Comparative analysis of theories of Postmodernism and Islam in marketing

Due to the developments, the extent of the impact of the theories of postmodernism in the present era, and taking into account the conditions of a Islamic religious community like Iran, it seems that focusing on the similarities and differences between the two schools in human behavior and consumption could have good tips on marketing in our country. Our approach in this paper is taking advantage of a combined model consisting of description, analysis, and comparison in understanding and explanation of theories of Islam in the field of marketing. This is based firstly on the approach of critique of postmodernism, and secondly, understanding and explaining the theoretical foundations of marketing from Islamic point of view and comparing the two perspectives using Islamic texts and sources including Holy Quran, Sunnah (tradition) and Hadith from infallible Imams and rational arguments. The results of the paper show that, unlike postmodernism ideas, there is one truth, whose source is God, and this fact conducts human behavior. Muslim consumer determines his usage of goods and services based on need. He does not take his identity from goods and services and while being free in his choice, he is required to follow specific ethical and human frameworks. Consumers, while having different preferences, have a specific life style and actually committed and adhere to a specific belief system.

Keywords:

post-modernism , post-modernism marketing , Islamic marketing , consumption