By Namanzee Harris.

A lot have been mentioned about the importance of Research & Development, market study, consumer data, pain points for importer and exporter of Halal products and the readiness for our products and companies for internationalization phase.

According to current data and statistics about halal, the world is there to venture, however, home is where we need to first polish our craft.

Media is where product meets consumers.
At the end of the long strenuous process of halal development, media sits at the backend where finally the consumer gets to see the product. They know the product through the content story designed as an entry point to consumer. Only at the very end. The learnings from the consumer end only starts at the very end.

You can continue to look at media as its normal traditional means entry point strategies or media as part of the innovation that helps with the design, proof of concepts and proof of sales.

One of the big challenges to consumer and for consumer is the story and how to tell the story.

Normal media practise from owners of products is that media starts at the far end of the spectrum on the strategy for a product.

Owners come, they pay premium price, brand it, promote it, shake hands and bye bye. Agencies look at media only to promote products, events, and sometimes in times of crisis management.

Any industry, including halal and media industry, in the age of internet of things and IR4, have changed dramatically. We have embraced speed, big data analytics and immediate info collection through direct consumer data and live content through convergence of traditional and new media.

In the past, designing strategies crafted in phases. In pre, pro and post. Then you will need post analysis to be able to react to the changes needed or to the need of the audience and consumers.

Add another 2-3 days for the data to arrive, a further week to digest and crunch data, and another week to present to owners. Takes longer time to react.

Nowadays data comes in handy and you can get immediate feedback through google analytics, fb demographics etc.

Design can and must be done simultaneously with the data that we get. Design thinking becomes key to innovation. as you are prototyping the product, you can immediately test and do proof of concept and to certain extent proof of sales/orders. Part of the process that once was at the back end of the spectrum now must be designed together while its in development stage.

Media can come in between the process. Even at inception of the product innovation.

A lot of halal innovations are successful, but there are a number of products thats also failed. Media through a design thinking process can help reducing the amount of failures and increase the success rate of halal products. Through the learnings of this process locally, the experience then can be exported together with the product.

Media can be part of the natural process within the halal industry and what better way to stamp the mark of halal product with trust and credibility of the right halal media partner.

Synergies must be also be committed between agencies and stakeholders at home first. Jakim through Majlis Halal Malaysia, the Economy ministry through Halal Development Corporation must come together strategically to strengthen home industry and then we can hopefully becomes the next unicorn of Asia targeting nusantara.

The world is there to venture, but home is where we need to first polish our craft.

The writer is Chief Executive Officer of AlHijrah Media Corporation and BrandLaureatte recipient 2019.