This week we saw an example of what happens when KOL placement backfires. Xiaomi (小米) speculated on Chinese tech blogger Universal Big Bear (万能的大熊), real name: Zong Ning (宗宁), as a brand ambassador and brand fans bared teeth. Why this Xiaomi KOL controversy happened shows both the strengths and weaknesses of Xiaomi’s position in the market.
Universal big bear is a big fish in the Chinese tech commentary world. His Weibo account hovers at around 2.5 million followers, and he boasts numbers in the tens of thousands on other platforms. The problem is he’s long trashed Xiaomi products in front of this following. So why enlist him as a brand spokesperson?
It’s not an uncommon strategy for brands to bring critics onside. The benefits of doing so are obvious. Xiaomi’s problem is the loyalty of its fan base. Xiaomi built its brand around a following of uniquely passionate fans – passionate to an extent better suited to popstars or football teams than a company in the tech world.
As the marketing spins it, dialogue with fans has been at the core of Xiaomi’s brand and product development. This gives Xiaomi fans real reason to believe that they are a part of the company, not on the outside looking in as, say, iPhone users do. Groupthink follows. If you’re not with us, you’re against us. Long Live Xiaomi. How could you appoint a critic as our spokesperson?
The funny thing is this would likely not have happened to Xiaomi’s competitors. Huawei, Apple, any of them, could attempt to turn a critical KOL without major backlash. But with Xiaomi fans, it’s personal.
This dogged following has its perks. Fans operate like an unofficial PR team, batting off criticism, spinning positive stories, and do it all for free. They even loyally invest in Xiaomi products. Make no mistake about it, Xiaomi’s fans are a powerful asset. The drawback is because they take things personally, Xiaomi can never say: ‘it’s just business.’
The collaboration with Universal Big Bear has since been dropped. Two Xiaomi senior execs have been docked their annual bonus. The Xiaomi KOL controversy is now in the rearview. But as Xiaomi pushes into drastically new markets, perhaps they’ll wish they had the breathing space of their competitors.
