Looking at Islamic marketing, branding and Muslim consumer behaviour beyond the 7P's: the call for supportive course content and more P's please

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to document a reflective commentary on observations concerning the phenomenon of researching and practicing Islamic marketing, in the absence of dedicated formal courses and instruction. 
 
 Design/methodology/approach – Grounded theory phenomenological critical reflection; based upon academic and practitioner anecdotal evidence and experiences. 
 
 Findings – Whilst there is a growing body of literature and scholarship specific to the field, mirrored by an increase in consumption and commercial ventures, comparably there appear to be a paucity of dedicated courses tackling the same area in equivalent depth. Intuitively and inductively, it is argued that there is both a need and demand for Islamic marketing courses, which at the very least, present commercial market opportunities. 
 
 Research limitations/implications – Without remedying this gap, practitioners and academics are impoverished – through a lack of dedicated platforms for disseminating findings, knowledge sharing and problem solving. Furthermore, without ratification through formal instruction and courses, there is a risk that the subject may remain on the fringes. This is in spite of growing empirical evidence indicating that the demand is great: within mainstream marketing as a subject, not to mention the demand from audiences – ranging from practitioners and consumers, right through to curious and inspired students. 
 
 Originality/value – This paper aims to raise the importance of teaching and learning up the agenda – hopefully encouraging more academic institutions and training providers to develop and deliver dedicated courses. Furthermore, summary guidance is offered on potential key areas of focus.