Big companies on alert in countdown to China’s consumer rights TV show
- Foreign and local brands hold their breath to see which ones will be named and shamed by the country’s state broadcaster
China is gearing up to skewer companies it accuses of treating consumers badly in a yearly event that has previously named and shamed firms from Apple to Nike.
State-run China Central Television (CCTV) will on Friday evening broadcast its annual consumer rights show, similar to CBS network’s 60 Minutes in the United States, that tends to be a mix of undercover reports and song-and-dance routine.
Known as “315”, in reference to global consumer rights day on March 15, the show is usually greeted with trepidation by local and foreign brands, that have, in recent years, set up public relations teams in advance or handed out freebies around the day to take the edge off any possible criticism.
“This is the one day of the year that all eyes are focused on the consumer issue,” said James Feldkamp, Shanghai-based CEO of consumer research and testing firm MingJian.
“Some people may say it is losing its bite then suddenly it will have a big scandal that will have a big impact.”
This year, the show will grab more attention, with Beijing locked in a trade war with the United States and heavily criticising Canada over its decision to detain the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies at the request of the US.
