15 March was “the other gala” of China, the “315 gala” for the World Consumer Rights Day. On this day, the consumer watchdog and authority celebrate brands that are trustworthy and those that haven’t been doing so great. This year, Mixue, the affordable bubble tea brand that recently went public in Hong Kong, got a “dishonourable mention”.
Workers at some branches were found to have reused leftover (but unused) fruits for their tea after storing them at room temperature overnight. However, despite the naming and shaming at the gala, the internet immediately sided with the massive chain and said “We forgive Mixue”. The reason? Unbeatable prices.
- #蜜雪冰城塌房后大学生的反应 Uni students react after Mixue scandal: 46.82 million views on Weibo, ranking number 1 on the Hot Search list
- #平价的蜜雪有豁免权吗 Does affordable Mixue have immunity: 26.51 million views on Weibo, ranking number 5 on the Hot Search list
With netizens jokingly saying, “I didn’t even know Mixue used real fruits,” or “My mom keeps fruits longer than overnight, what’s the problem?” It seems Mixue won the Internet without doing anything. Many commentators believe this is the result of years of investment in branding and PR, now bearing fruit in a time of crisis.
Need to boost your China strategy? Dao Pro delivers bespoke insights on marketing, innovation, and digital trends, direct from Chinese sources. Find out more from our Dao Strategy Team here.
