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In March, a China Central TV (CCTV) expose damaged the reputation of many food online order and delivery companies in China when it showed the unsanitary conditions of kitchens listed in their sites. One of the websites listed was Ele.me which means “Are you hungry?” in Chinese language.
The report said that five restaurants listed in Ele.me with the same address in Tongzhou have only two employees who prepare the food in a 10-square-meter room. The business serves 400 food orders daily.
To change its damaged image as a platform for food vendors with unsanitary practices, Ele.me has reportedly hired American basketball star Kobe Bryant to endorse the app. China Daily cited a mock-up advertisement of the NBA superstar posing for Ele.me which has become viral on Chinese social media.
Although the endorsement is unconfirmed, an internal note on the website – leaked online – said Ele.me would make the official announcement of Bryant’s endorsement on June 12, Tuesday.
Besides the respectability that comes with Bryant’s name, Ele.me has also implemented more food safety controls and a $1.25 billion investment from Alibaba in April gave the company a much needed boost to pick itself up after the CCTV expose.
The basketballer’s endorsement is part of a new branding strategy for the app to speed up its expansion, said Yang Xu, analyst at Analysys International, an internet consultancy based in Beijing. Ele.me would try to catch up with rival Baidu Waimai which got popular Chinese actress Liu Shishi to endorse its app popular among office workers in China.
Yang pointed out, “Kobe is widely liked in China not just by a certain group of people.” With Bryant’s retirement on April 13, the LA Times reported on Wednesday that his nameplate was removed from the Lakers’ training room locker and replaced by draft pick Brandon Ingram.
