There’s a new consumer on the horizon

Today, Ogilvy Noor announces the release of its latest book ‘Generation M: Young Muslims Changing the World’, an exploration of what it means to be a young Muslim today and why this generation demands our attention. Written by Ogilvy Noor’s Vice President and award-winning author, Shelina Janmohamed, the groundbreaking book underscores Ogilvy Noor’s global thought leadership around Muslim consumers. It is the first book of its kind to paint an intimate portrait of the attitudes, aspirations, and cultures of a growing population for whom faith and modernity go hand in hand, and for whom consumption is a badge of identity.

As the world’s first bespoke consultancy for building brands with Muslim audiences, Ogilvy Noor has expanded globally to now operate in key markets throughout Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. Its vision around the notion of engaging with Muslim audiences through building businesses, products and brands that directly engage with Muslim consumers, is explored in detail throughout ‘Generation M’.

This understanding is vital for businesses and brands. The global Muslim population is expected to increase 73 per cent – from 1.6 billion in 2010, to 2.8 billion in 2050; by 2030 Muslims will make up 26.5 per cent of the global population and in 2050 will equal the number of Christians. The Islamic economy is estimated to be worth US$2.6 trillion by 2020 with Islamic finance worth an additional US$2.6 trillion.

It is Generation M in particular from among the global Muslim population that are driving change. Their youth, their growth and their economic power, makes them one of the most important and exciting rising economic forces, with one third of Muslims today under fifteen and nearly two thirds under thirty.

As one of the 21st century’s most powerful economic forces, author Janmohamed explains that the Muslim lifestyle, which spans across all categories from food to travel to healthcare and more, has resulted in a thriving Islamic economy. This is going hand in hand with a growing consumer concern about the values that brands and businesses are built on and convey. Understanding Generation M’s values is key to engaging with them, and the book offers a deep exploration of those values and how to engage with them.

Shelina Janmohamed, Vice President, Ogilvy Noor and author of ‘Generation M’ said:“For too long, the faithful, modern, creative, brand conscious tech-savvy Generation M has been overlooked by businesses and brands. Yet this is one of the world’s most influential and rising economic and social forces. Generation M goes beyond the statistics, to explore what motivates them, their inner aspirations and how they are going to shape our future.”

John Deschner, CEO, Ogilvy& Mather Malaysia: “Ogilvy & Mather has always been at the forefront of ever-changing global and cultural trends, as we continue to evolve our communications to meet the needs of both brands and consumers. ‘Generation M’ is undeniably an important, growing segment that the industry must acknowledge, and we stand as the leader to successfully engage with this increasingly prominent and influential commercial force.”



About Shelina Janmohamed

Shelina Janmohamed is the bestselling author of Love in aHeadscarf, a memoir about growing up as a British Muslim woman.She is an established commentator on Muslim social and religioustrends, particularly around young Muslims and Muslim women,and writes for the Guardian, the National and the BBC. The Vice President of Ogilvy Noor, the world’s first bespoke global Islamicbranding practice for building brands with Muslim audiences, shewas named one of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims, andspecifically one of the UK’s 100 most powerful Muslim women. TheInstitute of Practitioners in Advertising named her as one of the‘Future Female Leaders of British Advertising’