How can Chinese companies manage their brand reputation in turbulent times?

The state of play and recommended strategies

Today’s post was a collaboration with JX Tan and originally appeared in FT Chinese and cross-posted in Baiguan - China Insights, Data, Context.

With the media industry facing significant changes and ongoing U.S.-China geopolitical tensions, strategic PR and reputation management have become increasingly important for Chinese companies aiming for overseas markets. This piece offers some perspectives on the current state of Chinese companies' reputation management and recommended strategies for navigating these challenges and enhancing brand influence in international markets

Recently, many American media have been making drastic layoffs. For example, Timemagazine laid off about 15% of its union-represented editorial staff; the Los Angeles Times also launched the largest layoff in the newspaper's 142-year history. According to Pew Research, employment in the U.S. media industry fell by 26% from 2008 to 2020; in 2023, the number of layoffs in the U.S. news industry was close to 2,700, the highest annual number since 2020.

Why now? S…