Vijay Mahajan

La discreta Arla Foods, el mayor fabricante de productos lácteos de Escandinavia, se había convertido en uno de los principales actores del mundo árabe en 2005. Las marcas de la cooperativa dano-sueca, como Lurpak, Puck y la homónima Arla, dominaron los mercados de mantequilla, queso y nata de Oriente Medio, y sus ventas en la región alcanzaron la cifra récord de 550 millones de dólares ese año. Luego aparecieron los dibujos animados.

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Reprint: R1305L 
In the post-9/11 world, companies have been jittery about investing in the 22 countries that constitute the Arab League. Political turmoil and misconceptions of a closed society where people are taught to hate Western products and culture have led many to conclude that the region is unstable, chaotic, and closed for business. But Arab consumers have the same demands as people everywhere, and the region&#8217;s markets are growing, globally interlinked, and intensely competitive. 
To do business in the Arab world, companies must understand the inseparability of Islam and Arab society and business. Consumers yearn for progress, modernity, and inclusion, but they don&#8217;t wish to abandon their deeply held religious traditions, as expressed in the five pillars of Islam. Companies that conflict with any of the pillars by, for instance, insulting the prophet Muhammad or interfering with daily prayers will damage their reputations and fortunes. But several of the pillars present opportunities for foreign businesses and organizations: The hajj, or pilgrimage, draws more than 1.5 million visitors to Saudi Arabia annually; most retailers in the Arab world sell as much during the month of Ramadan as they do the rest of the year; and the annual philanthropic donation required of all Muslims, zakat, creates possibilities for the global social sector.

Understanding the Arab Consumer

Reimpresión: R1305L En el mundo posterior al 11 de septiembre, las empresas están nerviosas por invertir en los 22 países que constituyen la Liga Árabe. La agitación política y las ideas erróneas sobre una sociedad cerrada en la que se enseña a la gente a odiar los productos y la cultura occidentales han llevado a muchos a la conclusión de que la región es inestable, caótica y cerrada al comercio. Sin embargo, los consumidores árabes tienen las mismas demandas que la gente de todo el mundo, y los mercados de la región están creciendo, están interconectados a nivel mundial y son muy competitivos. Para hacer negocios en el mundo árabe, las empresas deben entender la inseparabilidad del Islam y la sociedad y los negocios árabes. Los consumidores anhelan el progreso, la modernidad y la inclusión, pero no quieren abandonar sus tradiciones religiosas profundamente arraigadas, tal como se expresan en los cinco pilares del Islam. Las empresas que entren en conflicto con alguno de los pilares, por ejemplo, insultando al profeta Mahoma o interfiriendo en las oraciones diarias dañarán su reputación y su suerte. Sin embargo, varios de los pilares ofrecen oportunidades para las empresas y organizaciones extranjeras: el Hajj, o peregrinación, atrae a más de 1,5 millones de visitantes a Arabia Saudí al año; la mayoría de las tiendas del mundo árabe venden tanto durante el mes del Ramadán como durante el resto del año; y la donación filantrópica anual que se exige a todos los musulmanes, zakat, crea posibilidades para el sector social mundial.

Entender al consumidor &aacute;rabe

Reprint: R1305L In the post-9/11 world, companies have been jittery about investing in the 22 countries that constitute the Arab League. Political turmoil and misconceptions of a closed society where people are taught to hate Western products and culture have led many to conclude that the region is unstable, chaotic, and closed for business. But Arab consumers have the same demands as people everywhere, and the region’s markets are growing, globally interlinked, and intensely competitive. To do business in the Arab world, companies must understand the inseparability of Islam and Arab society and business. Consumers yearn for progress, modernity, and inclusion, but they don’t wish to abandon their deeply held religious traditions, as expressed in the five pillars of Islam. Companies that conflict with any of the pillars by, for instance, insulting the prophet Muhammad or interfering with daily prayers will damage their reputations and fortunes. But several of the pillars present opportunities for foreign businesses and organizations: The hajj, or pilgrimage, draws more than 1.5 million visitors to Saudi Arabia annually; most retailers in the Arab world sell as much during the month of Ramadan as they do the rest of the year; and the annual philanthropic donation required of all Muslims, zakat, creates possibilities for the global social sector.

Entender al consumidor árabe

Resumen.

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