Yifang’s HK and China operations exchange conflicting statements over citywide strike

As a multitude of brands and shops in Hong Kong closed their doors yesterday in support or avoidance of the citywide strike, one beverage brand had an ideological split between its Hong Kong and China operations, sparking an online controversy.A popular drink among Hongkongers, Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea (Yifang) had closed some of its stores yesterday in support of the massive strike. A notice posted on the gate of one store even went so far as to say the branch “stands with Hong Kong people”, sentiments which were well-received by local netizens.However, Yifang’s official Weibo and WeChat accounts in China issued a statement yesterday evening, explaining that the company firmly supports one country, two systems, and also denounced what it described as a “violent strike” across Hong Kong.According to the statement, the company said it was, “saddened by the latest protests in Hong Kong which greatly affect our operators. From now on, we will terminate the contracts with these franchisees, and we reserve the right to take legal actions over anything violating the law and showing contempt of the country.”But in another twist, just before midnight, Hong Kong’s Yifang Facebook account issued its own statement, clarifying that Hong Kong’s Yifang operations have no Weibo account, using only Facebook and Instagram to engage customers instead. They also contradicted the promise of terminations made on Weibo and WeChat, stating that the owners of those accounts have no control over Hong Kong’s operations, as all Yifang stores in Hong Kong are managed and operated by the general agent who reports to the headquarters located in Taiwan.According to its own post, the Hong Kong general agent said it respects every franchisees’ political stance and believes that Hong Kong is a diversified city, allowing different people to raise their opinion, which is also core to the values of the Hong Kong people.Some netizens, from both Taiwan and Hong Kong, flocked to the post to criticise the brand, questioning the sincerity of this followup and their motivations behind both these posts. However, after several users clarified the relationship between Yifang’s franchise in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, many continued to show their support for the Hong Kong franchisees.Do you know of any other brands affected by the ongoing protests in Hong Kong? Please get in touch with our team at editorialhk@marketing-interactive.com or use our anonymous tip-off system