In 2023, brand rollover incidents will occur frequently, which will have a big impact on enterprises. From inappropriate language in the live broadcast room to senior management infighting, to product quality problems, these incidents not only exposed the inadequacy of corporate management and public relations crisis response, but also aroused widespread social concern about brand image and values. This article will take stock of the brand rollover incident in 2023, explore the reasons behind it and the enlightenment to the brand.
1. Li Jiaqi's "Flower Western Currency" incident
On September 10, 2023, when the Internet celebrity anchor Li Jiaqi was promoting the eyebrow pencil of the Huaxizi brand in the live broadcast room, he made inappropriate remarks to a netizen who questioned the price increase of the eyebrow pencil, which caused dissatisfaction and criticism from netizens. Li Jiaqi said in the live broadcast: "Where is it expensive, it is difficult to make domestic products", and asked netizens "Have your wages risen over the years, and have you worked hard?" These words are considered disrespectful and mocking to consumers, and also expose Li Jiaqi's arrogance and inflated mentality.
The incident quickly sparked heated discussions on social media. Many netizens have complained that the current Li Jiaqi is "red and floating", forgetting his original intention. Some netizens also use Huaxizi eyebrow pencil as the exclusive currency of migrant workers, saying, "It is known that today's daily salary is 240 yuan, and if you deduct 20 yuan from takeout, you can get 2.78 Huaxi yuan today." These ridicules also reflect netizens' dissatisfaction with the high price and low cost performance of Huaxizi eyebrow pencil, and almost made Li Jiaqi's version of the dragon picture.
In the face of public pressure, Li Jiaqi has publicly apologized many times, including on Weibo and live broadcasts. Huaxizi brand also issued a statement on September 19, saying that it sincerely apologizes to everyone, Huaxizi has received great attention from the whole network in the past week, and the relevant opinions have been fully recorded, and the team is also comparing, correcting and improving one by one, adhering to the original intention, bringing better products and providing better services for everyone.
This incident has had a huge impact on both Li Jiaqi and Huaxizi brands. As of September 19, 2023, Li Jiaqi's Weibo followers are 1.475 million fewer than the 30.435 million before the incident. His Douyin account also lost the Yellow V certification, and the product window showed 0. The Huaxizi brand has also been questioned and boycotted by netizens, and the sales and reputation of its products have been affected. Yige Group, the parent company of Huaxi sub-brand, released the recruitment of brand communication experts on September 20, with a monthly salary range of 23-45k, and an annual salary of up to 630,000 yuan based on 14 salaries, showing the brand's demand and investment in public relations.
2. The infighting incident of Dongfang Selection
In December 2023, there was a conflict and conflict between Dong Yuhui, the core anchor of Dongfang Selection, and CEO Sun Dongxu because of the "small composition" incident, which aroused the attention and discussion of netizens and fans, and also affected the stock price and sales of Dongfang Selection. In the end, the board of directors of Oriental Selection dismissed Sun Dongxu as CEO and replaced it with Chairman Yu Minhong, and at the same time upgraded Dong Yuhui's status to "senior partner".
The "Little Composition" incident refers to Dong Yuhui's use of some interesting and touching short stories to recommend products in the live broadcast, and these short stories are called "Little Compositions". On December 6, the official account of Dongfang Selection said in the comment area that these small essays were created by the copywriting team, not the original work of Dong Yuhui himself. This statement caused dissatisfaction among Dong Yuhui and fans, who believed that it was a denial and discredit of Dong Yuhui's contribution and talent. Dong Yuhui responded to this comment in the live broadcast, saying that his small essays were all written by himself, and Yu Minhong had also confirmed it himself. He also said that he would communicate with Sun Dongxu about this issue and asked him to give a reasonable explanation.
However, Sun Dongxu did not give a satisfactory answer, but in the live broadcast on December 12, he criticized Dong Yuhui's absence and emotions in the tone of a leader, and also publicly revealed Dong Yuhui's income, suggesting that he should not be greedy and dissatisfied. The move angered Dong Yuhui's fans, who believed that Sun Dongxu was deliberately humiliating and suppressing Dong Yuhui, and it was also disrespectful and mocking consumers. They expressed their support for Dong Yuhui and their boycott of Dongfang Selection on social media, and some fans even ran to the live broadcast room of Gaotu Jiapin, a competitor of Dongfang Selection, to call Dong Yuhui.
In the face of public opinion pressure, Yu Minhong and Sun Dongxu both issued video apologies on December 14, admitting their mistakes and shortcomings, expressing their apologies and gratitude to Dong Yuhui, and also saying that they would strengthen the company's management and services. But this apology did not quell the anger and distrust of fans, and Dongfang Selection's stock price and sales were affected. On December 16, the board of directors of Oriental Selection announced major personnel changes, removing Sun Dongxu from the position of CEO and replacing it with Yu Minhong, and at the same time upgrading Dong Yuhui's status to "senior partner" to show its importance and trust. This decision is believed to be Dongfang Selection in order to win back the hearts of Dong Yuhui and fans, and also to cope with the competition and challenges in the market.
3. Great Wall Motors reported BYD
In May 2023, Great Wall Motor reported that BYD's two plug-in hybrid models (Qin PLUS DM-i and Song PLUS DM-i) used atmospheric fuel tanks, and the evaporative pollutant emissions of the whole vehicle were suspected of failing to meet the standard. The incident sparked controversy and public attention between the two companies, and also reflected the fierce competition and market pressure between Chinese car brands.
For Great Wall Motors, although reporting BYD may only be a business strategy, aimed at hitting BYD's market advantage and reputation, and improving its brand image and sales. However, this practice may also cause disgust and doubts among consumers, and damage the credibility and reputation of Great Wall Motors.
For BYD, if the content of the report is true, it may face serious consequences such as legal action, product recall, and fines, which will affect its performance and stock price. If the content of the report is not true, then BYD may take this opportunity to prove its technical superiority and product quality, and enhance the trust and loyalty of consumers.
In short, although the people who eat melons do not know the grievances and grievances between the Great Wall and BYD, this kind of plan to "feed flies" to competitors is actually not beneficial to both parties.
Fourth, the capital chain of the Tiger Head Bureau is broken
Hutou Ju is a new Chinese baking brand, focusing on mochi, puffs, egg tarts and other dim sum, and has received tens of millions of financing from well-known institutions such as Sequoia China and IDG, and is known as the "popular queuing king". However, since December 2022, Hutou Bureau has been exposed to arrears of employee wages, supplier payments, rent, etc., and is facing huge financial pressure. On March 30, 2023, a "product manager Jason" who claimed to be an employee of Hutou Bureau broke the news on social platforms, saying that Hutou Bureau owed 200 million yuan and was on the verge of bankruptcy.
The news sparked media and public attention, as well as a response from Hu Ting, the founder of the Tiger Head Bureau. Hu Ting denied rumors of bankruptcy and asset transfer, saying that the company is working hard to recover, including the capital chain. But her response did little to quell the anger of employees and suppliers, who gathered at Hutou's Shanghai headquarters on March 31 to demand that Mr. Hu pay back. It is reported that Hutou Bureau has closed most of its stores, and only a few stores are still open.
This incident reflects the risks and challenges brought about by the rapid expansion and disorderly management of Hutou in the baking industry, and also triggers a discussion on the market prospects and competitiveness of new Chinese bakery brands. The future of Tiger Head Bureau also depends on whether it can solve the problem of the capital chain, restore the trust of consumers, and cope with the competition of peers.
5. Gree's "Pearl Feather Boy" incident
In May 2023, Gree Electric officially announced that Meng Yutong had left the company, which aroused the attention and discussion of netizens. Meng Yutong is a young fashion blogger who once became the secretary of Dong Mingzhu, chairman of Gree Electric Appliances, through a program in 2021, and was called the "future successor" by Dong Mingzhu. Meng Yutong's work in Gree Electric mainly includes three aspects: administrative secretary, media publicity and live streaming. At the most popular time, Gree even used a photo of Dong Mingzhu and Meng Yutong as a promotional advertisement, and the slogan was "Pearl Yutong", which shows Dong Mingzhu's deep expectations for Meng Yutong.
However, Meng Yutong's performance in live streaming is not ideal, according to media statistics, her performance in the Gree live broadcast room for half a year is only 3.954 million yuan. However, she frequently publishes commercial advertisements that have nothing to do with Gree on her personal social platform, involving cosmetics, perfumes, tablets, cars, etc., and it is rumored that her cooperation offer is between 150,000 and 220,000 yuan, with an income of nearly 3 million yuan in two years. This behavior was considered to be a violation of company discipline and also caused Dong Mingzhu's dissatisfaction. An employee of Gree's marketing department said that Meng Yutong was not resigned, but fired. Dong Mingzhu even publicly accused Meng Yutong's behavior, which brought some negative effects to Gree Electric.
However, Meng Yutong himself posted a video on social platforms, announcing that he had successfully graduated from Gree, thanking Dong Mingzhu and Gree for their training and opportunities, and saying that he would continue to study and apply for graduate school. She did not mention the fact that she was fired, nor did she respond to the accusation that she took on private work, only that she wanted to pursue what she loved.
This incident reflects the dilemma and challenges of Gree Electric in transformation and live streaming, and also sparked a discussion on young people's career cognition and values.
Subsequently, Gree reported to the police that Wang Ziru's interview was "maliciously edited by the self-media, using vulgar and obscene words to insult and slander the company's executives", which further exacerbated Gree's public relations crisis.
6. Mayday concert "lip-syncing" event
In December 2023, the concerts held by the Taiwanese band Mayday in Shanghai, London and other places were questioned by some netizens and bloggers about the existence of lip-synching, which sparked heated discussions and controversies on social media. The skeptics analyzed Mayday's singing audio through professional software, and concluded that many of the songs were done through lip-syncing, padding, etc. Mayday's agency, Believe Music, denied the allegations of lip-syncing, saying the remarks were malicious attacks and rumors. The Law Enforcement Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism attaches great importance to this matter, and has asked the organizers to provide original audio and video materials, conduct scientific evaluation and analysis, and publish the results of the investigation.
Although Mayday's agency @BelieveMusic responded on social media that it would actively cooperate with relevant law enforcement agencies to carry out investigations, netizens did not buy it. Authoritative media such as Xinhua News Agency and CCTV News also reported on the matter, which attracted wider attention.
Eventually, Mayday lead singer Ashin posted a long post on social networks in response to the lip-syncing question, saying that "every time I sing the high notes of E6 10 beats, I always kneel and pound the ground." However, this response did not dispel the public's doubts, but instead raised more questions about whether Ashin's treble reached 10 beats.
7. Controversial advertisements for five female doctors
In May 2023, an advertisement placed by the oral beauty brand "Five Female Doctors" in public places such as elevators caused dissatisfaction and complaints from netizens due to suspected vulgar publicity, creating appearance anxiety, and insulting women. In the advertisement, several women shouted "My husband is angry with me, drink", "Stay up late to chase dramas, drink", "One year older, drink", and the copywriter directly typed "Drink five female doctors, you forced them". Public opinion believes that the advertisement violates the relevant provisions of the "Advertising Law" and hinders social public order and good customs.
On May 12, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Market Supervision conducted an investigation into Beijing Qingyan Bozhi Health Management Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Beijing Qingyan"), the company behind the "Five Female Doctors" brand, requiring it to stop publishing relevant advertisements and impose a fine of 400,000 yuan. On June 14, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Market Regulation announced an administrative penalty against Beijing Qingyan, ordering it to correct its illegal acts and confiscate its illegal gains. On July 31, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Market Supervision imposed a penalty on Beijing Jujube Culture Communication Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Jujube Culture"), the producer of the advertisement, confiscating illegal gains and fining 220,000 yuan.
Both the "Five Female Doctors" brand and advertiser issued an apology statement on social platforms, saying that they accepted the punishment and rectified it. The incident sparked a discussion about the management and supervision of the advertising industry, as well as the image and rights of women.
postscript
Brand rollovers are often caused by inadequate corporate management and public relations crisis response. For enterprises, in order to avoid similar crisis events, it is necessary to strengthen internal management and public relations crisis response capabilities, and establish a sound crisis response mechanism. At the same time, companies also need to pay attention to the construction and maintenance of brand image and values, and avoid public dissatisfaction and doubts caused by inappropriate remarks or behaviors.