BMW, one of the world’s leading luxury car brands, made headlines at the recent Shanghai Auto Show for all the wrong reasons. An incident involving Mini exhibition staff and free ice cream distribution has sparked outrage among Chinese visitors, leading to a public relations nightmare for the German automaker.
According to reports from Chinese media outlets, a netizen recorded a video showing Mini staff allegedly discriminating against Chinese visitors while distributing free ice cream at the Shanghai Auto Show. The video quickly went viral on social media, with netizens condemning the alleged discrimination and calling for an apology from BMW.
In the video, a Chinese woman is seen asking for ice cream, but a staff member tells her that the distribution has ended. Moments later, a foreign man approaches the same staff member and is given ice cream, with the staff member even demonstrating how to eat it.
The incident caused an uproar on social media, with the hashtag “#BMW Mini exhibition discrimination” trending on Weibo and Baidu, China’s top social media and search platforms. The incident also prompted many netizens to call for a boycott of BMW products.
In response to the public outcry, BMW issued a statement apologizing for the incident and promising to improve internal management and staff training. “We sincerely apologize for the discomfort caused to everyone due to our internal management issues and the misconduct of our staff,” the statement read. “We will reflect on ourselves, improve our management methods, and strive to provide good service and experiences to all our customers.”
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of cultural sensitivity and diversity in business, especially in the age of social media where public opinion can quickly turn against a brand. As BMW works to repair its reputation in China, it remains to be seen how this incident will affect its standing among Chinese consumers in the long term.