Mooncake brand 'Meisun' cops flak for claiming to be 'made in HK'

A mooncake brand named “Meisun”, which claimed to be manufactured and sold in Hong Kong, has come under fire for allegedly misleading consumers about its origins and false advertising. 

According to Chinese media reports such as The Paper, some mainland livestreamers have copped flak for promoting mooncake products under Meisun as the anchor emphasised the word "Hong Kong" when introducing the mooncake.  

The live commerce was initiated by “Crazy Little Yang Brother” and other Chinese influencers under the company of Three Sheep Holdings (Hong Kong) (三只羊), with Hong Kong celebrity Eric Tsang attending the opening ceremony of the company’s Hong Kong branch. During the event, Tsang and his daughter-in-law, Venus Wong, were seen actively engaging with the audience, contributing to the mooncake’s promotion. 

“Meisun” mooncakes have been a hit within the livestreaming sector as they generated over RMB 50 million in sales within the last 30 days on Douyin. Since reports regarding the scandal emerged, the Meisun mooncakes have been taken down on the livestreaming platform. 

However, netizens questioned whether this mooncake is a traditional Hong Kong brand as it is not available for sale online or offline. Later, some media confirmed from the manufacturer that the mooncakes were produced in Guangdong and were not currently sold in Hong Kong.  

The Paper found that the brand operator and manufacturer of Meisun are based in Huadu District in Guangzhou, namely Guangzhou Meicheng Food and Guangzhou Meicheng Food Technology respectively. The two companies claim that their parent company is Hong Kong Meicheng Food Group. 

In response, Meisun told The Paper that the brand is registered in Hong Kong and has a trademark registration certificate, and has set up marketing centres and production bases in Guangzhou and Foshan. When asked where the mooncakes came from, the customer service replied that they were "from Guangdong." 

Another Chinese report said on Sunday that the Huadu District Market Supervision Bureau conducted an inspection on Guangzhou Meicheng Food Co. Limited. The bureau said Meisun provided the commercial registration information of Hong Kong Meicheng Food Group and proof of relevant certificates for the trademarks "MEISUN", "Meicheng" and "Hong Kong Meicheng Mooncake" in Hong Kong. 

The incident has drawn mixed reactions among Chinese netizens. A check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw on Weibo that some said Meisun is not the only brand that sells products with false advertising, while some said they would boycott the livestreaming platform.  

Media intelligence firm CARMA observed over 2,000 mentions in Hong Kong related to the incident where Tsang promoted the "Meisun" mooncake during a livestream with "Crazy Little Brother Yang". Of these mentions, 30% had a negative sentiment, while only 5.1% were positive.

Netizens expressed shame, noting that Tsang, a Hong Kong-based celebrity, should know that Meisun replicates Maxim’s, according to Charles Cheung, CARMA's HK GM. "Several social media platforms, notably LIHKG, were filled with sarcastic comments about the incident. Some netizens also expressed disappointment with the 'made in Hong Kong' label falsely used in marketing, as evidence shows the Meisun mooncakes are actually manufactured in Guangzhou and Foshan."

There was further concern that people blindly follow broadcasters in similar livestreams without conducting due diligence, he added. This could lead to the consumption of counterfeit or substandard products, potentially impacting their health.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Meisun for a statement.  

According to its official website, Meisun claimed to be founded in 2019. The company said it mainly operates a series of products including high-end Chinese festival gifts, seasonal gift cakes, Chinese and Western baked pastries, and more.

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