The Indo-China face off takes a ‘filmy’ turn

According to a recent research, around 84% Indians want Bollywood celebrities to stop endorsing Chinese products

In recent days, following the violent clash at the Indo-China border that had left 20 Indian ar my officials dead and others injured, people have called for a boycott of Chinese products and services

In recent days, following the violent clash at the Indo-China border that had left 20 Indian ar my officials dead and others injured, people have called for a boycott of Chinese products and services. In some parts of the country there have also been protests and demonstrations, condemning the violent face-off. While some have resorted to destroying Chinese products and bur ning effigies of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, others have urged India to give a “befitting” reply to the neighboring country. Amid the ongoing outrage, the Indian Institute of Human Brands (IIHB) conducted a ‘gun-shot’ telephonic survey over June 17 & 18 to gauge consumer sentiment on celebrities endorsing Chinese brands, post the news of the loss of life of 20 Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley.

408 respondents were asked some quickfire questions to check if they knew the country of origin of the brands mentioned. How many associated a brand with a celebrity. And how many wanted the celebrity to desist from peddling the said brand because it was Chinese.

The survey showed that there is low knowledge of actual country of origin of all the Chinese brands despite all the media hype. Overall only 32% of respondents got country of origin correct in the case of China, which has two implications: 1. The Chinese brands have done a good job in masking their Sino identity, and many consumers actually believe they are local brands, perhaps because of their ubiquitous presence in media and on retail shelves. 2. Consumers actually don’t care for country of origin. All the ‘backlash’ is largely media/political hype.

Association of celebrities with brands:

1. Vivo – Aamir (42%), Sara Ali Khan (6%)

2. Oppo – Ranbir (22%), Katrina (11%), Badshah (7%), Deepika (3%), Sonam Kapoor (2%), Hardik Pandya (2%), Rohit Shar ma (4%), Ashwin (1%)

3. One Plus – Amitabh Bachchan (14%)

4. Realme – Salman (21%), Shraddha Kapoor (3%)

5. iQoo – Virat Kohli (9%)

Should these celebrities continue to endorse Chinese brands?

84% of respondents said they don’t want the celebs to support or sell Chinese brands because…

1. It is unpatriotic

2. Our soldiers are dying at the hands of the Chinese

3. China is responsible for coronavirus

4. We should support Indian brands