Brands Apologize Quickly to China Consumers, Except on Xinjiang
- Firms apologize often on territory issues, not Xinjiang: Study
- Businesses walk tightrope amid China’s rising nationalism
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Amid a rising wave of nationalism, Chinese shoppers have mounted at least 78 boycotts of foreign companies since 2016, more than six times the number seen in the preceding eight years, a new study found.
And while consumer brands all face the same complex operating environment in China, how they get out of hot water differs depending on the issue, according to research by the Swedish National China Centre. In general, companies quickly apologize when they’re being boycotted for issues around territory China considers sovereign, but far less frequently when it comes to the topic of alleged human rights violations.