Before long CCTV and Tencent cancelled the streaming of two pre-season games and Chinese sponsors were clambering to distance themselves from the NBA. An apology from the NBA and comments from various NBA stars stating how Morey was ‘misinformed’ went some way towards repairing the damage that a single tweet by one individual had caused.

But the damage done was not just to China’s feelings. For the first time, a large mainstream audience of non-China watchers, basketball fans, the everyman in America – was suddenly asking, why on earth is this one tweet so sensitive and why are we apologising?

Vice President Mike Pence even criticised the NBA for ‘silencing free speech’ and called it ‘un-American’. The NBA, who are meant to represent youthful rebellion and independence were suddenly being mocked for kowtowing to China.

Compounding this was the release of an episode of the cartoon South Park that focused on China and prodded at nearly every one of China’s sensitive points, including the self-censorship that Hollywood conducts when dealing with China. Within hours, every reference to South Park on streaming sites and social media platforms was scrubbed. This time however, the cartoon’s multi-millionaire creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone released a sarcastic ‘apology’ – further twisting the knife to the glee of many of their American fans.

Parker and Stone are probably well aware they have nothing to lose in China where they have little if any income, and a lot to lose in the US where their rebellious brand is their trademark. But for publicly listed companies or major organisations that may have over 30 percent of their revenue coming from China, it’s a harder act to balance.

Do they want access to the Chinese market but, perhaps, compromise some of their principles (whilst potentially alienating customers at home) – or should they stick to their guns and potentially miss out on the world’s biggest market?

So, what is the solution? For most smaller companies simply keeping schtum on most matters is the obvious choice. But there’s a problem with that. In today’s marketing environment, content is king. Posts, comments, videos and likes on social media keep brands relevant and in the forefront of customers minds.

Social media sites however, are rarely managed by the CEO of the company but more likely by some young intern who barely knows the brand they’re working for let alone Asian geo-politics. The social media manager in charge of the Marriot Hotel Group’s social feed recently got the boot when they ‘liked’ a post that the Chinese authorities didn’t. I doubt they were fully aware of the consequences of actions but the sheer volume of content created for socials means that no longer is there a couple of ad campaigns a year – there are a couple of campaigns a day. So, when someone from the Mercedes marketing team in Europe posted a cute quote from the Dalai Lama, little did they know that it would cost the company millions on the other side of the world and lead to a grovelling apology when China took offense.

Nor presumably, was some cool, young film director in Italy fully aware that his short promo film for Dolce & Gabbana would be enormously culturally offensive to a people he may never have met or knew much about. Yes, you’d hope senior management might have stopped that one before it was signed off but brands are increasingly relying on young creatives to be aware of not just how to use Photoshop and Final Cut but also to be up to speed on the cultural and social issues of countries far, far away.

The mistakes made have led to lots of American brands apologising for offending China’s people, but will American and European customers continue to respect a brand that they feel is self-censoring or not standing by its own brand identity?

At a recent lunch, the CEO of a major British brand operating in China told me that we might soon see disclaimers on websites that explain to audiences in the West why they have a different communication strategy in China but will that fly?

Companies like Google, who are still associated with their original motto “Don’t be evil,” have withdrawn from the Chinese market because they haven’t managed to find a way to square that circle. As with Facebook, they have been waiting in the wings to see how they can conform to China’s rules without putting aside their scruples. So far, neither have succeeded.

The post Twitter storm in a China teacup appeared first on Focus - China Britain Business Council.

Personal branding is the active management of your reputation. Everyone has a personal brand: an image that is projected to the outside world, or ‘what others say about you when you are not in the room’. In an increasingly global and interconnected world, the reputation economy is a real currency, online and offline.

Having a strong, respected, and most importantly, visible personal brand will have exponential effects on your career and business in the long run.

Personal branding in China and in the UK are similar in some aspects. They both start with understanding your brand positioning. First, identify the reason you are developing a personal brand. Then determine what you want to be known for and what value you can provide to others. Remember that personal branding is not about you. It is not an ego-driven activity, but a way to better connect your unique competencies with people you can serve. Authenticity and integrity are valued universally.

In western countries like the UK, people are generally more trusting of recommendation by strangers. In China they are more sceptical

There are also some key differences in personal branding between the UK and China though. In western countries like the UK, people are generally more trusting of recommendation by strangers. Just think about how much Amazon reviews can impact your purchase decision. In China, people can be more sceptical.

If you ask a group of international business students why a certain restaurant has a queue outside the door, most people would think that it is because the restaurant is popular. The Chinese students are more likely to think that the restaurant owners have paid people to stand in the queue to give the illusion of popularity.

Another difference is that online reputation is much more important in the west. In the UK, we focus on online and media presence. People will Google you before meeting you. If you are not visible online or have a negative online image, it’s difficult to get that first face to face meeting with anyone.

In China, the focus is on a guanxi network, which is about developing mutually-beneficial long term personal relationships that are built on respect and trust. The best way to improve your personal brand in China is by getting a recommendation from a credible person. If you are recommended by the right people, your online reputation on Baidu is less important. So get networking.

In the UK, we focus on online and media presence – China is a guanxi network based on personal relationships

For westerners wanting to build a personal brand in China, another great place to start is WeChat. Your profile photo and the background photo on the moments page should be professional and friendly. Use your status updates to showcase your personal brand by adding value to others. You should set up privacy options on each post to ensure it is shown to the right audience. As with any other public forum, stay away from complaining, criticizing others, sharing mundane details or leaking sensitive information. Use your common sense.

You can also join WeChat groups relevant to your industry and build personal relationships there. During major Chinese holidays like the Chinese New Year, it’s customary to send greetings in private messages to your contacts.

Other online platforms you can consider for building your professional credibility are: Weibo, forums like Zhihu or Baidu, video sites like Youku and podcast sites like Ximalaya. Note that Linkedin is currently not blocked in China so it is worth creating a Chinese profile. If you can get press coverage, that’s also excellent.

Remember, personal branding is not a sprint. Be open, honest and focus on adding value to others.  Soon, you’ll win over the hearts of people everywhere.

The post The difference between building your personal brand in the UK and China appeared first on Focus - China Britain Business Council.

Anyone with half an eye on public image management in China cannot have failed to notice the increasing rate at which Western companies are both getting it wrong, and then failing to deal effectively with the consequences.

Just when it seemed all possible avenues for creating public offence had been exhausted, along comes Dolce and Gabbana, who created a video so controversial that it eventually resulted in the Chinese Government cancelling its flagship Shanghai fashion show on the grounds of public upset.

But D&G is far from alone in committing blundering faux pas in China. The Italian luxury brand joins a list of illustrious names that have almost effortlessly found ways to antagonise Chinese consumers. Western PR fumbling in China is certainly not new, and yet poor crisis management continues to exacerbate already raw situations.

Companies whose management and marketing generate accidental insult are unlikely to have an effective crisis management plan in place, or the ability to quickly create and implement one. That nobody in a company is aware that something like using a quote from the Dalai Lama to promote a brand could cause offence is a clear indicator of a corporate body ill-prepared for modern Chinese consumers.

Properly informed leaderships that invest in effective marketing are unlikely to make cultural, commercial or geopolitical mistakes, or ever need to implement a crisis plan. But they should have one anyway.

Domenica Di Lieto of Emerging Communication

Not every crisis is of a brand’s own making. The actions or statements of Key Opinion Leaders, celebrities and even staff of third parties can wreak havoc, as was seen in the case of Balenciaga. The fashion house came under fire after department store security staff manhandled a Chinese customer queuing to get into its Printempts concession in Paris. The luxury brand was roundly blamed and committed the cardinal mistake of not facing up to problem either quickly or openly enough.

The basic mantra of crisis management in China should be to publicly embrace the problem, explain what is being done to put it right, and broadcast this as widely as possible. Entering into a game of ‘he said, she said’ on Chinese social media or elsewhere will only drag a brand further into the mire.  Instead, when a crisis arises companies must act quickly, take full liability, and there should be no attempt to make protracted excuses as they are likely to generate more negative sentiment.

An apology should be broadcast on all Western social media as well as Chinese. In the latest debacle by D&G, it was messages posted on Instagram that dealt the biggest blow; the video in question remained there long after it was taken off Chinese social media. On seeing this, messages were quickly relayed back home by some of the millions of Chinese nationals based in the US and Europe.

The basic mantra of crisis management in China should be to publicly embrace the problem, explain what is being done to put it right, and broadcast this as widely as possible

A lack of apology on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere is seen to be conspicuous by its absence. An apology must be replicated everywhere as a sign of respect to Chinese people, and global acknowledgement of the mistake made.

In the case of D&G in November, it released a patronising social video to promote a fashion show. It featured a Chinese model struggling to eat Italian food with chopsticks, and was reportedly followed by designer Stefano Gabbana using a ‘poo emoji’ on Instagram to describe China, and writing: ‘we live very well without you’.

D&G did not apologise, but blamed hackers, a statement that was not only viewed with scepticism by Chinese consumers but also conflicted with a video later made in which D&G leaders apologised for their ‘words and actions’.

A much better example of crisis management can be seen in the actions implemented by Marriot when its Chinese facing website created an outcry by listing Tibet and Taiwan as separate to China. However, the hotel group acted quickly. It apologised publicly, changed the website, and the individual who was said to be responsible was dismissed. Prompt and effective action kept damage to a minimum.

In terms of crisis preparation, nothing in China can rival March 15 of every year. The annual Consumer Day sees PR executives across the country focusing furiously on TV screens at the annual broadcast of the show ‘3.15’, as it runs through its marathon round up of companies spotlighted as having failed consumers. Companies that fear being included, no matter how slim the possibility, have crisis management plans and materials ready to go, should the worst happen.

But of course, prevention is better and cheaper than cure. For UK companies this should include senior executives being comprehensively tutored in Chinese culture, politics, commercial and consumer behaviour, and the individuals responsible for marketing having an even more thorough understanding of Chinese living, if not being actual Mandarin speakers with experience of living in China. If internal preparation of this type is not a realistic proposition, then it is important to hire in a resource that does have the required knowledge and experience. Crisis management aside, such an approach significantly improves strategic planning, as well as return on marketing investment.

Crisis situations in China begin at home in the boardroom and with senior marketers due to lack of awareness. It is much easier, and more cost-effective, to avoid public approbation through education than to rely on crisis management.

Domenica Di Lieto is the CEO of Emerging Communication

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