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<ul><li>As per <keyword id="15508" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="YouGov">YouGov</keyword>'s report, in the last quarter, Xiaomi, Vivo, RealMe and Oppo have witnessed declining Buzz scores.</li><li>The negative sentiment is likely to affect their future choices as well, with a quarter of <keyword id="9501634" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="chinese-smartphone-users">Chinese smartphone users</keyword> indicating their intent to <keyword id="3758961" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="boycott-Chinese-products">boycott Chinese products</keyword> in the future.</li></ul>As the government orders e-commerce players to display the country of origin of products sold on their platforms, YouGov’s latest survey reveals three in ten urban Indian respondents (31%) consider the Country of Origin of a product important when buying it, but it ranks lower than other factors. The Quality of the product (77%), its price (53%) and the brand name or the parent brand (34%) are all notably more important when deciding what to buy. While it is less of a motivating factor when making a purchase, 44% respondents always seek information related to a product’s origin. 40% on the other hand, look for this information for certain products or services and 16% rarely or almost never bother about the origin of the product. Thinking about the different countries manufacturing products, the majority of respondents (88%) were most likely to say products of Indian origin had the greatest influence on their purchase intention. Apart from homemade goods, products made in America (71%), Japan (64%) and Germany (55%) have also had an impact on their purchase intent, suggesting products from certain countries can aid brands to some extent. On the other hand, products of Bangladeshi origin were most unlikely to have an influence, followed by those made in Hong Kong (66%), Taiwan (65%) Sweden (64%) and China (58%), all of these are likely to reduce or have no impact on purchase intent. When it comes to some of the leading categories sold worldwide, we saw for almost all the categories people are likely to consider the origin place of a product, except for buying alcohol. Consideration is the highest for ‘Smartphones and gadgets’ category (with 81% saying this), followed by ‘Consumer electronics’ (79%), ‘Food &amp; Beverages’ (77%) and Automobiles (75%). The recent episodes involving China have angered Indian consumers and many Chinese smartphone brands are facing a backlash on social media. The smartphone market in India is heavily dominated by Chinese brands and currently more than half of the respondents are using some Chinese smartphone, with Xiaomi leading the race, followed by Vivo, RealMe and Oppo. In response to the calls to boycott Chinese goods, 43% of all respondents claimed to have stopped using at least one or more <keyword id="108268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chinese-products">Chinese products</keyword> or services, with Chinese smartphone users being more likely to say this as compared to non-Chinese phone users (45% vs 39%). The negative sentiment is likely to affect their future choices as well, with a quarter of Chinese smartphone users indicating their intent to boycott Chinese products in the future. YouGov looked deeper into the smartphones category to see how the recent media and news events have affected consumer brand perception of some of the leading smartphone brands in India. Data from YouGov BrandIndex shows the strong negative emotion around Chinese goods could be a reason for the declining perception scores of some of the leading Chinese smartphone brands. In the last quarter, Xiaomi, Vivo, RealMe and Oppo have witnessed declining Buzz scores (whether one has heard something positive/ negative about the brand). Around the same time, Impression (whether one has a positive/ negative impression of the brand) for these brands has also plummeted. However, these movements are more likely to be influenced by the current geopolitical situations rather than solely the country of origin of a product. In the coming weeks, YouGov will continue tracking these brands to see the impact of upcoming events on brand perception and purchase behaviours.

Indian origin products most likely to have a positive influence on people’s purchase intent: Report

Later this week, India will celebrate Holi, the festival of colours. It’s also that time of the year when the boycott Chinese-goods-wallahs, tend to become hyperactive. This stems from the fact that over the years, a lot of Made-in-China pichkaris (water guns) and colours, have made it into the Indian market. This year, China’s decision to block the declaration of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), has added fuel to fire. And hence, we are gunning for Chinese goods. But the question at the end of the day is, how feasible is this? Can India really afford to boycott Chinese goods? And if it does what difference will it really make? Let’s take a look at this pointwise. 1) Take a look at Figure 1. It basically plots India’s exports to China, India’s imports from China, along with the trade deficit. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[
<div class="flourish-embed" data-src="visualisation/255954"></div>
]]></cdata></div>

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 India has been running a trade deficit with China for a very long time -- India’s imports from China are more than its exports to China. Figure 1 has data starting from 1991-92. In 1991-92 and 1992-93, India ran a trade surplus with China (its exports to China were more than its imports from China) and since then it has been running a trade deficit, which has exploded in the last 15 years. Hence, India’s trade deficit with China is not recent. It has been there for a while. 2) Why has India’s trade deficit with China exploded? The answer lies in the simple fact that India’s imports from China have exploded, whereas India’s exports to China have slowed down. In 2003-04, India’s trade deficit with China was around a billion dollars with exports to China being $3 billion, whereas imports from China at $4 billion. By 2011-12, the Indian exports to China had risen to $18.3 billion, which is where they peaked at. The imports during the same year were at $57.6 billion. The imports continued to increase after this and in 2017-18, stood at $76.4 billion, with exports falling to $13.3 billion. Hence, the trade deficit has kept increasing. What this also tell us is that India’s global export competitiveness over the years has come down dramatically. And this has hurt us in our trade with China as well. This is where the problem is. 3) It is important to understand that no one is forcing Indians to import goods from China. The fact that we are doing it is out of free will. The Chinese goods are either more value for money (i.e. better quality for the price demanded) or they are goods which are simply not widely available in India. Hence, it’s a matter of free choice and many Indians have executed that choice and chosen to buy Chinese goods. This free choice needs to be respected. In 2017-18, 16.4% of India’s total imports where from China. 4) What about those wanting a ban on the import of Chinese goods? Without getting into whether it’s possible to do that given the international regulations that prevail, there is another simple point that needs to be made. Typically, people supporting ban on Chinese goods tend to belong to traders’ bodies. It’s easy for traders to organise themselves into bodies. The Confederation of Indian Traders is one such body. The same is not true for customers. As mentioned earlier, one of the reasons Indians have been buying Chinese goods is because they offer more value for money. If they are forced to buy Indian goods, they will end up paying more for these goods. Of course, they have no way of organising themselves to protest against paying more. 5) Also, there is another fundamental point that people don’t tend to realise. Everyone only has so much money to spend. If people are forced to pay more for Indian products, they will cut down on expenditure somewhere else, in order to keep the overall expenditure constant. Hence, net-net, chances are there overall expenditure will still be the same. If people spend more, then their savings will come down, and at the societal level that will have its own repercussions. 6) India’s imports from China form around 3% of China’s overall exports. Hence, any attempt to stop import of Chinese goods is not going to monetarily hit China much. Over the years, the country has diversified its trade. On the slip side China’s imports from India, make up for around 4.4% of India’s exports. So, as a country India is slightly more dependent on China than vice versa. 7) So, what is the way out? The way out is for Indian companies and companies operating in India to produce goods at a competitive price and of competitive quality, something which encourages Indians to buy Indian products. Take the case of the current financial year. The total imports from China between April 2018 and January 2019, are at $60.2 billion. They had stood at $63.3 billion between April 2017 and January 2018. One of the major reasons for this is the fall in the import of telecom instruments (primarily mobile phones) from China. Between April 2017 and January 2018, India had imported telecom instruments worth $13.3 billion from China. Between April 2018 and January 2019, India imported telecom instruments worth $6.7 billion. Hence, these imports have come down dramatically. The interesting thing is that in January 2019, total telecom instruments worth $494.7 million were imported. This is just 36.2% of the total telecom instruments imported in January 2018. What does this mean? Given that mobile phone sales haven’t slowed down, it basically means that more and more mobile phones bought in India, are now being assembled in India, though key parts are still imported from China. This is good news. Many international mobile phones brands are pumping money into making mobile phones in India. This needs to be further encouraged. And this is the strategy that needs to be applied across sectors. Companies need to be encouraged to operate and manufacture stuff out of India, which is something that is clearly not happening. It is also visible in our exports, with exports in 2017-18, almost being the same as exports in 2012-13. There has been some improvement this year. 8) Manufactured goods still remain the number one Indian import from China. This simply stems from the fact that the Chinese products are more value for money. Hence, India needs to be more competitive while taking on China, and that is easier said than done. It is easier to organise protests and burn a few Chinese products and which is precisely what we are doing. Vivek Kaul is a Business Insider India contributor. Kaul is an economist and the author of the ‘Easy Money’ trilogy.

Many Indians want to shun Chinese goods -- here’s why that doesn’t make sense

<ul><li>With calls to boycott Chinese products seeing an everyday increase, we reached out to PR experts to understand how to deal with the hatred if your clients have a Chinese origin. </li><li>They shared how PR, if used tactfully, can bring back any business in the game. </li></ul>There is a storm of anger on social media as a reaction to the Indo-China border dispute. People are calling a ban on all Chinese products and uninstalling Chinese or Chinese-funded apps. Due to the on-going tension, BCCI is going to review its sponsorship deal for IPL with Chinese smartphone maker Vivo this week. Indian start-ups with Chinese-funds like Dream11, Swiggy, Paytm can also bear the brunt as BCCI reconsiders its sponsorship partnerships. The dispute has also made Indian brands put their advertising monnies away from TikTok and other Chinese platforms. So, as a Public Relations professional, how do you deal with this cloud of resentment coming in your client’s way on social media? Dilip Cherian, Consulting Partner, Perfect Relations advised to observe silence for a while. He said, “Deal with it SENSITIVELY...which just means not raising visibility or in other words hackles, for a while. Even if this means an unduly lower profile than the Marketing folks may want, it's the PR managers job to push back. Getting your brand in the line of fire is a real danger just now. Losing share of voice you can address later, I am quite sure. If your brand is the target of attack because of PR adventurism, then the Agency bears the blame, rightfully.” According to Mayank Sen, Co-founder, Moe's Art, "The best way to deal with the ongoing crisis is to have a subtle communication approach and avoid having any celebratory communication across owned and earned media platforms. This is not the first time Indian consumers have threatened to boycott Chinese products. In the past also, brands have faced similar issues whenever India and China relations have strained.” He adds, “Companies and their representatives should also use digital platforms tactfully, as direct confrontations with consumers will attract sharp and negative reactions. The current public sentiment might stretch if the issue doesn't get resolved through diplomatic process and Government relations. Sometimes lesser communication helps yield better results from a long-term perspective. These are momentary challenges and will ease over a period of time." Sonam Shah, Founder and CEO, Treize Communications says PR has immense potential to bring any business back in game, if used tactfully. “We do not have a ‘swim lane’ or a ‘silo’ that confines our professional capabilities in times of crisis. What makes PR a valuable tool during any crisis is the ability to bring any business back in the game. Ups and downs are bound to happen if a brand is in the public eye, and there is no running away from it. Rather one should go and revisit their core positioning and offering and focus on it,” explains Shah. Highlighting how the role of PR has expanded with time, Shah said,“Public Relations is all about building and maintaining a constantly evolving image within the end consumers and stakeholders. PR is no more confined to article placements. Today, Public Relations is an amalgamation of consumer psychology, news consumption patterns, strategy, and execution, which needs to be synced with the company's core proposition.” So, she recommended going back to the basics. “Regarding the <keyword id="3763841" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="boycott-china">Boycott China</keyword> sentiment going around, one can only expect PR firms to meet such a challenge with something new and different that would bring in behavioural and perception shifts. I think any PR handling such a sensitive situation, should go back to basics and concentrate on it. Emphasis on highlighting the key features of the brand, map out key media outlets and chart a focussed PR strategy. Build a clear purpose behind doing PR. Crisis Management for PR professionals is an opportunity where the team gets to showcase its A-game. Get the team excited about it rather than making it sound heavy, that helps a lot. It is in moments like these that PR firms get an opportunity to build trust and faith for its client/brand within its audiences and they should focus on that,” said Shah.

PR Professionals advise their Chinese clients to maintain a low profile to cushion the blow

New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) An app which aims to help smartphone users identify applications of Chinese origin has crossed five million downloads from Google Play Store in just about 15 days since its launch. Offered by Jaipur-based OneTouch AppLabs, the 'Remove China Apps' was released on Google Play Store on May 17. The popularity of the app comes amid border tensions between India and China in Ladakh and calls by Indian activists to boycott Chinese products. The #BoycottChineseProducts campaign got a major boost after educator and innovator Sonam Wangchuk last week posted a YouTube video urging people to avoid Chinese goods. The 'Remove China Apps' is ranked No. 1 among the top free apps on Google Play. OneTouch AppLabs said this application is for "educational purposes only to identify the country of origin of a certain application(s)" and that it does not "promote or force people to uninstall any of the application(s)." While it has managed to achieve an overall 4.9-star from reviewers, some users have pointed out shortcomings of the app. "... I just wanted to give a suggestion for just a little feature, i.e., also tell us about the alternatives for that particular app. For example, Xender and Share it are being used by a lot of people for transfer of files, and those apps are good. But if not those apps, then what to use as an alternative...??? Hope you consider this in next update," wrote one user in the review section. --IANS gb/na

'Remove China Apps' crosses 5 million downloads on Google Play Store

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Online sales of <keyword id="6377547" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="adidas">Adidas</keyword> and <keyword id="69300" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="nike">Nike</keyword> products at <keyword id="302749" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Alibaba">Alibaba</keyword>'s <keyword id="1953654" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tmall">Tmall</keyword> plummeted in April. </li><li>These sportswear brands are being targeted in a consumer boycott in <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword> against western brands</li><li>Meanwhile, Chinese athleticwear brands are "reaping" the benefits, according to Morningstar.</li></ul>Adidas and Nike are feeling the effects of a consumer boycott in China.According to a note from Morningstar analyst Ivan Su, online sales of Adidas and Nike products on Alibaba's Tmall platform fell by 78% and 59% respectively year-over-year in April.Chinese consumers snubbed the sportswear brands over statements they had made expressing concerns over alleged forced labor practices in the Xinjiang region in China. Tmall is China's largest online business-to consumer-platform.Meanwhile, Chinese athleticwear brands Anta and Li Ning "reaped" the rewards of these consumer boycotts, Su said."China Lining (Li Ning's premium fashion arm) is by far the biggest beneficiary, with Tmall sales up more than ninefold in April," Su wrote in the note. "We estimate Tmall sales for Anta group were up by about 59% in April, while for Li Ning group, they rose a whopping 92%."Chinese consumers started boycotting western brands including <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-boycott-brands-list-response-forced-labor-nike-adidas-hm-2021-3">Nike, Adidas, and H&amp;M in March</a> over their pledges not to use Xinjiang cotton. Past statements the companies had made on the issue <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-boycott-brands-list-response-forced-labor-nike-adidas-hm-2021-3">resurfaced online</a> in the wake of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/22/us/politics/sanctions-china-uighurs.html">sanctions placed on China</a> by the US, Canada, EU, and the UK, alleging "repressive practices against Uyghur Muslims and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang," Insider's Mary Meisenzahl previously <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-boycott-brands-list-response-forced-labor-nike-adidas-hm-2021-3">reported</a>.China is the most important market from a growth and profit perspective for both Adidas and Nike, according to Jefferies research. In a recent note to clients, Jefferies analyst Jamie Merriman said that Chinese sales represented nearly a quarter of Nike and Adidas' revenue in fiscal 2020. Merriman isn't expecting this fallout to have a long-term impact, however, given the strength of both the Nike and Adidas brands in the region, she said.Su echoed this point in his note on Wednesday. "Chinese consumers' current buying behaviors are most likely temporary," he wrote. "We maintain our view that as there aren't renewed attacks from state media, consumer boycotts against Nike and Adidas should most likely fade over the next months."

Nike and Adidas saw their online sales plummet in China over the Xinjiang cotton boycott

New Delhi, June 3 (IANS) After removing the Mitron app, Google Play Store has now taken down the 'Remove China Apps' designed to help smartphone users identify applications of Chinese origin. Offered by Jaipur-based OneTouch AppLabs, the 'Remove China Apps' was released on Google Play Store on May 17. In a tweet late on Tuesday, OneTouch AppLabs confirmed that Google has "suspended" the app. "Dear Friends, Google has suspended our #RemoveChinaApps from google play store. Thank you all for your support in past 2 weeks...," read the tweet. It did not mention why the app was removed. Google Play Store does not allow apps that "attempt to deceive users or enable dishonest behaviour". OneTouch AppLabs published a disclaimer on its website that Remove China Apps was "being developed for educational purposes only ... we do not promote or force people to uninstall any of the application(s)." However, users reported that the app helped them remove Chinese apps. According to a report in TechCrunch, some users even found that the Remove China Apps flagged content with hardly any clear China link, including U.S. video conferencing tool Zoom. The Remove China Apps became hugely popular in India as it crossed five million downloads from Google Play Store in just about 15 days since its launch. It was even ranked No. 1 among the top free apps on Google Play. The popularity of the app came amid border tensions between India and China in Ladakh and calls by Indian activists to boycott Chinese products. The #BoycottChineseProducts campaign got a major boost after educator and innovator Sonam Wangchuk last week posted a YouTube video urging people to avoid Chinese goods. Google on Tuesday removed another popular app, Mitron, from its Play Store for allegedly violating its spam and minimum functionality policy. The removal of the app came soon after reports emerged that the Mitron app is a repackaged version of TicTic, which is a TikTok clone. --IANS gb/na

After Mitron, Google Play Store takes down 'Remove China Apps'

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">ReutersApple CEO Tim Cook.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>The Trump administration's decision to blacklist Chinese tech firm Huawei could have an unintended victim: Apple.</li><li>Chinese citizens are calling for an Apple boycott on social media, which could represent a threat to Apple's already fragile iPhone sales in the country.</li><li>UBS warned that the moves against Huawei are "a risk for Apple and the supply chain."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>Huawei has had tortuous few days after being blacklisted in the US. But now people are worrying that the treatment of the Chinese tech firm could backfire on one of America's great corporate success stories.Apple could well fall victim to a retaliatory movement in China. There are signs that Chinese citizens are prepared to turn their back on the company, and analysts are predicting that fragile iPhone sales in the country could take another battering.UBS circulated a note to clients on Wednesday spelling out the risk to Apple if the tide of national opinion turns against the company over the treatment of Huawei."At times, foreign consumer goods have been negatively impacted in China by nationalist sentiment (which social media potentially exacerbating this)," UBS said."This could have been a factor regarding Apple iPhone's poorer performance in China in 4Q18. Whilst hard to quantify, we do view this as a risk for Apple and the supply chain."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-puts-huawei-android-suspension-on-hold-2019-5?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google offers Huawei a brief reprieve by putting its Android suspension on hold</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-mocked-on-chinese-social-media-for-giving-huawei-free-publicity-2019-5?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Business Insider reported last week</a> on the "intense discussion" on Chinese social media about US President Donald Trump's moves against Huawei. <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosalindadams/us-china-trade-war-apple-huawei" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BuzzFeed News</a> also said users of microblogging site Weibo have been calling for a boycott of Apple products.It's not the first time the threat of an Apple boycott has been floated. Chinese citizens and companies promised to shun Apple goods following the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in December.The <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Trade-war/Chinese-companies-rally-around-Huawei-after-CFO-arrest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikkei Asian Review</a> reported at the time that some Chinese firms were even threatening to confiscate iPhones from their employees and punish those who bought them.Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the state-owned Global Times newspaper, is one iPhone user who is switching to Huawei because the Chinese firm is being "unreasonably suppressed" by the US government.<a href="https://twitter.com/HuXijin_GT?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In a tweet explaining the decision</a>, he added that he does not support a boycott, however. "There are many loyal users of iPhone in China and I believe they are free to decide the brand of cell phone they use," Hu added.This was echoed by Bryan Ma, vice president of client devices research at research firm IDC Asia Pacific. <a href="https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3011126/apples-china-woes-may-worsen-huawei-ban-nudges-die-hard-iphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">He told the South China Morning Post</a>: "There will be some who are nationalistic and say no to American products, but there are many other users to whom it does not matter as much."But even a small swing in sentiment against Apple could be hugely damaging for the company. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-warns-holiday-quarter-was-a-huge-miss-2019-1?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple issued a disastrous earnings warning in January,</a> in which it warned that holiday quarter revenue would be more than 7.6% lower than it expected - in large part due to a shortfall in sales in China.Apple's fortunes improved in China in the first three months of 2019, with CEO Tim Cook highlighting the "improved trade dialog between the United States and China" on an <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4258275-apple-inc-aapl-ceo-tim-cook-q2-2019-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earnings call last month</a>.But relations between the US and China have taken a dramatic turn for the worse since then, and Apple could again be caught in the crosshairs. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-io-2019-event-watch-pixel-3a-nest-hub-max-2019-5">Watch Google's I/O 2019 event in 7 minutes</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Huawei's torment in the US could be about to backfire, dealing a stinging blow to Apple

<ul><li>Following a public outcry over IPL’s association with Vivo India, the Chinese smartphone and technology brand, was suspended from the title last year. </li><li>Now that the brand is back as title sponsor for IPL 2021, we speak to brand experts to find out if there’s a chance of this association with the tournament backfiring for BCCI. </li></ul>Before the beginning of Indian Premier League season 13 last year, there was a storm of anger on social media as a reaction to the Indo-China border dispute. People were calling a ban on all Chinese products and uninstalling Chinese or China-funded apps. This anger was also projected on IPL over the tournament’s association with Vivo India. The Chinese smartphone and technology brand also bore the brunt as it was suspended from the title in 2020, despite signing a five-year deal with BCCI in 2018 for Rs 2,199 crore. It was replaced by Dream11, which bagged the rights for Rs 222 crore (approximately $29.7 million at that time). Now that the public resentment towards Chinese products has faded and after maintaining a low profile last year to cushion the blow, Vivo is back as the title sponsor for IPL 2021. In the last few months, as people have had more time to kill in India, many brands, actors and celebrities have been boycotted online. As a result, it has become increasingly tough for a brand to navigate through these volatile climes and launch even a slightly ‘controversial’ campaign or enter into a collaboration that could invite the infamous online trolls. So, after dealing with a public outcry last year, can the renewed association between IPL and Vivo India backfire at the parties involved? And can the partnership help Vivo build back its image? Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru &amp; Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults inc, said, “Things come a full circle, as even this has! Vivo is back as title sponsor! This just means that it is business as usual as far as Chinese brands of every avatar is concerned. The common man never really bothered to check nationality of the brand in use. As the brouhaha settles, this means Vivo is back in the driver's seat as far as IPL eyeballs are concerned.” Last year, Dream11 IPL had set a viewership record with an overall consumption increase of 23% versus 2019 on Star Sports. Its television viewership reached an outstanding 31.57 million. Disney+Hotstar, on the other hand, had signed around 300 advertisers and had earned ad revenues in excess of Rs 300 crore despite the tournament being put behind the paywall. IPL 2020 had clearly showcased that it is pandemic-proof with the number of brands coming on board for sponsorship. So, with consumer sentiment picking up and advertisers opening their purse strings, IPL 2021 could be the biggest tournament we have seen so far, which can act as an image booster for title sponsor Vivo. Lloyd Mathias, Angel Investor and Business Strategist, said, “Vivo moved out as the <keyword id="1458693" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPL-Title-Sponsor">IPL title sponsor</keyword> in 2020 given the pressure on Chinese brands due to the Indo-China border conflict. Now with the situation getting better and the pandemic flattening out, it makes sense for them to make a comeback and up their marketing to full throttle. The 2021 IPL back in India, will mean big awareness and impact – just what they need to get back their salience.” With the geopolitical issues around the conflict in Ladakh moving in a positive direction, Ronita Mitra, Founder and Chief Strategist, Brand Eagle Consulting said that the sentiments towards the Chinese brands should also improve. Mitra said, "At a functional level, the Chinese brands including Vivo are valued for money brands making smartphones affordable for a large segment of the population. While patriotic sentiments had overtaken commercial and brand preferences and rightly so, consumers may be more open towards brands that are within their reach despite their Chinese origin. The visibility offered by IPL would certainly give Vivo a big boost in pulling up brand metrics as well as sales. Given that the country-level issues between India and China are settled to a significant extent, consumers will focus once again on the game and possibly not hold onto the negative sentiments against the Chinese brands including Vivo. Vivo coming back as the title sponsor may just be a win-win for both the brand and IPL. For IPL, the commercial gains will be huge as few brands can match the outlays that Vivo is bringing in." However, the social media world today can be rather unpredictable. Karthik Srinivasan, Social Media Expert and Communications Consultant advised the brand and tournament to act smartly and stay prepared. He said, “As long as the brand produces useful products (in this case, impressive phones, at good prices), I really doubt any other factor could affect its potential in the long run. The brand's primary function is to be useful to its target buyers. What's happening around the animosity between the two countries is beyond one brand's control. Unless the Indian Government completely bans Chinese-owned products (or services, like the way it did in the case of TikTok), I doubt there would be any material impact on the image of brands like Vivo. But, as we have seen that 'toolkits' are more widespread across the spectrum, there could be online campaigns mounted against the brand before or during the next IPL. But they would not matter to the larger world beyond social media.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Can the partnership backfire?" text="Can the partnership backfire?">Can the partnership backfire? </cmsannotation> Now that the border dispute between China-India has cooled off and the common people of India have moved on with their lives, experts think that the partnership can only backfire if the tension escalates. On whether BCCI can get into trouble again, Srinivasan answered, “I do not think so. Unless the Government finds that a well-known body like BCCI working with a Chinese-owned brand is negatively impacting their response to the border crisis and intervenes by asking BCCI not to go ahead with the sponsorship, I don't think it should matter much to Vivo. There could be some online backlash (which could be engineered, of course) against players who endorse the brand as part of the overall deal, but these should not affect the brand's actual standing.” Bijoor, on the other hand, predicts that ‘there’s a chance of this backfiring.’ He said, “It is all dependent on the strident voices on China and chinese brands. If tensions deepen, if at all, there is bound to be a reaction once again. And the sponsor shall pay, as shall IPL itself I guess.” Mathias said, “Geopolitics can have a serious impact on business. However, it is difficult to predict as for now the border tensions have cooled off. Should there be any escalation of tensions, this may become an issue but that’s the chance the BCCI is taking, knowing fully well that they will be able to pull in a last minute sponsor – as they did in 2020.” Despite the slowdown, IPL continued to attract strong consideration from advertisers in 2020. After observing silence for around a year, coming back as IPL’s title sponsor can add to Vivo’s growth and bring back consumer trust.

What does Vivo coming back as IPL's title sponsor mean for BCCI and the brand?

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="150626" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="HM">H&amp;M</keyword>'s online presence in <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword> is disappearing as the nation's citizens boycott the brand.</li><li>Its products are missing from shopping sites, and store locations were scrubbed from map services.</li><li>H&amp;M's months-old comment criticizing China over forced-labor accusations resurfaced last week.</li></ul>H&amp;M's online presence has all but disappeared in China <a href="https://www.insider.com/hm-chinese-e-commerce-boycott-social-media-firestorm-2021-3">amid a widespread boycott of the Swedish retailer</a> after the recirculation of comments about forced labor made by the company last year.The company's items were scrubbed from Alibaba, the e-commerce behemoth founded by Jack Ma, and JD.com, one of China's largest online retailers, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-erase-h-and-m-shopping-xinjiang-442a71a395d5aac39c3c475a20054a34">The Associated Press</a>. China's Google Maps-like Baidu Maps platform, as well as Alibaba's map service, also <a href="https://www.insider.com/hm-chinese-e-commerce-boycott-social-media-firestorm-2021-3">removed the locations</a> of H&amp;M's 500 Chinese stores. Those stores weren't appearing in the Chinese ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing either, according to the report, and the H&amp;M app was also absent from app stores.H&amp;M did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.The disappearance of H&amp;M's online presence represents the power that China can wield over foreign retailers as Chinese companies and consumers boycott the brand and others that are criticizing the government.Last year, <a href="https://www.insider.com/hm-chinese-e-commerce-boycott-social-media-firestorm-2021-3">H&amp;M released a statement</a> announcing its decision to stop sourcing cotton from the Xinjiang autonomous region and said it would sever its ties with a Chinese yarn company that had been accused of forcing labor upon the Uyghur Muslim community. The comment was made after the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/extra/nz0g306v8c/china-tainted-cotton">BBC</a> reported that hundreds of thousands in the Uyghur minority were being subjected to arduous forced labor.Reports have since emerged accusing officials of further persecuting Uyghurs with confinement in concentration camps in Xinjiang, as well as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-forcibly-sterilizing-uighur-women-xinjiang-abortions-contraception-ap-2020-6">forced sterilization</a>. Beijing has denied that account and said the camps are "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-forcibly-sterilizing-uighur-women-xinjiang-abortions-contraception-ap-2020-6">reeducation centers</a>" that offer "vocational training."<a href="https://www.insider.com/hm-chinese-e-commerce-boycott-social-media-firestorm-2021-3">In the 2020 statement</a>, H&amp;M said it was "deeply concerned by reports from civil society organizations and media that include accusations of forced labor." It was recirculated on the social-media platform Weibo after the US, the European Union, Britain, and Canada imposed sanctions on Chinese officials last week over allegations of human-rights violations. China, in turn, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-erase-h-and-m-shopping-xinjiang-442a71a395d5aac39c3c475a20054a34">imposed penalties</a> Friday on British officials, barring them from entering the country.H&amp;M counts China as its fourth-largest market, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-xinjiang-cotton/old-hm-comment-on-forced-labour-in-chinas-xinjiang-raises-online-storm-idUSKBN2BG1G4">Reuters</a>, and many in China have taken issue the retailer's comments."Spreading rumors to boycott Xinjiang cotton while trying to make money in China? Wishful thinking!" China's Communist Youth League posted on Weibo, according to China's <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202103/1219362.shtml">Global Times</a> <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> outlet.H&amp;M isn't the only international brand to receive backlash for taking such a public stance against Xinjiang-sourced cotton. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-boycott-brands-list-response-forced-labor-nike-adidas-hm-2021-3">At least 11 US and European brands</a>, including Burberry, Nike, and Adidas, are also facing fallout. Tencent said it was scrubbing costumes designed by Burberry that were worn by characters in a popular online game, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-erase-h-and-m-shopping-xinjiang-442a71a395d5aac39c3c475a20054a34">AP</a>.

H&M was wiped from the internet in China, sending a chilling warning to other retailers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Fashion retailer <keyword id="150626" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="HM">H&amp;M</keyword> has released a fresh statement, calling China a "very important market."</li><li>The company did not specify in the statement if it would start using <keyword id="46500" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Xinjiang">Xinjiang</keyword> cotton now.</li><li>H&amp;M was scrubbed clean last week from Chinese online shopping platforms as part of a mass boycott.</li></ul>Fashion retailer H&amp;M has released a conciliatory statement in response to the Xinjiang cotton controversy, calling China a "very important market."In the new statement, the brand said that it has a "long-term commitment" to China and vowed to "regain the trust and confidence" of customers, colleagues, and business partners in the country.The Swedish fast-fashion brand is currently <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hm-boycott-wiped-from-internet-china-2021-3">grappling with a mass boycott by Chinese online retailers and consumers alike</a>, after an old statement from 2020 - where the brand took a stand against the use of "forced labor" in the production of Xinjiang cotton - re-surfaced. In the 2020 statement, H&amp;M said it would not source cotton from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and added it had terminated its relationship with a Chinese yarn company accused of using the "forced labor" of Uyghur Muslims. Additionally, the company said it was "deeply concerned by reports from civil society organizations and media that include accusations of forced labor."While the company did not specify in Thursday's statement if it would start using Xinjiang cotton, the statement mentioned that the company wants to be a "responsible buyer, in China and elsewhere," and is willing to work with "all relevant stakeholders" to "jointly build a more sustainable fashion industry." "Our company values are built on trust, respect, integrity, and dialogue. We wish to focus on our core business and on what we do best - bringing fashion and design to our customers all around the world," H&amp;M said in the statement.H&amp;M was one of several big international brands, including <a href="https://www.insider.com/chinese-weibo-angry-xinjiang-burning-nike-shoes-2021-3">Nike</a> and Adidas, targeted by the Chinese online community last week after translations of its statement on human rights violations in Xinjiang were circulated on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.The social media backlash that ensued from the post circulating on Weibo saw millions of comment threads spawning in a matter of hours. Some Weibo users <a href="https://www.insider.com/hm-chinese-e-commerce-boycott-social-media-firestorm-2021-3">called for a mass nationwide consumer boycott, writing: "Die, H&amp;M, die</a>." This social media firestorm brand's listings wiped off popular Chinese shopping apps like Alibaba, Taobao, JD.com, and Pinduoduo. The geo-locations of H&amp;M stores were also deleted off Baidu Maps - China's version of Google Maps - making it impossible for users to search for its retail store locales.

H&M releases new statement following Xinjiang controversy, says China is a 'very important market'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Chinese consumers are boycotting international brands including <keyword id="150626" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="HM">H&amp;M</keyword> and <keyword id="69300" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="nike">Nike</keyword>.</li><li>The boycotted brands pledged not to use cotton from the Xinjiang region in <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>.</li><li>Earlier this week, the US and other Western countries sanctioned China over forced labor.</li></ul>At least 11 brands are facing boycotts in China over pledges not to use <a href="https://www.insider.com/hm-chinese-e-commerce-boycott-social-media-firestorm-2021-3">cotton from the Xinjiang region</a>, which is reportedly produced with forced labor.On Monday the US, EU, Canada, and UK placed <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/22/us/politics/sanctions-china-uighurs.html">sanctions on China</a> for "repressive practices against Uyghur Muslims and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang." Following the sanctions, past statements on human rights violations in Xinjiang from retailers including H&amp;M and Nike <a href="https://www.insider.com/hm-chinese-e-commerce-boycott-social-media-firestorm-2021-3">surfaced on the social media platform Weibo,</a> with users pledging to <keyword id="6359192" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boycott">boycott</keyword> H&amp;M and other brands that <a href="https://enduyghurforcedlabour.org/brands/">signed a pledge</a> to stop using Xinjiang cotton.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/local-boutiques-sales-up-retailers-customers-invest-quality-purchases-2021-3">While Big Retail took a hit, some local boutiques have benefited from offering 'retail therapy' to customers eager to invest in quality items</a>Insider reached out to each of the brands, and have included statements from those who were immediately available to comment.Here are the affected brands so far.<h3>H&amp;M</h3><div type="image" title="H&amp;M" height="2620" width="3493" msid="81696606" hostid="261"></div>Swedish brand <a href="https://www.insider.com/hm-chinese-e-commerce-boycott-social-media-firestorm-2021-3">H&amp;M said in a statement</a> that it would no longer use cotton from the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region and ended its relationship with a yarn company in the region. In the statement, the retailer said it was "deeply concerned by reports from civil society organizations and media that include accusations of forced labor."H&amp;M's statement was circulated on Chinese social media platform <a href="https://www.insider.com/hm-chinese-e-commerce-boycott-social-media-firestorm-2021-3">Weibo.</a> H&amp;M products were removed from shopping sites including Alibaba and JD.com, and <a href="https://www.insider.com/hm-chinese-e-commerce-boycott-social-media-firestorm-2021-3">Baidu Maps</a> removed geolocations of the retailer. Social media posts showed that at least 50 H&amp;M stores were closed across China over <a href="https://www.insider.com/hm-chinese-e-commerce-boycott-social-media-firestorm-2021-3">fears of protests.</a><h3>Nike</h3><div type="image" title="Nike Beijing" height="1820" width="2426" msid="81696607" hostid="261"></div>Nike released its own <a href="https://purpose.nike.com/statement-on-xinjiang">statement</a> about using cotton from the region, saying "We are concerned about reports of forced labor in, and connected to, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Nike does not source products from the XUAR and we have confirmed with our contract suppliers that they are not using textiles or spun yarn from the region."People posted videos of <a href="https://www.insider.com/chinese-weibo-angry-xinjiang-burning-nike-shoes-2021-3">burning Air Jordans and Air Force 1s</a> on Weibo in protest. Chinese actor <a href="https://www.insider.com/chinese-weibo-angry-xinjiang-burning-nike-shoes-2021-3">Wang Yibo</a> ended his contract with Nike as a result of the statement.<h3><keyword id="6377547" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="adidas">Adidas</keyword></h3><div type="image" title="Adidas store" height="1646" width="2195" msid="81696608" hostid="261"></div>Adidas also stated that it would not use cotton from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Three big stars, Yang Mi, Jackson Yee, and Dilraba Dilmurat, all severed relationships with Adidas as a result, <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dp7j8/nike-adidas-china-xinjiang-cotton-boycott">Vice reported.</a><h3>Converse</h3><div type="image" title="converse all stars" height="3124" width="4166" msid="81696611" hostid="261"></div>Celebrities Zhang Yixing, Ouyang Nana, and Bai Jingting ended relationships with Converse over the pledge, <a href="https://sg.news.yahoo.com/backlash-china-against-nike-adidas-052726262.html">The South China Morning Post reported.</a><h3>Burberry</h3><div type="image" title="GettyImages 1229771391" height="2088" width="2784" msid="81696613" hostid="261"></div>The People's Daily, which is controlled by China's Communist party, named <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3126904/backlash-china-against-nike-adidas-and-other-global-brands">Burberry</a> as a company that would not use Xinjiang cotton.<h3>Calvin Klein</h3><div type="image" title="calvin klein store" height="799" width="1068" msid="81696614" hostid="261"></div>Chinese celebrity <a href="https://sg.news.yahoo.com/backlash-china-against-nike-adidas-052726262.html">Zhang Yixing</a> stopped promoting Calvin Klein over the pledge.<h3>Under Armour</h3><div type="image" title="under armour" height="846" width="1129" msid="81696615" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://about.underarmour.com/news/2020/08/under-armour-statement-on-xinjiang">Under Armour's</a> statement echoed many other brands, saying "Under Armour is deeply concerned by credible reports of forced labor and other abuses in, and outside, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR)." The athleticwear brand is on the list of brands to boycott.<h3>Tommy Hilfiger</h3><div type="image" title="preppy clothing tommy hilfiger" height="2250" width="3000" msid="81696616" hostid="261"></div>Celebrities have said they will stop promoting clothing brand Tommy Hilfiger over Xinjiang cotton, <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dp7j8/nike-adidas-china-xinjiang-cotton-boycott">Vice reported.</a><h3>New Balance</h3><div type="image" title="New Balance military" height="2868" width="3823" msid="81696618" hostid="261"></div>The People's Daily also named <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3126904/backlash-china-against-nike-adidas-and-other-global-brands">New Balance</a> as a company that would not use Xinjiang cotton.<h3><keyword id="6431981" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gap">Gap</keyword> </h3><div type="image" title="Gap" height="2000" width="2667" msid="81696620" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gap.com%2Fsustainability%2Fxinjiang">Gap made a statement</a> stating that "We can confirm that we do not source any garments from Xinjiang," and that the company has "strict policies against the use of involuntary labor." As a result, Gap was added to the list of brands to <a href="https://www.insider.com/chinese-weibo-angry-xinjiang-burning-nike-shoes-2021-3">boycott on Weibo.</a><h3>Zara</h3><div type="image" title="zara store" height="819" width="1092" msid="81696621" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://qz.com/1988896/under-pressure-in-china-zara-deleted-a-statement-about-xinjiang/">Zara's website</a> had a statement online that called reports of forced labor in Xinjiang "highly concerning," which has since been removed. Zara was added to the Weibo list of brands to boycott.

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