BMW Ended Up In A Firestorm Of Chinese Criticism After Offering Cool Ice Cream.
The CEO of BMW emphasised the importance of the Chinese market to the automaker by asserting that many of its cars' features were inspired by China and that the country was ahead of the curve globally in terms of auto trends.
I scream you scream, and we all scream for ice cream. It’s a sweet statement, but it’s extremely relevant to MINI.
Chinese internet users recently attacked the German carmaker BMW after the firm made news over an ice cream dispute. Chinese people have charged BMW of prioritising foreign visitors over domestic ones during an ice cream giveaway promotion at its Mini stand. The firm organised an ice cream giveaway at the Shanghai Auto Show, and their supply for the public was rapidly depleted. While this is unsurprising, a video of a ‘foreigner’ being served ice cream after Chinese locals were turned away has stirred uproar.
According to sources, “BMW Mini” was the second most popular search term on China’s Weibo social networking site. With individuals uploading images and videos of the incident and leaving critical comments, the issue has received over 93 million views. Two employees were seen on camera informing a few local customers visiting BMW’s Mini booth that the free ice cream had run out. However, later in the film, they can be seen giving a tub to a visitor from the West.
According to a sources, the situation took place after 300 servings of ice cream plannedfor guests had been distributed by the booth, and the foreigner in the video was none other than BMW employee. The insider, who wished to remain anonymous owing to the sensitivity of the situation, said that the workers were temporary employees recruited for the event and not BMW staff.
BMW issues an apology taking charge of the incident.
German motor powerhouse BMW owns Mini. After being accused of prejudice at the Shanghai Auto Show, the brand eventually issued an apology. The initial plan for the evening was to provide sweets to friends who were attending the show. The apologies from BMW’s Mini stated that “careless management and staff negligence caused unpleasantness for everyone.” The business promised to enhance staff training.
Multinational companies have previously faced criticism in China for allegedly discriminating against Chinese customers.
In 2016, Korean electronics manufacturer Samsumg experienced outrage for omitting China from an early recall of its faulty Galaxy Note 7 phone, while customers criticised Canada Goose’s return policy for discriminatory practices in 2021.
A similar situation happened in 2019 when Dolce & Gabbana, an Italian luxury brand, saw a decline in sales in China as a result of criticism for an ad campaign that was criticised to be racist by celebrities and on social media platforms.
Mercedes-Benz had to apologise to Chinese customers in 2018 for an Instagram post that included a remark from the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, who Beijing regards as a dangerous extremist.
Tesla was chastised by Chinese official media following a customer protest on its booth at the 2021 Shanghai auto show by owners reporting car faults. The American automaker later apologised for not handling consumer issues more effectively.
In speeches earlier this week, Oliver Zipse, the CEO of BMW, emphasised the importance of the Chinese market to the automaker by asserting that many of its cars’ features were inspired by China and that the country was ahead of the curve globally in terms of auto trends.
For many years, China was the primary profit generator for global business, as local buyers craved the prestige of driving multinational brands. However, a significant improvement in the quality of automobiles from local companies and start-ups has resulted in fiercer competition, particularly in the rapidly increasing field of electric vehicles.
Volkswagen has dispatched numerous top officials to the event as the German automaker attempts to regain market dominance in its most profitable area. Overseas automakers are fast losing market share to Chinese competitors, with local automakers on track to sell more passenger vehicles than overseas rivals by 2023. BYD, funded by Warren Buffett, sold more than three times as many vehicles in China as Tesla did in the first quarter of the year.
Conclusion.
In recent years, Chinese consumers have become more aware of the actions of major brands and have been more critical of international and domestic enterprises for perceived slights or for failing to uphold Beijing’s territorial claims. The world knows how aggressively Chinese territory reacts to a small cause. This event will be an alarming bell for all the multinationals to be extra vigilant when they are having their exhibitions over Dagon lands, as the Dragon is ever ready to throw fireballs at everyone.
