The Religious Dimension in Marketing Development: Challenges
in the Reconstruction of Responsible Business Concepts
Khoirul Umam
*
, Fajar Kurniadi, Hendro Prasetyono, Ai Annisaa Utami, Wiriadi Sutrisno, Tjipto
Djuhartono, Siska Maya, Siswi Wulandari, Dhian Tyas Untari
Departement of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Sumatera Utara, Jl. Dr. T. Mansur No.9,
Medan, Indonesia
Keyword: Responsible Business, Religious, Marketing.
Abstract: The concept of conventional marketing today has shifted to the marketing concept of the spiritual which is
indicated by the emergence of companies that apply the concept of honesty, trustworthy, intelligent and
communicative in developing its business. Conventional marketing is actually translating the business into
the activities of profit-oriented, make consumers and customers, to bring the conduct of business that is
exploitative irrational and manipulative. So, in the end, the activities of conventional marketing are often
absurd and bring a negative impact, not only to stakeholders but to the overall environment. On the other
hand, the high public awareness of the company's products is related to health and well-being and safety both
for themselves and to the environment, making the community and users become more critical and logical in
determining the purchase decision and using the product. This is a challenge for the existence of the long-
term business of the company. So the manifestation of business and modern marketing today is not enough to
just rely on customer satisfaction, quality, competitive price, strategic location. This paper explains the
concept of marketing the spiritual dimension of religious who taught that whatever we do must produce added
value, not only for yourself but also for others and the environment around. Based on that, then aspects should
be the runway in the marketing activities of the spiritual from the four pillars of marketing (product, price,
promotion, place) should be able to produce added value based on the value of the God's across the board.
These papers are made with the method of the study literature descriptive, qualitative.
1 INTRODUCTION
Limitations of access to natural resources and the
environment make a problem for living things. This
condition creates a structural problem which is
characterized by a decrease in the capacity of social,
economic and ecological systems to provide for human
needs (Shohibuddin, 2016). Through the sense of the
human mind trying to find a way out of the problem of
limited resources by utilizing existing resources
efficiently. The efficiency of natural resource
management to meet the needs of human life become
ineffective when the nature of the greedy and
exploitative behavior has dominated man that ultimately
bring negative impact on the self and the environment in
surroundings, both natural and social.
Every company strives to gain the largest market
share and highest profits in the history of his journey. the
goal is not only to maintain the company's presence in
the dynamics of the wave business, but also to dominate
all areas of business and marketing for the sake of profit
absolute. Intense competition, in the end, has to lead to
pressure for the company, so that the behavior of
business and marketing that does not even healthy be a
prerequisite, where the development of the business
world and the competition it will not be able to
regardless the concept of economic, social and political
(Basci, 2015)
On the other hand, consumers, community, and
stakeholders which are increasingly enlightened with the
level of education that is increasingly well-established
and information and knowledge currently has in hand,
start being critical and rational, and emotional. They
began to be able to compare measured and logical not
only from the side of the product functionally but also
from other aspects, such as value-added (added value),
ethics, aesthetics so that aspects of the religious began to
get position in the frame of business development
(Kuzma et al, 2010)
Based on the various problems encountered in the
process of fulfilling those needs then the following
review aims to: 1) know the Spiritual marketing
Umam, K., Kurniadi, F., Prasetyono, H., Utami, A., Sutrisno, W., Djuhartono, T., Maya, S., Wulandari, S. and Untari, D.
The Religious Dimension in Marketing Development: Challenges in the Reconstruction of Responsible Business Concepts.
DOI: 10.5220/0010045905230528
In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference of Computer, Environment, Agriculture, Social Science, Health Science, Engineering and Technology (ICEST 2018), pages 523-528
ISBN: 978-989-758-496-1
Copyright
c
 2021 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
523

concepts in Islamic Perspectives, 2) know the General
provisions informing spiritual marketing activities
according to Islamic studies and 3) looking for the link
between marketing efforts with religious values.
2 DISCUSSION
2.1 The Concept of Conventional
Marketing in Business
Development
Any text or material outside the aforementioned margins
will not be printed.
In the theory of marketing, product, price, promotion,
and place, often known as the marketing mix that is a
pillar of marketing strategy. As described by Jefkins
(1995), "the marketing mix, or the marketing strategy, is
the combination of the elements necessary to the
planning and execution of the total marketing
operation." In other words, the four components of the
marketing mix are part and parcel and integrated into a
company's marketing strategy is effective in order to win
business competition.
Marketing is simple and intuitively an interesting
philosophy. This concept states that the reason for the
existence of socio-economic for an organization is to
satisfy the needs of consumers and the desire is in
accordance with corporate goals. In business
organizations, the existence of marketing has a dominant
role (Untari et al, 2017).
Marketing is one of the factors that can support
sustainability a business both in macro or micro scale
(Yoestini, 2009, Novalina, 2008). The right marketing
will increase customer satisfaction and loyalty of
consumers (Roostika, 2010). General marketing
concepts is a systematic adjustment and t coordinated
about the policy from top to bottom or bottom-up policy
within the company, in order to achieve a point of
satisfaction is optimal for the needs of a specific group
of customers who have fixed in advance, at the same
time to achieve adequate profit levels. (Wahab, 1989).
2.2 The Religious Dimension in
Business Development
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Kartajaya (2006) explains that spiritual marketing is
a form of marketing that is imbued with spiritual values
in all its processes and transactions, until it comes to a
level when all the major stakeholders in the business
(customers, employees, and shareholders), suppliers,
distributors, and even competitors even gain happiness.
Where spiritual marketing aims to achieve a fair and
transparent solution for all parties involved. In it
embedded moral values and honesty. No party involved
in it feels aggrieved. There will be no worse parties.
Spiritual values in business will also improve our inner-
side. Hermawan emphasizes that the more spiritual a
person is he will be better able to run his business
without always be oriented to money and everything
about worldliness and loved by all parties.
Vitale (2001), describes some of the spiritual aspects
of marketing in different perspectives. Vitale said that
we must know the complaints we (knowing what you
don't want). According to Vitale, knowing what you
don't want is the springboard to your miracles. It is
simply current reality. And current reality is can change.
According to Joe, most people often express their
grievances to various media, but few of us really focus
on what solutions should be made to the complaints. In
other words, Joe wants to teach us that it is very
important for companies to know in advance what
complaints arise from consumers, not just look at the
side of consumer needs only. This is what can actually
give power to the company. Knowing well the
customer's complaints and not just understanding the
needs of consumers, shows that the company has a high
concern for consumers and customers as a whole.
Next, Joe Vitale says that perception and focus are
two important elements that are interconnected in
spiritual marketing. He said that '..the tricks is in turning
every one of your complaints around to something you
do want. Joe Vitale says, 'if we focus on lack, we get
more deficiency. If we focus on riches, we get more
riches. Our perception becomes a magnet that pulls us in
the direction of where we want to go. ' Based on that, Joe
wanted to say that what we think will then become a
reality. For that, Joe taught me that if enterprises want to
create a dream, then the enterprise should focus on the
achievement of the target and aim well. Based on what
was said by Joe Vitale, then can be interpreted that most
of the enterprises are very often trying to avoid problems
than to face and find a solution from the problem. Until
Joe wanted to teach us that enterprises should face the
problem and the challenge.
Beliefs is the next aspect of Joe Vitale. According to
him, belief is a strength that we must have to be able to
create reality, in the midst of the conditions of the people
who live in confusion and full of a crisis of confidence.
Most people at this time, according to him, living in
conditions of lack of awareness, lack of recognition of
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something. So it raises the uncertain condition.
Uncertainty is what ultimately makes a human being
greedy.
According to Joe Vitale, the man feels that what has
been gained should not be owned by other people, this is
what he said as greedy. Based on this, the Joe Vitale
stressed that beliefs are very important in the company's
business, which can further be translated as faith.
Because according to him, if you change the beliefs, you
change the situation. In other words, Joe Vitale wants to
say that, the conditions full of uncertainty at this time is
the result of humans who do not have beliefs(faith). So,
in the end, came the greedy and exploitative of natural
resources and other human beings. So from this, beliefs
are things that can create the certainty of the condition
itself.
Gratitude. It is one of the most important aspects of
other spiritual marketing from Joe Vitale. According to
him, one of the most powerful energies you can ever
experience is gratitude. Feel the gratefulness for
anything and you shift the way you feel. feel thank full
for your life, your home ... once you feel grateful, you
are in the energy that can create miracles. One of the
most important aspects of spiritual marketing is grateful
to whatever God has given to us. Joe Vitale wanted to
say that with a grateful, then we will have great power
to create amazing things. A miracle that has never been
owned by other companies, i.e., be thankful. As the word
of Allah SWT, 'Verily if ye are grateful, I will add more
(favors) unto you, and if you deny (My blessings), Then
Surely My punishment is very painful'. (QS. Ibrahim:7).
In the letter and verse of others, God ALMIGHTY also
said, “therefore, remember you told Me surely I
remember (anyway) to you, and be thankful to Me, and
do not deny Me.” (QS. Al Baqarah: 152). It is also
asserted by the Holy Prophet, “be Thankful for the
blessings God will preserve the favor.” (HR. Ad
Dailami).
2.3 Spiritual Marketing, the
Perspective of Islam
As described in the previous section, that the marketing
mix (product, price, promotion, and place) is the main
pillar of the marketing concept. In the Islamic
perspective approach using the concept of spiritual
marketing, then the fourth component of the marketing
mix can be examined as follows:
2.3.1 Product
As described in the previous section, that the marketing
mix (product
In the previous description, the product is a solution
to a need. So it is expected the product must have
excellent performance in meeting the needs of users.
Disadvantages that often occur over the use of a
particular product cause consumers do not believe in the
product concerned and ultimately increasingly selective
consumers in choosing products. This rigid attitude of
the consumer is due to the promise of a solution of the
needs delivered by the previous manufacturer through its
products to the consumer. Often the product is
manipulated and packaged in such a way, and on the
other hand, the product does not actually reflect the true
quality. This is then mentioned as a product that is not
qualified. In the spiritual dimensions of marketing, this
is what is meant by Hermawan Kartajaya as Realistic
and Humanistic. Realistic means, the company is
required to produce in a professional manner, do not be
tempted to the achievement of momentary advantage by
forgetting the nature of the business long-term.
Humanistic, in relation to the product, then companies
often ignore the important things that basically the
company should honor their customers. Products that are
not qualified with a misrepresentation to the consumer,
in order to denigrate the degree and dignity of the
consumer because the consumer has obtained a treat that
is not fair from the manufacturer, either directly or
indirectly. On the other hand, it is certainly dropping the
bargaining position of the company in the eyes of the
consumer. In the Islamic perspective, Allah SWT has
said in Holy Quran Surat Al-Muddatstsir (38), “..every
person responsible for what he did.” And related to this,
Allah ALMIGHTY says in the holy Quran surat AL-
Maidah verse 8, “O those who believe, you shall be the
people who always uphold the (truth) because God,
being a witness to the fair. And let not your hatred
towards people encourage you to apply unfairly. Be fair,
because fair it is nearer to piety and fear Allah, Verily
Allah is informed of what ye do.”
2.3.2 Price
It has been described previously by Kotler that price is
very important towards the positioning of the product.
Price is also closely related to the financing and quality
factors of a product. Likewise on some goals and reasons
companies in setting strategy, among others, is for the
survival of the company, to maximize short-term profit,
maximize sales growth, maximize skimming price, and
become the market leader in terms of quality. In reality,
often misguided company encountered in interpreting
the function and the role of price in determining its
marketing strategy. Most companies are not transparent
to cost of goods sold its products to consumers. On the
other hand, enterprises often apply discriminatory price
on a certain product contextually the content is no
The Religious Dimension in Marketing Development: Challenges in the Reconstruction of Responsible Business Concepts
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different. Until consumers often ask what is the price of
a product the fast or not with the quality and its
functions. For the products with the quality of the
premiere, the producers often sell with a high price in
the early by scooping up short-term profits at the
moment of the product launch prime. With reason
limited edition, enterprises are trying to push the market
psychologically to immediately buy the product with the
price already set. Nevertheless the time a certain time,
the product back at a price than normal.
On the other hand, some companies deliberately sell
their products cheaply but not accompanied by excellent
service. Or impressed cheap, but apparently, the price
per unit is much more expensive. In order to increase the
turn over of high products, companies often apply a large
discount (discount) on products that are not worth
selling or unfit for use. It is unfortunate that
manufacturers often hide the actual product quality in
cheap packaging. Most producers are not transparent to
the performance of products offered to consumers, but
on the other hand, manufacturers are trying to attract
consumers with a low product price offer strategy.
The emotional side, style of life, welfare, wealth and
health, fear, pride, making companies can exploit the
product price in such a way so as to make sure
consumers against these products, even if when they are
a functional performance that is no different. Price then
become irrational when touching the sides of humanity.
By reason of added value and exclusivity of the product,
the company deliberately toss price so high and scooped
up a huge profit in a short time. And uniquely, the
product is sold and considered something reasonable,
recognized by consumers and accepted as something
worthy. The telecommunications service provider
company internet package is one example that often
utilizes these.
In the context of price, Kartajaya (1997) argues that
the current price is determined by the value perceived or
owned by each buyer. A buyer who has had a long-term
relationship and has given a turnover in the past may
have to be more valued compared to other customers. No
wonder many companies are currently designing a
pricing program or strategy in order to appreciate the
existing relationships with loyal customers. With this
kind of program, both parties, both service providers,
and customers feel they are getting high marks from the
relationships they maintain over the years.
2.3.3 Promotion
Referring to what Willian and McCarthy state, that
promotion is concerned with telling the target market
about the 'right' product. That is, a company is required
to submit its product information correctly. In Islam, the
promotion category can be translated as tabligh. The
tabligh nature is communicative and argumentative.
Companies with tabligh properties, will deliver their
product message properly (weighted) and with the
correct word (bi al-hikmah). The claim for the company
in this tabligh nature is to convey its product advantages
honestly, without having to lie and deceive the customer,
let alone expose sentences that have the impression of
dropping other company products. Companies should be
good communicators who can speak right to their
business partners.
Each message promotion that is delivered should
have a meaning and the meaning of a true, well
mannered, not wasted. This is mentioned in the Qur'an
as Qoulan sadiidan (talk of which is true and beneficial),
as the word of ALMIGHTY Allah, in the Qur'an Surat
Al Ahzab verses 70-71, “O ye who believe, fear Allah
and say the right words (qaulan sadiidan), niscaya Allah
improve for you to charity corporations and forgive you
your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger,
then surely it has gained a great victory.” In another
verse mentioned, “...therefore, let them fear Allah and let
them speak right words (qaulan sadiidan).” (QS: An
Nisa: 9). More than just the meaning of qaulan sadiidan,
Hermawan Kartajaya said that the enterprise is able to
convey the message the promotion is true, the
businesslike, and means, is the enterprise which owns
the “hidayah” from Allah SWT. Each message can be a
reference and be heard because they contain the truth
and have to mean it. In the perspective of spiritual
marketing, the thing is that included in the dimensions
Teistis, Ethical, Realistic and Humanist, in spiritual
marketing. in the dimension of the Teistis, message
promotion presented should be based on the values
taught by the Lord. That is honest, not lie and hide the
truth. Ethical, means that the message promotion
presented should be based on morality and morals,
among others-mannered and polite, not to offend the
other even dropping the image of other enterprises by
way of a black campaign. Realistic means that the
message of the promotion that is done the company
should be able to be held accountable to the truth, easily
understandable by each community, as the hadith
narrated by Imam Bukhari from Ali r.a., “Just take a
human talking to something they understand, and leave
what they don't understand. Do you want Allah and His
Messenger denied?”
Humanistic, meaning promotional messages from
companies must maintain the dignity and human dignity.
Not just denounce and tarnish the good name of certain
parties (competitors). This is what Hermawan Kartajaya
said as marketing is a good news.
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2.3.4 Place
A good place not only within, but also can provide added
value for the consumer. In other words, the location of
the business a company should have to be strategically
valuable. So consumers are not only able to reach the
location of the company, but also enjoyed a side other
than just the ease of obtaining the product. In fact, the
concept of place teaches companies to always be
available and assertable. In marketing, the concept of
place teaches companies to provide product availability
sufficient for the needs of the consumer. The company is
obligated to create a product distribution network in
such a way so that the product can be affordable and easy
to obtain. In fact, some companies often sell the products
without providing the means and infrastructure good
after-sales. When the product in question starts favored
by the market, the consumer will be disappointed
because the products available are not able to meet the
needs or the products that are available, it is very
difficult to obtain. In some specific conditions can be
understood that the company has a limited distribution
network of its products. However, if it is left continuous,
then the company has indirectly let the consumer rights
are abandoned. In Islam, this is called with the
importance of the Amanah.
Amanah means trustworthy, responsible, and
credible. Amanah can also mean the desire to fulfill
something in accordance with the provisions. The
consequence of the trust is to return or grant the rights of
the owner, whether small or large, not take more than he
has, and not diminish the rights of others. Amanah also
means having a responsibility for performing the duties
and obligations given to it. Amanah can be displayed in
the openness, honesty and optimal service to consumers.
In this case, God Almighty says, 'Verily, Allah
commands you to convey the message to the one who
deserves it and to judge mankind so that you may be
justified. Allah is the Best of you. Allah is the Hearer, the
Seer. '(QS An Nisaa ': 58). Rasulullah SAW said, 'That
the trust will attract sustenance, and vice versa will cause
misery.' (HR Ad Dailami). Ultimately the trusting nature
will bring high corporate credibility and full-fledged
responsibility to consumers and customers. The integrity
of a company can be seen from how the company is able
to safeguard the trust given to it.
3 CONCLUSIONS
The dynamics of business and globalization have in
reality demanded the company to adapt to the changes.
But it is unfortunate that some companies are stuck in a
business paradigm that assumes that business and
marketing can do anything to gain profit for the
company. So then came the attitude of greedy, selfish,
wanting to master, cheating, insecure, manipulative,
exploitative, which ultimately not only harm the
consumer on the one hand but also dropped the
credibility of the company in the public eye and weaken
competitiveness. When companies want absolute
control of resources, then that's where individualistic
greed looks. If it is left unchecked, it will lead to
business attitudes and behavior that are very detrimental
to others and the environment as a whole.
Spiritual marketing teaches us to do all aspects of the
marketing based on heart and conscience. The doctrine
contained in the spiritual marketing has shifted so much
in the concept of conventional marketing always
emphasizes to win the competition and achieve
superiority absolutely. Wisdom and the social welfare is
always a doctrine of the essence in the exercise of
spiritual marketing. A clean soul, a heart always full of
love to each other and to the environment, honest and
transparent as well as share the happiness to others, is to
exist the end in the spiritual teachings of the be affirmed
in every aspect of the marketing activities then.
Islam perfected the teachings. The perspective of
Islam taught that everlasting life is in the hereafter, so
what is done in the world today will basically serve as a
knapsack and preparations to cope with life in the
hereafter. What it means is, all the aspects of life that we
do should be based on the values of worship. In Islam,
worship is devotion absolute to The Creator, that is God
ALMIGHTY. Until the orders and prohibitions of God,
the absolute should be observed. Because basically what
is already determined by God will have an impact the
consequences of its own. So also with the marketing
activities. In maintaining the four pillars of marketing
(product, price, place, promotion) in business, her true
the company should be always based on the values of the
To-the Lord's.
In the end, there is not a thing that can be a happier
we in the business in addition to being able to share with
others. And none of the activities in this world that is
beautiful in addition to making every aspect of our lives
is worth the worship.
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