Muslims are predicted to account for 30% of the world’s population by 2025 — and marketers are taking note.

In a cover story Marketing Week writes: “Muslim consumers are a growing, influential and extremely loyal group, making them a desirable market for mainstream brands. But reaching them requires more than launching Sharia-compliant products. Making inroads to this sector takes deep understanding of the values of this community and building the brand from there.”

Miraculous cures for cancer and AIDS, people in wheelchairs getting up and dancing. It’s business as usual for Benny Hinn, perhaps the world’s most famous, successful and controversial televangelist. Hinn is a faith-healer who almost never grants interviews — until now.

“Nightline” asked Hinn directly if he isn’t taking advantage of people who are profoundly religious, and vulnerable because they’re in physical pain, for his own personal enrichment.

“I’m glad you’re asking,” Hinn said. “Let me tell you something. I would not do this for money. If people think I would do this for money, after all the misery I’ve had to go through…” [video]

A Chinese clothing manufacturer probably thought it was on to a winner by exporting jeans bearing the Islamic expression “In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful” to Iran.

But an otherwise sound marketing ploy was undone by one embarrassing flaw: the phrase (Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim in Arabic), which graces each of the Qur’an‘s 114 chapters, was prominently displayed on the pockets of the jeans’ backsides, something likely to be seen as disrespectful by devout Muslims.

Incidentally, Buddhists have been similarly unamused at the use of their religion by merchants. So have Hindus.

“If there were no religious advertising, there would be no atheist advertising,” said Ariane Sherine in a phone conversation from her home in London. Sherine is a journalist who spearheaded the idea for ads saying, “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

From a marketing perspective, however, the problem with the atheist brand may be that it is essentially selling nothing; not God, but no God. [video]