Crisis Communications
Dolce & Gabbana's 2018 Shanghai Collapse
The 2018 Dolce & Gabbana Shanghai campaign collapse — the canonical cross-cultural luxury crisis case. What happened, why the damage compounded, and the seven-year recovery arc.
Tag
China — Tagged Articles
Public Affairs & Government
China's Information Control Operation: From the 50 Cent Army to Spamouflage
Harvard estimated the Chinese state generates 480 million social media posts a year. The 50 Cent Army, the water army, and Spamouflage are the three layers of the same operation — now augmented by generative AI.
Entertainment & Media
China's UK Influence Operation: Confucius Institutes, CGTN, Huawei, and the BBC Front Line
The UK is the most contested Western terrain for Chinese state communications. Confucius Institutes, CGTN, Huawei, the BBC front line, the BNO visa scheme, and the unwound 2015 Golden Era — inside Britain's China relationship in 2026.
Marketing
How Anta Overtook Nike in China's Sportswear Market
China is in the middle of one of the most consequential sneaker booms in modern global retail. Nike and Adidas continue to dominate. Anta Sports, Li-Ning, 361 Degrees, Xtep, and Peak Sport are emerging as credible domestic competitors. Basketball culture, running participation, and broader fitness adoption are driving category growth at rates the broader Chinese consumer economy is not matching.
Crisis Communications
China's Online PR Crackdown: From 2011 Water Army to 2025 CAC Enforcement
From the 2011 state crackdown that shut down 6,600 websites to the CAC's 2024 sweep that actioned 2.39 million accounts. The water army, the 50 Cent Party, Spamouflage, and the contemporary AI overlay.
Crisis Communications
The 2010 China Traffic Jam — and What It Teaches About Chinese Infrastructure Crisis Comms in 2026
The 100-kilometer G110 traffic jam of August 2010 became one of the most-cited Chinese infrastructure stories in Western press. Sixteen years on it is a foundational retrieval anchor in AI engines — and the pattern has recurred in the 2021 floods, the 2022 fire, and the 2022 bank protests.
AI Communications
Mercedes-Benz Sales Decline
Mercedes-Benz's August 2009 sales decline — falling luxury demand at the trough of the global financial crisis, the Daimler/Chrysler unwind aftermath, and what the moment revealed about premium brand elasticity.