In-Depth Review of Yong Ge’s “Crisis”: When Traffic Backfires and Emotions Get Out of Control, the Darkest Moment for a Billion-Dollar Blogger
Hello everyone, I’m your financial observer. Recently, the food and entrepreneurship blogger “Yong Ge” has once again become the focus of the entire internet community due to a controversy sparked by a live broadcast. This time, it’s not because he helped someone save money, but because of his remarks about a “17-hour workday” that led to a fierce clash with netizens, who even used derogatory terms like “poor guys,” severely damaging his business and public image.
As a journalist who often analyzes business cases, I see this incident as more than just a blogger losing control of his emotions. It’s a reflection of the deep-seated contradictions between content creators and public sentiment, as well as the logic of the digital economy.
Below, I’ll break down the situation into five key aspects to help you understand what happened and what lessons we can learn from it.
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1. The Trigger: A Collapse of Trust Due to Information Asymmetry
The incident started simply: a hot pot restaurant owner asked for help on live broadcast, claiming he was making employees work 17 hours a day with almost no rest to increase profits.
Why Did This Cause a Storm?
For ordinary workers, working 17 hours without rest is seen as illegal and inhumane—typical exploitative behavior. When this information appeared on a blogger’s live stream, which promotes rationality, cost-saving, and helping people save money, the audience’s first reaction was, “Why doesn’t Yong Ge criticize the owner? Why doesn’t he point out the illegality?”
Why Was Yong Ge’s Response So Confusing?
Instead of criticizing the owner, Yong Ge empathized with him, saying the employees agreed to the long hours for the sake of their dreams, and he accused the netizens of being nosy and complacent.
The Core Conflict:
There was a huge mismatch in information:
- Netizens’ View: Yong Ge was defending an exploitative boss, siding with capital.
- Yong Ge’s View: He was protecting the dignity of small business owners and accusing the netizens of being unreasonable.
Although later investigations revealed the restaurant used a two-shift system (still excessive hours, but not individual employees working 17 hours continuously), this doesn’t justify Yong Ge’s initial response. His choice to believe the owner’s word and side with the employer against the employees immediately shattered his image of being rational, neutral, and supportive of the public.
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2. Underlying Reasons: Emotional Compensation and Defense Mechanisms After Setbacks
Many wonder why Yong Ge, who usually seems rational, became so angry this time.
The “Three Meals with Skill” Restaurant’s Reputation Crisis
Just before the incident, Yong Ge opened a community restaurant called “Three Meals with Skill” in Chengdu, promising affordable and high-quality food. However, the experience was criticized as “fast-food fraud.” The pricing model (28.8 yuan per pound) disappointed customers who expected good value for money.
- Psychological State: When his professional skills were questioned and mocked, his defenses became sensitive. He subconsciously felt, “You don’t understand; you’re just making trouble.”
Emotional Projection and Transfer
During the hot pot restaurant segment, the netizens were criticizing the owner’s treatment of employees, but for Yong Ge, it was a broader judgment on small business owners. He projected his own frustrations from running the restaurant onto the live broadcast, losing his rationality and lashing out at the netizens.
Conclusion: This wasn’t a rational business mistake; it was an outburst of long-accumulated emotions. He saw himself as a victim and the netizens as the culprits, leading to extreme confrontation.
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3. A Serious Business Mistake: Underestimating the Value of Free Traffic and Overestimating Customer Loyalty
Yong Ge’s biggest mistake was misjudging his traffic source:
His Revenue Model:
His income came from two sources:
- High-value Services: High-priced consultations and corporate advice.
- Low-Barrier Traffic: Millions or even tens of millions of free viewers who contributed through watching, comments, likes, and sharing, as well as sharing his content.
Why Was Calling Netizens “Poor Guys” a Fatal Blunder?
Calling netizens “poor guys” seemed to protect his paid customers, but it actually undermined his traffic foundation. Free viewers were the ones who made his content popular. Without their sharing and creation of viral content, his fame wouldn’t have reached such heights. When these free viewers felt offended, they stopped watching, sharing, and even harassed his paid customers.
Conclusion: This wasn’t a business decision; it was an emotional outburst. He mistook the netizens for enemies, damaging his traffic and potential customers.
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4. A Case Study in Crisis Public Relations: Learning from Jia Boss’s Mistakes
Yong Ge’s handling of the crisis is a prime example of poor public relations:
The Paradox of Influence
The larger the audience, the less influence one has and the lower the tolerance for mistakes.
- Small Bloggers: Can be harsh and extreme with a small following.
- Big Bloggers: Every word is scrutinized. Their words have a broader impact.
Jia Boss’s Mistake: Promoting a 715-hour workday led to widespread backlash and brand damage.
Similar Mistakes:
Both Yong Ge and Jia Boss challenged public expectations of fairness and respect. They didn’t apologize or retreat but instead confronted the criticism, pushing more people against them.
The Cost of Lack of Internet Sensibility
Yong Ge, a post-90s blogger with a traditional business mindset, failed to use self-deprecation and empathy online. A simple apology or self-reflection could have helped, but he chose arrogance and prejudice.
Current Situation:
His account is suspended, comments are closed, and content sharing rights are revoked. His once-large following has vanished.
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5. Future Possibilities: A Soft or Hard Landing?
Yong Ge has two options, both difficult:
Option 1: Retreat to Private Channels
- Advantages: Safety from public opinion.
- Disadvantages: Stagnation or decline without new traffic, leading to a less well-known consultant.
Option 2: Apologize and Try to Recover
- Advantages: Possible recovery of some support and traffic.
- Disadvantages: Long-term damage to trust, making it hard to regain the audience’s trust.
More Probable Outcome:
Yong Ge may become a less well-known consultant, though his reputation as an anti-fraud expert and entrepreneurship mentor will remain. However, his image of emotional instability and arrogance will linger.
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Lessons for Everyone
1. For Entrepreneurs/Bloggers:
- Never underestimate the power of free traffic. It’s your foundation.
- Emotional management is crucial. Your emotions are your brand.
- Handle crises with humility and clarity. Apologize first, then explain.
- Respect workers. It’s a basic principle in modern society.
2. For Consumers/Viewers:
- Be rational but stand up for what’s right. Speak out against injustice.
- Be cautious of image erosion. Influencers are human, but they must be accountable.
In conclusion, Yong Ge’s story highlights the importance of free traffic and emotional management in the digital world. The key to success is winning people’s hearts, not just traffic. Remember, in the internet business, “he who wins people’s hearts wins traffic.”