaining attention.

For most brands in the U.S., given that the field of "Marketing to Muslims" is something new and often intimidating, Muslim consumers are presently not included in the 'standard' multicultural marketing mix. The fact remains, however, that American Muslims represent an estimated $200 billion market and the American Muslim population is expected to double by 2030. For brands that are savvy enough to court Muslims while the market is still mostly untapped, Ramadan offers a timely and relevant opportunity to do so.

Here are seven ways your brand can leverage Ramadan appropriately and begin to create a relationship with Muslims:

• Get to know Muslims, honing in on understanding their values -- especially those mutual values shared with mainstream culture

• Emphasize the holiday's focus on hospitality, family and charitable giving in your brand messaging & actions

• Consider offering holiday greetings to Muslims on your Web site, weekly circular, in-store signage or other promotional materials

• Support the local Muslim community by sponsoring iftar (breaking of the fast) feasts or making charitable donations

• Reach out to Muslim lifestyle media about your Ramadan activities

• Identify influencers within the Muslim community such as bloggers and request their support

• Consult a multicultural marketing expert who understands the diversity of American Muslim consumers and can dig deep to uncover how they think, behave, and buy

Muslims in the U.S. certainly have particular needs in the marketplace; however, they are for the most part well assimilated into mainstream American culture. Because of this, it is advisable for brands to avoid being overtly religious in their outreach. Being authentic and respectful in your efforts is an absolute must. Acknowledging Muslim consumers is not just about making a sale, but rather it is a way to invite more consumers into a meaningful relationship with your brand.

So why start marketing to Muslims this Ramadan? For one, there are simply too few brands and retailers recognizing Muslim consumers at all in the U.S., creating a significant potential for the acquisition of a loyal group. The opportunity is ripe now for harvesting a new group of consumers if done correctly. Understandably, when a mainstream brand recognizes a minority group like Muslims, it's a major form of validation. Now more than ever, such an effort from a brand could be quite impactful.

This Ramadan, we are expecting to see brands across multiple categories begin courting Muslims. Whether your industry is retail, technology, health and beauty, food and beverage, fashion, auto or financial services, reaching this "undermarketed" group can be critical to gaining new ground in sales revenue and establishing a long-term relationship with a new group of loyalty-inclined consumers. Does your multicultural marketing strategy include the growing Muslim market? It should! You cannot afford to ignore them any longer!

Lisa Mabe is Founder and Principal of Hewar Social Communications and specializes in helping brands reach its Muslim and Middle Eastern consumers.