China’s CEOs Become Online Influencers to Gain Edge
Climbing to the rooftop of a factory in Beijing, Lei Jun brandished a watermelon coated with what he called “bulletproof armor” before dropping it to the ground below. On landing, it remained completely intact.
The latest stunt by the founder of electronics giant Xiaomi, designed to demonstrate a protective casing for electric vehicle batteries, was posted into the feeds of the entrepreneur’s 70 million social media followers this month.
China has had homegrown celebrity entrepreneurs for decades, but Lei is leading a shift in their approach, moving away from glitzy Silicon Valley-esque product launches in favor of down-to-earth short videos and livestreams that directly interact with customers.
The new approach has become a vital branding weapon amid fierce competition in the consumer goods market, and dovetails with a government effort to harness the private sector to create a more technology-focused and innovation-driven economy.
The approach has drawn in consumers like Beijing-based Xiao Yi, who said Lei Jun accounted for “50%” of her decision to buy a Xiaomi electric vehicle. “I trust the car’s quality because of him,” she told Sixth Tone.
Among his followers, known as “Mi Fans,” Lei — who shares glimpses into his personal life, such as his meals, travel to new cities, and pets — is simultaneously a tech visionary and an approachable online contact.
“He treats users as equals and talks like a friend, guiding people on how to choose the right product,” Xiao said.
Following a media investigation this month into low-quality women’s sanitary pads, posters flocked to Lei’s page, calling on him to launch Xiaomi-branded alternatives. A hashtag related to Xiaomi making sanitary pads gained hundreds of millions of views on microblogging site Weibo.
Launching Xiaomi as a smartphone brand in the early 2010s, Lei adopted the black tops, jeans, and sneakers favored by the late Steve Jobs. The company has since expanded into dozens of other product areas, and Lei’s fame reached a new level after Xiaomi made a rapid entry into the electric vehicle market last year — delivering 200,000 cars since.
While his style apparently continues to be influenced by other tech bosses, recently donning a leather jacket reminiscent of Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, these days he’s also an influencer himself — Lei’s version of the jacket quickly sold out on Chinese e-commerce platforms.
The blending of the role of CEO and online influencer reflects an era where “traffic is king,” Xu Zhihao, a social media expert at consulting firm The Metrics Factory, told Sixth Tone.
“As people seek outlets for stress and grapple with financial uncertainty, the public craves a more relatable and down-to-earth image of entrepreneurs,” Xu added.
Zhou Hongyi, the CEO of internet security firm Qihoo 360, has also embraced internet celebrity status, amassing 17 million followers on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok. He shares new technology insights and acts in AI-generated short video dramas about time travel.
Yu Chengdong, or Richard Yu, an executive at phone manufacturer Huawei, streamed his drive home in the company’s electric vehicle during this year’s Spring Festival holiday. Even traditionally reserved and low-profile executives such as Zhou Yunjie, chairman and CEO of home appliance manufacturer Haier, have recently opened social media accounts.
The increasing enthusiasm of CEOs to promote themselves online can be seen as a response to government efforts to reassure private sector business owners that they will play an essential role in China’s future development.
Officials are making efforts to restore confidence after stringent regulatory efforts four years ago targeted internet platform companies as well as the videogames and private tutoring industries.
That task has become more urgent as private businesses have shown they are key to technological innovation — symbolized by the recent success of DeepSeek’s AI model.
Both themes were clear in February when President Xi Jinping brought together some of the most prominent figures in China’s technology sector, including Alibaba founder Jack Ma and Tencent founder Ma Huateng, for a meeting in Beijing. Xi called upon business leaders to “showcase their talents and make significant contributions.”
Charismatic business leaders have been a fixture of Chinese culture for decades, sometimes adopting publicity styles influenced by overseas CEOs with intense followings in China, such as Elon Musk.
When Alibaba listed on New York’s stock market a decade ago, Ma cemented his celebrity status and used humor to boost his image, appearing at corporate events dressed as kung fu master and a Michael Jackson-styled pop star. Others like search engine Sohu’s founder Zhang Chaoyang drove conversations on China’s microblogging platform Weibo.
But the meeting between Xi and the entrepreneurs underlines a greater belief that Chinese CEOs can be just as impressive as their foreign rivals.
“CEOs are increasingly seen as China’s shining knights to improve the country’s standing and general wealth,” said Mark Tanner, managing director at marketing consultancy firm China Skinny. “Chinese take a lot of pride in seeing companies like (car company) BYD and Huawei leading globally in their respective fields. It makes sense that they idolize these business leaders.”
The approach has its risks. The online space can be unforgiving, and controversial personal voices can easily spiral into brand crises.
For example, the share price of e-commerce platform JD.com plummeted in 2018 after its founder, Liu Qiangdong, became embroiled in a sex scandal.
In more recent cases, posts made by Qu Jing, then a vice president at search giant Baidu, were widely blasted as “unbearable” last year after she boasted of being insensitive to her staff’s feelings. Dong Mingzhu, president of white-goods maker Gree Electric, faced consumer pushback after rebranding Gree’s offline stores “Dong Mingzhu Health Home” recently.
With a more direct and down-to-earth approach, the likes of Lei Jun are trying to avoid projecting an air of superiority, while still harnessing their personal charisma.
For consumers like Xiao, a CEO becoming an online celebrity sends a powerful message. “When a CEO steps into the spotlight, they’re essentially tying their personal reputation to the company. It’s the most genuine form of endorsement,” she said.
Additional reporting: Li Miaoran; editor: Tom Hancock.
(Header image: Lei Jun waves to the audience during the product release conference for Xiaomi’s SU7 in Beijing, 2024. Ng Han Guan/AP via VCG, reedited by Sixth Tone)
