by Thinus Ferreira
Hisense South Africa held a 30th Anniversary Customer Conference in Cape Town on 29 October, didn't tell media it would be happening, but a whole week later, on Thursday 5 October, belatedly sent out a press release that it took place and that Hisense SA now presumably wants media to copy-and-paste and republish.
Media were in Cape Town last week for the 2026 MIP Africa and Fame Week TV market that took place in the CTICC2, including the various pavilions, days-long panel sessions and side events that marked the week.
The 2026 MIP Africa included a big Chinese pavilion for the first time, and France.
Trade and other media who attended could easily have structured news diaries to include and give coverage to Hisense SA's event, or at the very least have been informed that the company is doing something.
Unbeknownst to the media however, due to a lack of communication or any notification beforehand from Hisense SA, the company planned and held what it called a "30th Anniversary Customer Conference" on Thursday 29 October.
People who attended included Luna Nortje, Hisense SA deputy general manager; Jason Ou, president of Hisense MEA; Wang Xiaodai, deputy Consul General of the Chinese Embassy and 120 people, including reps from retail stores like Massmart, Hirsch's, Tafelberg and Atlas.
People from 8 other countries besides South Africa were also brought to the event, which was also attended by government officials and Chinese bankers in South Africa.
Unfortunately nothing of what was actually said or shown at the Hisense SA 30th Anniversary Customer Conference is known; there are no transcripts and it's not possible to do or run any interviews or any actual independent coverage since none were set up or organised beforehand.
On Thursday afternoon, 5 November, Hisense SA's PR agency Aura sent out a general press mailer for the first time, noting that Hisense SA had a 30th Anniversary Customer Conference - a week after it happened.
It's unclear how Hisense South Africa or its PR people think this is effective, proper or suitable behaviour or best-practice media liaison - or if Hisense SA now thinks media are going to copy and paste and republish a press release, a week late, of an event media they were not even told about or invited to.
Bizarrely, Hisense SA apparently now wants coverage - hence a week-old press release that is sent out - of something it did, but where it didn't actually want the media at last week, or to know about, or saw as important enough in media relations to, at the very least, just say would be taking place.
Now, like having a wedding, not telling people about it, and afterwards wanting a wedding gift, Hisense South Africa - that didn't want to communicate or deal with the media - after a week, sends out a press release about an event it had.
Does Hisense South Africa now expect coverage in the form of no original reporting or coverage but for media to make the effort to simply just republish a press release and hand-out photos?
Hisense SA and whoever interacts with media in South Africa didn't want media at Hisense South Africa's 30th event in Cape Town - they now presumably just want media to run its press release a week later.
It's absolutely fine not to have, or not to invite media to your event - that's anybody and any company and any organisation's choice and prerogative.
It's a whole other level of bad and unprofessionalism to afterwards send out a press release or press statement to media to now "showcase" that you had an event - that you didn't beforehand even just bothered to say would took place.
The blindsiding is extremely damaging and negative: How do media henceforth trust that when there's news from your company, that you are, or will be able to, keep them in the loop when it's self-evident that Hisense SA isn't doing so?
Then, belatedly and a week later, a company - in this case Hisense SA - now suddenly wants "coverage" - but "coverage" in the form of rerunning a press release (since media can't now go back into the past to do any type of original reporting on it).
How do you send out a press release a week after an event, then expect media - who weren't told about it - to now blindly "celebrate" something and give coverage for something they were intentionally locked out of?
Hisense SA's behaviour is reprehensible, clueless and daft, completely ridiculous, media value-destroying and, above all, media relationship destructive.
