China consumer day show skewers Nike shoes, Muji foods (updated)

RYOHIN KEIKAKU

15/03/2017 15:22

(Recasts, adds details) 
    By Jackie Cai and Adam Jourdan 
    SHANGHAI, March 15 (Reuters) - China's annual consumer 
rights day TV show turned its spotlight on U.S. sports brand 
Nike Inc  NKE.N  for false advertising and Japanese brand Muji 
for selling food products allegedly sourced from part of Japan 
affected by radiation. 
    The state-run China Central Television (CCTV) show - which 
can have brands and their corporate PR teams scurrying to take 
evasive action - said certain Nike shoes sold in China did not 
have "Zoom Air" cushions despite advertising that suggested they 
did. 
    Similar to CBS network's "60 Minutes" in the United States, 
the CCTV show - known as "315" in reference to global consumer 
rights day on March 15 - has previously named and shamed firms 
from Apple Inc  AAPL.O  to Volkswagen AG  VOWG_p.DE . 
    The two-hour show - a mix of undercover reports and 
song-and-dance - also highlighted Japanese brands including 
Muji, owned by Ryohin Keikaku Co  7453.T , which it said sold 
food products in China from an area of Tokyo where high levels 
of radiation were detected in 2015. 
    Reuters could not immediately reach Nike or Muji for 
comment. 
    The show also took aim at fake eye doctors for scamming 
patients, animal breeders for over-using medicines to make 
animals grow faster, and China's Wikipedia-like Baike.com. 
    The 315 show can hit a firm's reputation if singled out for 
bad corporate behaviour. Apple was forced into a rare apology in 
2013 after criticism on the show of its China after-sales 
service. 
    "Pretty much all the big corporations have their PR machines 
ready to jump into action because they've seen what happens when 
companies are not prepared," said James Feldkamp, Shanghai-based 
CEO of independent China consumer watchdog Mingjian. 
    While the annual programme has lost some of its bite in 
recent years, Wednesday's version was harder hitting than last 
year's, which criticised local food delivery apps, fake online 
sales and dodgy false teeth, but didn't take aim at any major 
international firms.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N16N2IV 
    Ahead of the show, some Chinese shoppers told Reuters they 
would probably not watch it, but would check the next day to see 
who had been targeted.  
    "What I pay attention to is food safety. After all, what you 
eat has a direct affect on your health," said Maple Zhu, a 
27-year-old media professional in Shanghai. 
    "The impact, though, on consumers is usually short-lived. 
After a little while most people just forget." 
 
 (Reporting by Adam Jourdan and Jackie Cai; Editing by Ian 
Geoghegan) 
 ((adam.jourdan@thomsonreuters.com; +86 21 6104 1778; Reuters 
Messaging: adam.jourdan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: CHINA CONSUMERDAY/