https://www.scmp.com/rss/322776/feed Controversy erupted in June 2016 after cosmetics giant Lancome announced it was cancelling a promotional event in Hong Kong at which Canto-pop singer Denise Ho Wan-sze was to perform. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com A football manager who made history and a pop star who drew the wrath of Beijing were Hong Kong’s representatives on the BBC’s 100 Women of 2016 list ­released on Monday. Chan Yuen-ting, 28, became the first female coach to win a ­top-flight championship in charge of a men’s team. And Denise Ho Wan-sze drew praise and condemnation in equal measure from people on both sides of the political divide for her high-profile support of the Occupy movement in the city. Chan Yuen-ting receives Guinness... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2047927/hong-kongs-history-making-football-manager-chan-yuen-ting-and-activist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2047927/hong-kongs-history-making-football-manager-chan-yuen-ting-and-activist?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Nov 2016 08:12:16 +0000 While the adage may be that there is no such thing as bad publicity, recent events in Hong Kong have shown that the way companies, institutions and individuals respond to public relations crises can lead to very different results. Whilst some have adopted a proactive approach to potentially brand-damaging events by keeping their audience informed with timely updates on social media, others have sought to contain an embarrassing blunder by making limited comment. City University found itself in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1990116/hong-kongs-pr-crises-how-brands-can-save-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1990116/hong-kongs-pr-crises-how-brands-can-save-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Jul 2016 05:47:25 +0000 Mouthwash brand Listerine confirmed on Thursday that it was removing promotional materials that featured Canto-pop singer Denise Ho Wan-sze as its marketing campaign “entered a new phase” to focus on the products. The company’s timing raised questions as it came two weeks after cosmetics giant Lancome cancelled a concert it co-organised with Ho this month following an attack by Beijing newspaper Global Times, which accused Lancome of inviting a “Hong Kong independence advocate”. Ho was vilified... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1976525/listerine-drops-hong-kong-singer-denise-ho-promotion-two?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1976525/listerine-drops-hong-kong-singer-denise-ho-promotion-two?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jun 2016 12:39:28 +0000 Canto-pop singer Denise Ho Wan-sze has announced she will host a free concert in Hong Kong this Sunday, two weeks after cosmetics giant Lancome called off a planned performance following sharp criticism the entertainer drew from mainland internet users. Ho’s concert is to be held in the same neighbourhood, on the same day and at around the same time as the one originally planned by Lancome. Lancome’s mini-concert was part of a two-day programme co-organised by the cosmetics giant and eight shops... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1975475/show-goes-denise-ho-free-hong-kong-concert-after-lancome?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1975475/show-goes-denise-ho-free-hong-kong-concert-after-lancome?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jun 2016 05:30:45 +0000 Canto-pop star Denise Ho Wan-sze has ramped up the pressure on L’Oreal, directly contacting the ­cosmetic giant’s top official in Hong Kong to demand a “sincere” explanation about its controversial ­cancellation of her mini-concert. Ho said it would be “extremely disrespectful” to Hongkongers if the company’s local president and managing director Stephen Mosely was to leave the matter “unresolved”. “Hongkongers are so fed up with all the ­unresolved [controversies] in the city,” she said. “It... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1971768/she-wants-answers-denise-ho-urges-loreal-boss-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1971768/she-wants-answers-denise-ho-urges-loreal-boss-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jun 2016 10:15:30 +0000 When Lancome cancelled Canto-pop star Denise Ho Wan-sze’s concert in Hong Kong, it seemed unlikely that a retired philosophy teacher in Paris would be leading the calls for the cosmetics giant to reconsider its decision. But there she is. Beatrice Desgranges started a petition on change.org on Monday after learning about the incident from a tweet from a French expatriate in Hong Kong. By 3pm on Friday, Desgranges’ petition had been signed by more than 50,000 people. A separate petition endorsed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1971045/meet-woman-france-leading-charge-against-lancome-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1971045/meet-woman-france-leading-charge-against-lancome-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jun 2016 00:00:15 +0000 Lancome should have stuck with Kate Winslet, Julia Roberts and Emma Watson. Even Zhang Ziyi, Fan Bingbing and Gong Li would do. Sure, they all cost a lot more than Canto-pop singer and democracy activist Denise Ho Wan-sze. But the public backlash over the cosmetics giant’s cancellation of a free concert with Ho has probably inflicted far greater cost than jetting one of those superstars to Hong Kong. Denise Ho controversy: protesters march despite Lancome closing Hong Kong stores The... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1969932/lancome-has-only-itself-blame-public-relations-fiasco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1969932/lancome-has-only-itself-blame-public-relations-fiasco?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jun 2016 15:05:52 +0000 The controversy over Lancome’s cancellation of Canto-pop star Denise Ho’s concert escalated on Wednesday with mainland internet users threatening to boycott a host of Hong Kong companies tied to the city’s richest billionaire, while local activists called for supporters to boycott all brands under the L’Oreal group. Mainland internet users were angered after Hong Kong music app Moov suggested on Monday that it would “employ Denise Ho permanently”. Moov is an app owned by PCCW, a company run by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1969055/tycoon-li-ka-shings-family-drawn-denise-ho-controversy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1969055/tycoon-li-ka-shings-family-drawn-denise-ho-controversy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jun 2016 03:15:45 +0000 Canto-pop star Denise Ho Wan-sze has urged cosmetics giant Lancome to explain why a promotional concert was cancelled after mainland internet users criticised her for her political stance. The company had invited Ho to host a mini-concert at a promotion event in Sheung Wan on June 19. The event, which was free of charge, was fully booked. Lancome scraps Hong Kong concert with Denise Ho: online backlash over move to distance itself from pro-democracy star But a day after Beijing newspaper Global... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1967088/hong-kong-canto-pop-star-denise-ho-calls-lancome-explain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1967088/hong-kong-canto-pop-star-denise-ho-calls-lancome-explain?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Jun 2016 09:45:15 +0000 Pro-democracy Canto-pop star Denise Ho Wan-sze has urged cosmetics giant Lancome to explain why it cancelled a promotional concert with her after mainland internet users criticised her political stance. The company had invited Ho to host the mini-concert in Sheung Wan on June 19. The event, which was free of charge, was fully booked. But a day after Beijing newspaper Global Times wrote on Weibo condemning Lancome for “inviting Ho – a Hong Kong and Tibet independence advocate – to promote their... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1966367/lancome-scraps-hong-kong-concert-denise-ho-online-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1966367/lancome-scraps-hong-kong-concert-denise-ho-online-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jun 2016 13:15:00 +0000