Inter Ikea Systems, that company that sells basic yet hard-to-assemble furniture, has suffered a double whammy in Saudi Arabia after airbrushing women out of pictures in its catalogues.
At home in Sweden, Ikea has been criticised for pandering to Saudi attitudes towards women. And even though the female-free catalogues were designed to avoid trouble, the Saudis are none too pleased that Ikea has squeezed them into the international spotlight over their intolerant attitudes.
This shows the perils of global marketing and advertising. Global brands seem to be taking over the world yet have failed to solve the dichotomy between serving both local and international markets with the same products and slogans while attempting local variations.
This is not easily solved. Matt Haig, the author of Brand Failures, says, "Many companies have confused the era of globalisation with an era of homogenisation … the cultural differences between, and often within, countries can greatly affect the chances of success for a brand."
Ikea is not the first and certainly will not be the last company to approach the Saudi market with trepidation. Coca-Cola put women in its adverts in 2002 and was reprimanded, not least because its ads depicted what looked like flirting between men and women.
Starbucks, on the other hand, must have made a more careful study of the market because it abandoned its green logo (closely associated with all things Islamic) and replaced its mermaid with a crown-themed logo. Starbucks has since flourished in Saudi Arabia.