Park's promotion in poor taste

A theme park in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, announced it would grant women wearing skirts shorter than 38 centimeters a 50 percent discount on tickets from July to August. There is nothing wrong with business promotions per se, but it is worrying if such publicity is merely vulgar spectacles aimed at making a profit by fair means or foul, says an article in Xi'an Evening News. Excerpts:

No one knows what will be used next to attract customers given such an imaginative "trick". Customers can only guess what will get them a discount in the future.

Some businessmen without scruples will always try and "surprise" the public with eye-catching publicity stunts so long as they can make money. They take advantage of gray areas, for example, by inviting some young women wearing just their underwear to panic buy or putting on sales for a limited time or other dangerous competitions regardless of customers' safety.

Apart from the potential problems arising from these "promotions" they also harm customers' interests, disrupt public order and corrupt social harmony.

Meanwhile, the service and quality of the products will inevitably be poor if companies have to rely on publicity and vulgar spectacles to attract customers. Good service and high quality products are the winning weapons of any time-honored company that enjoys long-term prosperity. An ethical company does not need to resort to vulgar spectacles to attract customers.

(China Daily 07/20/2012 page9)