Are celebrities' product selections for sales only based on high commissions? The complicated web of vested interests behind the fake brand "Yousiyi"

Why do AI celebrities overlook the authenticity of product origins when selecting products?

Only when platforms and influencers feel the “pain” will they truly open their eyes during product selection.

Commentator | Zhang Xuwang from Beijing Business Daily

The top seller’s failure exposes review loopholes. On April 2nd, the General Administration of Customs, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the Food Safety Office of the State Council held a meeting with three platform companies involved in the illegal marketing of “YouSiYi” health products. Celebrity influencers Li Ruotong, Ming Dao, and Zhang Xiaohui, who previously promoted and recommended this product, also apologized one after another and initiated refund processes.

Not long ago, Beijing Business Daily’s “3.15 Investigation” also uncovered similar issues with the online celebrity health product Joybaby, claiming to be a French brand and produced in the UK, but behind the scenes, the manufacturer had only one employee and a share capital of just 1 British pound.

“Fake imports” and “counterfeit brands” are long-standing topics. They should have been curbed on the internet, where information asymmetry is common, but due to the “double-edged sword” effect of live-streaming sales, they became top sellers. This paradox inevitably prompts deeper reflection.

The responsible companies are the primary entities. They “know the law but break it,” collaborating with agency operators to directly package products as “imported big brands,” and precisely manipulate online techniques such as influencers, product placement, and traffic investment—all in pursuit of commercial gains, disregarding social ethics.

Platforms should be the first gatekeepers for products reaching thousands of households, but their lack of review has become a critical loophole on the road to “fake brand” dominance. When regulators summoned relevant platforms, they demanded stronger review processes, enhanced management of products on sale, and increased efforts to handle negative information. However, based on the failure cases, it remains doubtful whether platforms truly grasp the production and sales information of brands like YouSiYi and Joybaby.

Then come the influencers and celebrities. Li Ruotong admitted in her apology that she “neglected to verify the authenticity of the product’s origin.” Yet, the origin is precisely the core selling point of “counterfeit brands.” If even this isn’t verified, isn’t the so-called “product selection” just about high commissions?

Influencers are the direct link between platforms, brands, and consumers. They are also the “megaphones” of product circulation in the live-streaming era. Many sales myths are created by hosts, and many failures are also handled by them.

Getting paid to list products and promote them, the roles of gatekeeper (platform) and megaphone (host) are increasingly influential in consumer decision-making. When either loses control, the damage becomes even greater.

Platforms generate traffic, hosts create halo effects, and together they build the credibility of products in sales. Especially in live rooms, the combination of large platforms, flagship stores, and big stars exerts an astonishing influence on consumer emotions. Any rational judgment is easily shaken in the passionate “321 listing” atmosphere.

Platform review systems are virtually non-existent, representing institutional loopholes; celebrity endorsements are the last straw crushing consumers’ rational judgment. Once the credibility of platforms and stars is abused, the harm exceeds that of a typical false advertisement.

Adding an “imported” label can multiply the price tenfold; a star recommendation can boost sales by hundreds. Consumers pay real money, but what they get in return might be lutein “produced” by a car repair shop.

Of course, the soil for counterfeit brands extends beyond this. Many consumers still harbor an “import worship” mentality. Coupled with the long-standing health and wellness anxieties cultivated by the health supplement market, and some unscrupulous marketing companies’ bottomless collusion, without a mechanism to hold responsible parties accountable—touching their souls and interests—the next YouSiYi or Joybaby could quickly resurface.

Only when platforms and influencers feel the “pain” will they truly open their eyes during product selection.

Editor | Zhang Lan
Images | CCTV News screenshot, Yitu Network