{"id":49081,"date":"2026-01-09T03:23:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T03:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daoinsights.com\/?p=49081"},"modified":"2026-01-12T06:04:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T06:04:20","slug":"xiaomi-kol-controversy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daoinsights.com\/news\/xiaomi-kol-controversy\/","title":{"rendered":"Xiaomi KOL controversy: how fan culture turned a routine influencer deal into a crisis\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This week we saw an example of what happens when KOL placement backfires. Xiaomi (\u5c0f\u7c73) speculated on Chinese tech blogger Universal Big Bear (\u4e07\u80fd\u7684\u5927\u718a), real name: Zong Ning (\u5b97\u5b81), as a brand ambassador and brand fans bared teeth. Why this Xiaomi KOL controversy happened shows both the strengths and weaknesses of Xiaomi\u2019s position in the market. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universal big bear is a big fish in the Chinese tech commentary world. His Weibo account hovers at around 2.5 million followers<\/a>, and he boasts numbers in the tens of thousands on other platforms. The problem is he\u2019s long trashed Xiaomi products in front of this following. So why enlist him as a brand spokesperson? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not an uncommon strategy for brands to bring critics onside. The benefits of doing so are obvious.  Xiaomi\u2019s problem is the loyalty of its fan base. Xiaomi built its brand around a following of uniquely passionate fans \u2013 passionate to an extent better suited to popstars or football teams than a company in the tech world.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Xiaomi
Xiaomi fans pose for a photo competition brand push in conjunction with Leica. Image: Rednote\/\u5c0f\u7c73<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As the marketing spins it, dialogue with fans has been at the core of Xiaomi\u2019s brand and product development<\/strong>. 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\u2019re not with us, you\u2019re against us. Long Live Xiaomi. How could you appoint a critic as our spokesperson? \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The funny thing is this would likely not have happened to Xiaomi\u2019s competitors. Huawei, Apple, any of them, could attempt to turn a critical KOL without major backlash. But with Xiaomi fans, it\u2019s personal.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/strong>. They even loyally invest in Xiaomi products. Make no mistake about it, Xiaomi\u2019s fans are a powerful asset. The drawback is because they take things personally, Xiaomi can never say: \u2018it\u2019s just business.\u2019 \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>, perhaps they\u2019ll wish they had the breathing space of their competitors.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This week we saw an example of what happens when KOL placement backfires. Xiaomi (\u5c0f\u7c73) speculated on Chinese tech blogger Universal Big Bear (\u4e07\u80fd\u7684\u5927\u718a), real name: Zong Ning (\u5b97\u5b81), as a brand ambassador and brand fans bared teeth. Why this Xiaomi KOL controversy happened shows both the strengths and weaknesses of Xiaomi\u2019s position in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":49085,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[7,62,28],"class_list":["post-49081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-industries-technology","tag-news-marketing-branding","tag-platforms-weibo","has-thumbnail"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nXiaomi KOL controversy: fan culture turns influencer deal into crisis\u00a0<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A Xiaomi KOL controversy with brand critic Universal Big Bear shines a light on one of the brand's major assets and weaknesses.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" 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