Companies need to consider changed context

The PR chief of Baidu, China’s largest search engine, apologized on Thursday for a series of video clips she uploaded on social media.

Reportedly, opening personal accounts on social media platforms is a new assignment for members of her department, and the purpose is to try and enlarge their personal influence in cyberspace for the benefit of the company in case they are needed.

The department head had apparently succeeded in that assignment as her account garnered nearly 1 million followers within several days of its launch. However, in portraying herself as a tough-as-nails executive who only cares about the company’s welfare rather than her subordinates’ personal well-being she has unintentionally caused a PR crisis for the company, whose value in the stock market fell 2.17 percent on Tuesday.

Her remarks would not have caused such a strong vortex of opinion were they only aired in the company’s office, where her subordinates must be familiar with her management philosophy.

The mistake she made is going public with her views on social media where the netizens can interpret them out of context.

It should be remembered that due to the post-pandemic economic situation, life has become more difficult for many families. Against that backdrop, people hope for a more considerate, humane management style. It is therefore natural that her remarks have instantly prompted the people to question the corporate culture of the internet giant she works for.

As a veteran PR manager, the woman, who has worked as a reporter for years before, should have known the importance of speaking the right things to the right audience at the right time. A miscalculation in any of the three might cause undesirable consequences, as she found out to the cost of her company.