A big rule in community relations — don’t ask the Chinese government to go fish for the identity of someone posting bullshit about your brand.
“NIKE on Tuesday issued a strong denial of Internet rumours that it forced Chinese athletics hero Liu Xiang to pull out of the Olympics, adding it had asked authorities to investigate the posting.
‘The posting is a malicious rumour, and has not only misled netizens, but also seriously damages the company’s reputation,’ Nike, one of Liu’s major sponsors, said in a statement emailed to AFP.
‘We have immediately asked relevant government departments to investigate those that started the rumour.‘[emp. mine]
Nike denies web rumours it forced Liu to abandon race.
CC BBaunauch
