China’s Popular Plum Wine Faces Backlash Over Gender Discrimination in Marketing

Meijian Green Plum Wine, a popular plum wine brand in China, ignited controversy over gender discrimination in its promotional materials, drawing attention to the growing power of female consumers in the alcoholic beverages market.

Meijian is a plum wine brand launched by Chongqing Jiangxiaobai Wine Co., Ltd. in 2019, a company known for its Baijiu brand, JIANGXIAOBAI. With an alcohol content of around 12% and priced under RMB 70 (US$ 9.64) for a 750ml bottle, Meijian has gained popularity for its fruity taste and affordability.

According to LeadLeo (头豹), an industrial research institute, Meijian achieved a cumulative sales value of RMB 1.2 billion within two years of its launch. In 2022, it experienced a remarkable 144% increase in sales value, surpassing RMB 2.5 billion (US$ 0.34 billion) in retail market scale.

What Happened?

However, the beloved plum wine faced turmoil at the beginning of 2025 due to an incident involving gender discrimination. Earlier this month, on Red Note, a social media platform in China, a user shared a note attached to a Meijian bottle that intended to convey a New Year greeting but instead expressed a disrespectful sentiment towards women.

The note read, in the tone of a family New Year message: “Dear son-in-law, you must have been suffering, lol. My daughter doesn’t deserve you.”

In response, the user who posted the photo expressed her frustration, asking, “Meijian designer, why not simply write, ‘Wishing you happiness and prosperity?’” She added in the comments, “All we need is an apology.”

The Red Note post received more than 22,000 likes and 5,000 comments, with many comments stating “hard pass” to Meijian. One comment pointed out, “To produce a bottle of wine and display it on the shelf involves so many steps. How did no one realize there was a problem?” Another user stated, “I will feel a sense of dismay if I receive this.”

On Weibo, a Chinese social media platform similar to X, another note attached to a Meijian bottle was shared, reading, “Sister, wish you have much money as men do in the New Year.” The Weibo post received more than 1700 likes.

In the comments section of a Weibo post criticizing Meijian, an upset netizen wrote, “Male consumers won’t buy this wine because of the promotion. It’s not appealing to men or anyone else. Isn’t this just undermining its own sales value?” Another user shared the post, adding, “Meijian appears to be primarily focused on women. Why is that?”

Amid the backlash, on Jan. 13, 2025, Meijian issued a statement on its official Weibo account, apologizing for the New Year advertisement, signed by “All Staff of the Meijian Brand.” The statement read, “Our inappropriate advertising has caused negative feelings in the public and damaged trust in our brand. We sincerely apologize for this.”

The statement continued, “These issues clearly demonstrate our lack of experience, limited qualifications, insufficient reviews, and mistakes in our work.” Meijian also announced that the controversial promotional materials would be recalled.

The Rise of Female Consumer

Traditionally, men have been the primary alcohol consumers in China, but recent trends show a notable increase in female consumption, particularly among the younger generation.

According to a 2020 report by CBNData, women born between 1990 and 1995 are now purchasing alcoholic beverages at a higher rate than their male counterparts. The report further emphasizes that younger female consumers (born after 1990) are experiencing significantly faster growth in this market segment.

This shift in consumption patterns reveals a preference among female alcohol consumers for low-alcohol and sweet products. Research from AliResearch , the research institute operated by e-commerce giant Alibaba, shows that sweet or fruity alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of under 15% are predominantly consumed by women aged 18 to 34.

Notably, Meijian, a brand within this category, has cultivated a distinctly female-dominated consumer base. This context helps explain the strong backlash against the misogynistic issues related to Meijian’s advertising.

“Meijian targets young to middle-aged women, but the marketing team has portrayed female characters through an outdated lens,” commented Liu Anqi, the China Regional Manager for Spain’s DAVIDWINE. “The script values women based on a male gaze perspective.”

Advertising, Jiangxiaobai’s Key to Success and Failure

Jiangxiaobai and its namesake Baijiu product are renowned for their innovative marketing strategies, with the brand often cited by researchers as a successful example.

Established in 2012, Jiangxiaobai achieved RMB 50 million (US$ 6.89 million) in revenue within its first year with a namesake budget-friendly product priced at RMB 20 (US$ 2.75) per 100ml bottle. Targeting the younger generation, Jiangxiaobai features innovative packaging adorned with slogans that resonate with young consumers.

One of the brand’s most famous slogans reads, “I am Jiangxiaobai; life is simple.” Another states, “Youth is not about time, but about the people.”

In addition to its copywriting efforts, Jiangxiaobai has maintained a strong presence in popular culture through appearances in TV dramas, films, and hip-hop festivals. The brand has also established its intellectual property by producing the animated series “My Name is Jiang Xiaobai,” which tells a teenage love story featuring the character Jiang Xiaobai.

However, marketing is not a cure-all for Jiangxiaobai’s challenges. According to Jiemian, a state-owned business news outlet, the company experienced a decline in revenue in 2020 and subsequently ceased disclosing its revenue figures. Its market share in the small-bottle Baijiu (小酒) segment plummeted from 20% in 2019 to just 0.5% in 2020.

The backlash against Meijian’s marketing significantly affected the brand’s rising star during the downturn of its flagship product. “Meijian aimed to resonate with women but fell into the trap of traditional values, Liu remarked. “This undermined the brand’s favorability.”

Conversely, some view Meijian’s advertising as a form of shock marketing designed to generate buzz and increase brand visibility through controversial content. “From a marketing perspective, it is very successful,” commented Shen Yi, a former executive in China’s domestic wine industry.

“Jiangxiaobai sought to stimulate controversy to attract an audience that previously overlooked both alcohol and the brand,” Shen continued. “Curiosity is part of human nature, and there will always be people interested in trying it out.