• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, May 1, 2007

A new study of American Muslims by J. Walter Thompson paints a portrait of a minority whose members, for the most part, conform to broader American culture in their attitudes toward work, family and personal freedoms. At the same time, they feel misunderstood and unfairly singled out by other Americans. In an age when cultural identity is recognized as a highly effective advertising vehicle, the JWT study notes the relative rarity of marketing targeting American Muslims, who possess at least $170 billion in annual buying power.

JWT documented the attitudes and perceptions of this group, numbering 6 million to 8 million, through ethnographic surveys of 350 Muslims with face-to-face interviews, as well as broader demographic studies.

The demographic characteristics of American Muslims should make them highly attractive to advertisers, with average educational and income levels higher than the population at large. The Council on American-Islamic Relations claims that 62% of American Muslims have bachelor's degrees, and 27% a master's or doctorate--comparing favorably with 24.4% and 10% of the general population, respectively, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. These high proportions may be due in part to self-selection among immigrants, as well as federal immigration policies that favor educated professionals.

In addition to high educational and income levels, Marian Salzman, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at JWT Worldwide, noted: "Muslim-Americans are as consumer-minded as other Americans. Our study clearly shows that Muslims are a niche market to be approached with classic marketing disciplines."

Marketers have long understood the value of incorporating elements of ethnic, cultural or religious identity into marketing messages--beginning with the inclusion of actors and models that resemble the targeted group. With regard to advertising, 71% of American Muslims feel that ads don't depict people like them, and 72% said they would pay more attention to ads that did so. Given that 70% of Muslims say brands play an important role in their purchase decisions, this suggests that ads targeted to this niche could have a positive impact, both in terms of psychological resonance and ultimately ROI for brands.

Marketers hoping to target Muslims have to cast a wide net. Muslims come from a wide cross-section of ethnic backgrounds and cultures, characterized by different styles of dress and personal appearance. What's more, American Muslims have a fraught relationship with the media, with 57% feeling that media coverage is almost always biased against them, and 78% saying they're angry about this coverage. In this context, it seems likely that any depictions that appear to draw on Muslim stereotypes will produce a consumer backlash.