The Impact of Halal Endorsements on Purchase Intent of Non-Muslim Consumers

In multi-cultural environments, product endorsements addressing minority groups may not be appreciated by the majority of consumers. This renders such endorsements potentially controversial. We analyze a specific religious endorsement, namely the Muslim Halal endorsement, and use an experimental setting to gauge the reaction of Christian consumers to such an endorsement. The paper is theoretically anchored in the social psychology literature on in-groups and out-groups and provides empirical evidence on the affect of Halal endorsements on the purchase intent of Christian consumers. Our findings show that, with some products, Halal endorsements may lead to a decrease in purchase intent among non-Muslims. A brief discussion of the practical and theoretical implications and suggestions for future research avenues are provided.