The logo of Tianjin Haihe Dairy Co Photo: VCG

Tianjin Haihe Dairy Co issued an apology on Wednesday, saying that it has noticed relevant video content from a “Haihe Dairy Flagship Store” livestream account has had a negative impact on consumers and has sparked widespread public discussion and controversy.

“The company deeply feels remorse and would like to express its sincere apologies,” Tianjin Haihe Dairy said in a statement posted on its official website on Wednesday. 

Earlier, relevant media reports revealed that the “Haihe Dairy Flagship Store” livestream account contained obscene and vulgar content. The male host made highly vulgar remarks while livestreaming the promotion of Haihe milk, including sexual innuendos, references to sex transactions, and inappropriate gestures, according to a report published on legaldaily.com.cn on Wednesday.  

In the statement, Tianjin Haihe said its investigation found that the livestream account was operated by a distributor cooperating with the company. It added that it had immediately terminated the partnership and revoked the distributor’s authorization to operate under the name “Haihe Dairy Official Flagship Store.”

Tianjin Haihe also said that it had initiated legal proceedings and would pursue legal accountability against the distributor for the damage caused to the brand’s image. At the same time, the company said it bore undeniable supervisory responsibility and would seriously deal with those internally found responsible for oversight failures.

In addition, the company will conduct a full-channel investigation, immediately inspect all authorized distributor stores' livestreaming accounts, comprehensively regulate livestreaming and personnel management, and resolutely eliminate vulgar and illegal phenomena, the statement said.

Global Times