On March 29, a serious accident involving the Xiaomi SU7 made headlines and sparked wide online debate.
If you follow Lei Jun on Weibo, you may have noticed something striking:
– April 1: He made a single brief remark addressing the incident.
– Then, complete silence.
– April 5: He posted again, but only to mark Xiaomi’s 15th anniversary. The tone was restrained.
– No further posts until April 15, when regular updates resumed.
This 14-day gap wasn’t random. It reflects a deliberate crisis communication strategy:
– Step back when emotions are high.
– Let the public mood stabilize.
– Resume once attention has shifted.
Rather than defending or deflecting in real time, Lei Jun and Xiaomi allowed space for public sentiment to cool
– Avoiding the risk of intensifying backlash.
Now, Xiaomi is back in promotion mode.
The storm, for now, has passed.
👉 Takeaway: Sometimes, in a PR crisis, saying less is a smarter move.
Silence can signal seriousness – and buy time to regain control.
✍️ Would you have handled it differently?
