Chinese government hires social media influencers ahead of Winter Olympics

The Olympics are practically tailor-made for inspirational posts. That's not necessarily a good thing.

As the 2022 Winter Olympics spin up in and around Beijing, The Guardianreports that the Chinese government has, via a consulting firm, hired scores of social media influencers in an attempt to burnish its tarnished reputation. The UK firm in question is reportedly tasked with promoting the content specifically in the United States.

Prime Day deals you can shop right now

Products available for purchase here through affiliate links are selected by our merchandising team. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.

• iRobot Roomba Combo i3+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum and Mop—$329.99(List Price $599.99)

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet—$178.99(List Price $219.99)

• Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case—$199.00(List Price $249.00)

• Eero 6 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (Router + 2 Extenders)—$149.99(List Price $199.99)

• Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS, 41mm, Midnight, S/M, Sports Band)—$299.00(List Price $399.00)

The content in question will allegedly both highlight Beijing's history and culture, as well as emphasize positive aspects of the relationship between China and the U.S.

Of course, that a host country would use the Olympics as a marketing opportunity is itself not new or even surprising. That's kind of what the global sporting event is all about, after all. That a country might hire marketing firms to flood social media with seemingly organic content is worth noting, however.

Mashable Light SpeedWant more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories?Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter.By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Thanks for signing up!

The social media push comes at a time when the Chinese government is facing sustained criticism for its internment of Uyghur Muslims, and a so-called diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics by the officials representing the U.S., Australia, Britain, and Canada.

It also comes on the heels of a sport-specific scandal. In November, the Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai went missing after publicly accusing a former vice premier of China of sexual assault.

Tweet may have been deleted

The hashtag "#whereispengshuai" even trended in response to her disappearance.

SEE ALSO:A look back at the thrills and spills of the 1998 Winter Olympics

We imagine any hashtags coming out of China's social media Winter Olympics sponcon plans will be of a different sort entirely.

最新评论