Chinese Jeans Bearing Name of God Anger Iranians

In a gaffe that may top the list for cultural insensitivity, jeans produced in China to be sold in Iran bore a hallowed phrase from the Koran on the seat pocket of their product. Perhaps the manufacturers thought the inclusion of such a phrase would appeal to the Muslim customers and increase brand recognition. What they missed was the relevance of the phrase for devout Muslims and the less than respectful site of the phrase. As one commentator noted, “Allah is a respected word that you need to have ablutions before saying.” The incidence is even more embarrassing given that China is Iran’s biggest trading partner. In a globalized world, “know your market” appears to require a level of cultural awareness that if ignored can have undesirable and often profit-destructive consequences. – YaleGlobal