On Thursday, Chinese online users accused German automaker BMW (BMWG.DE) of discrimination at the Shanghai auto show after workers at its Mini stand gave Western visitors ice cream.
The phrase “BMW Mini” became the second most-searched topic on China’s Weibo social media network, with over 93 million views. According to local media, users reposted photographs and videos, along with harsh remarks, of a Wednesday incident.
BMW and other German automakers have flocked to the Shanghai auto show to keep up with consumer trends in a country where Chinese rivals have aggressively captured market share.
One video showed two workers telling local visitors to the stand that the free ice cream had gone out, then offering a tub to a Western guest.
“This has taken away my good feelings towards BMW,” claimed one Weibo commentator.
A source said the booth had finished giving out 300 servings of ice cream for tourists when the incident occurred, and the foreigner in the video was a BMW employee.
The insider, who requested anonymity owing to the subject’s sensitivity, said the personnel was temporary display workers, not BMW employees.
Reuters received no response from BMW.
The company told the Beijing Youth Daily that the incident was a misunderstanding caused by inadequate personnel management and that they were addressing it.
The booth did not serve ice cream on Thursday, and personnel sent the corporation questions about the social media uproar.
IN PRESENTATIONS EARLIER THIS WEEK, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse stressed the importance of the Chinese market, claiming many of its cars’ characteristics were inspired by China and that the country was ahead of global auto trends.
In recent years, Chinese consumers have watched huge brands more attentively, criticizing foreign and local enterprises for perceived slights or for not honoring Beijing’s territorial claims.
Consumer boycotts have followed such criticism. For example, after celebrities and social media criticized Dolce & Gabbana’s discriminatory advertising campaign, China sales slowed in 2019.
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