CCP Miniso Apologises for Faking Japanese

[SBFNews]

MINISO Apologises For Marketing Itself As Japanese Brand; Plans To Rebrand
hype.my
BY AFIQ AMIN
AUGUST 22, 2022

Things are not always what they seem and though it’s not necessarily always a bad thing, it will definitely bring up some trust issues. This may come as a surprise to some people but a certain popular “Japanese” brand is finally apologising for pretending to be something they’re not.

Recently, Chinese discount retail shop MINISO released a public apology after marketing itself as a Japanese brand since 2013. Yes, for those of you who didn’t know, MINISO is actually a Chinese brand, not Japanese. This is not hidden information, but the global retail shop has been getting a lot of backlash and it’s currently trying to set things right.

SOURCE: WEIBO/MINISOHOME

This explains why MINISO (メイソウ) did not use the correct Japanese (Katakana) characters (ミニソウ) for the logo. Alas, now we know why. Last week, the discount variety store posted an official statement of apology on its page on Chinese microblogging website Weibo. In the statement, the company apologised for branding and marketing themselves as Japanese since its launch.

“We did use wrong brand positioning and marketing campaigns during the early days. We are regretful,” they stated. The lifestyle brand is now currently working on ‘de-Japanising’ itself by end of March of next year. The initiation has actually already started since 2020 where MINISO has replaced all its Japanese style shopping bags and finally changing the logo from Japanese characters to Chinese characters.

The company also emphasised that they will hold the executives responsible for coming up with the Japanese branding approach. While it’s “better late than never“, Chinese netizens considered MINISO’s apology a little too late with many pointing out that the company have used Japanese flags for public events, ceremonies and store openings.

SOURCE: WEIBO

Since its launch in 2013, MINISO has actually been heavily criticised as a “copycat” for having similar aesthetics to well known Japanese brands such as UNIQLO, MUJI and Daiso. Despite the backlash even back then, the variety shop has still managed to expand its business in Asia, Europe and North America.

Sources: Weibo, TheVocket, DailyHive

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Tags: MINISOMINISO apologisedMINISO ApologyMINISO Chinese brandMINISO ControversyMINISO DramaMINISO rebrandingMINISO ミニソーMINISO メイソウMINISO 名创优品

 

[laksaboy]

Rebrand it to Caonimaso, really brings out the authentic Tiong identity.

 

[blackmondy]

Why not name it kopiso ?

 

[laksaboy]

Miniso corporate propaganda video. Terrible voiceover.

 

[SBFNews]

Chinese retailer Miniso to ditch Japanese styling after backlash
insideretail.asia

China’s Miniso Group has apologised for promoting itself as a Japanese-style brand and said it would make changes across its stores to rectify this, becoming the latest retailer to respond to a surge in patriotism among Chinese shoppers.

The company, which has more than 5000 stores in China and abroad, has for years described itself as “a Japanese-inspired lifestyle product retailer”, and has been compared to the Muji chain operated by Tokyo-listed Ryohin Keikaku.

However, earlier this month, it drew anger from Chinese social media users after its Spanish Instagram account posted a picture of dolls, one of which it called a “Japanese geisha doll” but which Chinese users pointed out was wearing a qipao dress, a traditional Chinese outfit.

Last week, Miniso issued a long apology, saying the company in its early days had “taken the wrong path” with its brand positioning and marketing strategy, having hired a Japanese designer as its chief designer between the end of 2015 and 2018.

It said it had since late 2019 started to remove Japanese elements from its stores and shopping bags, saying it had already done so across its 3100 shops in China.

It also vowed to start changing the signboards and interior decoration in its more than 1,900 stores abroad, adding it would complete the moves by the end of March 2023.

The company also said it would punish senior executives involved with the previous strategy and that its headquarters would be responsible for all its overseas social media accounts in the future. “We will strictly examine the content and do a good job of Chinese culture and values’ exportation,” it said.

Chinese consumers have in recent years more closely monitored the behaviour of big brands and become increasingly critical of foreign companies or local businesses seen as insufficiently patriotic.

• Reporting by Sophie Yu, Brenda Goh; Editing by Mark Potter, of Reuters.

 

[laksaboy]

I bet there are some fans of Miniso who shop there frequently.

 

[laksaboy]

Official Miniso SG Tiktok channel.

 

[countryman]

The tiongs doing what they do best...