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This week we’ve been tweeting about the growth of Muslim lifestyle magazines. The idea is to showcase the fact not just that there are an increasing number of Muslim lifestyle publications, but more importantly that there is a growing recognition of the Futurist segment towards which these magazines are targeted. If you recall, the Futurists are the segment that Ogilvy Noor’s research identified as the most influential trend-shapers amongst Muslim consumers: educated movers and shakers, tech-savvy, brand-conscious and proud of both their faith and their modernity.

In fact, Muslim lifestyle magazines are just one of the many channels opening up in response to the consumption and spending power of the Futurists.  For brands, they are one way to speak to this segment, but more importantly they indicate that this is a segment that is growing globally, and one which is yearning for brands to reach out to them.

In Turkey, women’s glossy Ala magazine was recently launched. In the UK EMEL magazine has been going from strength to strength. The USA is home to Muslim lifestyle magazines like Illume Magazine and Muslim Quarterly. According to South East Asia’s Aquila Magazine, such Muslim lifestyle mags target “well-heeled and cosmopolitan Muslim community”. And Malaysia’s offerings include Majalah Dian and Majalah Era Muslimah.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but just a taste of the growth of the Futurist segment, and a flavour of their desire for brands to engage with them. They vary in size, quality and editorial perspective. However, what they all have in common is that they reflect the Futurists’ sense of combining faith with modernity. They also reflect the fact that Futurists expect products and services to be available to suit their needs – they will not settle for clunky half-hearted solutions.

Futurists expect their products and services to meet mainstream standards, and will respond to good quality content and communications. What they are looking for in brands is to be a trusted friend. And these Muslim lifestyle publications are just one of the ways that brands should note the growth of this dynamic segment.