Jonathan Wilson, Regent’s Professor of Brand Strategy & Culture, has conducted research into the reasons behind Muslim outrage in response to the way they are represented in marketing communications.
The research paper entitled ‘Religiosity and Egyptian Muslim millennials’ views on offensive advertising’ was published in the Journal of Islamic Marketing. It investigates Egyptian Muslim millennials’ perceptions of advertising in light of the 2011 Egyptian Arab Spring revolution – exploring where marketing promotions and brands are seen to contradict or challenge the tenets of their religion (Islam) and culture.
The Egyptian Muslim millennials in the study classified advertisements targeted at or including Muslims as ‘offensive’ in instances where the message, theme, or execution disregarded their intelligence. The research also addresses the impact social media consumption could have on their perceptions towards advertising that would traditionally be viewed as offensive.
Read the full paper here.
About the 2011 Arab Spring
The Arab Spring was a series of pro-democracy uprisings that enveloped several largely Muslim countries, including Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, Libya, Egypt, and Bahrain. The use of social media platforms more than doubled in Arab countries during the protests, helping to raise awareness about alleged crimes against humanity, such as police brutality in the Egyptian Revolution.