Demerzel’s Blog - Intellectual Analysis on China, SEO, Analytics, and the Web
Independent and intellectual thoughts ranging from China, SEO, Analytics, and other international topics
Carrefour Learned Little About China
Author: Demerzel25 Apr
What to do when Chinese citizens want to boycott your company/products:
- Launch a PR campaign about how Carrefour supports China
- Begin a sale that cuts prices by a large enough amount to get the Chinese to come and buy
What not to do when Chinese citizens want to boycott your company/products:
- Begin a sale that cuts prices in half without realizing that the number is 250 (二百五 — the Chinese phrase for idiot)
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5 Responses for "Carrefour Learned Little About China"
Haha! That’s hilarious! I hadn’t seen that!
Perhaps the ongoing trend of localisation in the Chinese operations of multinational companies has had a bearing on the resulting confusion and inaction that resulted from this crisis. Especially given the extreme nationalistic sentiment involved. I’m guessing that the information coming out of the shell shocked regions with no expatriate staff was hazy to say the least and the Chinese bbs timebombs are still uncharted territory for foriegn PR departments.
To offer a sale was a grave mistake but perhaps a decision that was made before the torch relay.
Perhaps that sale offer was planned beforehand, essentially the PR department put the cart before the horse.
You deal with the PR problem first, then offer the sale to woo people back.
Shoudn’t may day sales be pretty ordinary? Nonetheless you’re right, though,in the end it’s all academic, because this is unlikely to sink the evil supermarket, because, let’s face it.. despie its overweming support the boycott does not represent a great proportion of Chinese peoples views.
Yes, but wouldn’t the sale be this weekend rather than last weekend?
And definitely the boycott (like many) usually represents a small portion of people’s views.
Then there is the whole rice issue where people must eat first, then worry about foreign problems.