XINBO ZOU recounts the story of Dong Yuhui and his boss, Yu Minhong, intertwined in the headlining transformation of Chinese educational giant New Oriental into a livestreaming sales phenomenon.
“Only after experiencing darkness does one understand the value of the light more deeply; only after experiencing struggle does one understand the significance of happiness more deeply.” Some, if not most, would be dumbfounded to see that this somewhat cliché, yet fully reasonable statement is associated with a live streamer who makes a living by selling everything from apples and rice to literature magazines. Yet, this live streamer is not a nobody; in fact, he is Dong Yuhui, hailed as one of the most successful live streamers on Douyin, China’s version of Tiktok. In his (almost) daily live streaming sessions, each lasting perhaps more than half a day, he sells $1.4 million to $3.5 million worth of merchandise to some of his more than 10 million daily viewers.
Dong is currently 30 years old and has had a more than fruitful career. Born in a county in China’s Shaanxi province, he is a living embodiment of a successful “Small Town Test Taker”(小镇做题家 xiǎo zhèn zuò tí jiā), referring to those who come from humble origins and have succeeded in getting into a good university by excessive studying and test-taking. Having graduated from Xi’an Foreign Studies University, Dong joined the then-popular private education sector and served as the youngest ever head of English development and teaching as well as a Grade 12 English teacher at New Oriental, the largest comprehensive private education company in all of China.
Just when his career was about to take off even more, Chinese government policy took a sharp change with the introduction of “double reduction,” a policy intended to crack down on private education. Profits at New Oriental plummeted, and even the most successful private education teachers, such as Dong, were forced to consider other options. The “Godfather of English Education” (featured in this article) and chairman of the board of directors at New Oriental, Yu Minhong, decided it was wise for the company to turn towards other areas of business.
Yu settled on live streaming. Not just live streaming, but live streaming-based sale of a variety of products. When the question, “Who are going to be the live streamers?” was posed, the answer had already become apparent: the dozens of teachers, including Dong, at New Oriental.
The new live streaming business was delegated to the East Buy company under the New Oriental Group. In June 2022, Dong first served as live streamer at East Buy’s live streaming channel. When he started, however, the endeavor was far from successful: In an interview with China’s external state television CGTN, he admitted, “[I] was not myself at the beginning when I was trying to sell goods to viewers,” when the channel had no more than a dozen followers. He retained his mindset as a teacher, at first, rather than take on the persona of one who “yelled in front of a camera.”
Nevertheless, luck was on his side. Practically the very next day, “#Live streamer at New Oriental” made its way onto the “trending headlines” in Weibo, China’s X (Twitter) equivalent. What struck people most was Dong’s elegance in reciting poetry, his jokes using imaginative puns, and his references to jitang (literally “chicken soup,” meaning motivating clichés), all while selling the most down-to-earth products imaginable, e.g., huge packets of rice. When viewers claimed that they “would not buy anything unless Dong starts speaking English,” Dong immediately transformed back into the English teacher role, stating, “I can speak in English all the time, but please remember to buy something.”
For many, this contrast between a former English teacher and a live streamer is what makes Dong’s daily live streams so enjoyable. Dong has personal experiences that resonate with many of his viewers who, like him, experienced rigorous academic study and a heavy academic workload for years. The frenzied support for Dong culminated in the success of East Buy, having become one of the most lucrative live streaming channels on Douyin.
Yet, recently, this frenzy backfired. On December 15th, 2023, controversy broke out between East Buy and Dong when the East Buy editorial team noted in the comments of one of their videos on Douyin that most of the scripts (referred by viewers as “little essays” for their magniloquence and fervent rhetoric) Dong used were, in fact, written by the team. Emboldened by East Buy Chief Executive Officer Sun Dongxu’s support, the team refused to apologize to enraged followers who were dead set on backing up Dong. As the controversy soon developed into a one-sided massacre against the East Buy team, East Buy’s official account lost almost a hundred thousand followers and almost $300 million worth of market value.
For those unfamiliar with Chinese social media culture, it may be difficult to understand why Dong’s fans were so unsatisfied with the East Buy editorial team’s remarks that the scripts were written by them. However, if we trace Dong’s steps as a livestreamer, there is a key factor in his success: charisma. Arguably, if it had not been for Dong’s excellent choice of words in selling the products in each of his live streaming sessions, East Buy never could have been so successful. Essentially, what Dong’s followers were most concerned with was his unique personality, rather than the actual products sold at East Buy. They believed that it was Dong who wrote all of scripts—and that was enough. In a KOL (key opinion leader) or influencer economy, such as the live streaming business of East Buy, it is the influencer that matters most.
Seeing that the situation had gone out of hand, Mr. Godfather of English Education, Yu Minhong, was forced to come to a decision to remove all responsibilities from Sun, who used to be an executive director on the board of New Oriental as well. However, netizens were still not particularly satisfied, as many thought Yu was the one who turned a blind eye on East Buy’s editorial team’s statements, considering the potential danger of the success or failure of the East Buy business relying solely on Dong. Soon, Yu announced that Dong was to have an independent brand—“Walk with Hui”—under New Oriental, while being promoted to senior partner of East Buy and vice president of New Oriental’s tourism and culture business. Undoubtedly to Yu’s delight, East Buy’s share prices rebounded from HK$26.25 to HK$32 as soon as the decision was announced. Throughout the controversy, however, Dong also succeeded in gaining millions of followers, the total count now resting at more than 20 million fans.
More popular than ever, Dong Yuhui’s new brand “Walk with Hui” made over $14 million in sales in its very first live stream session. It appears that Dong’s success will continue for quite some time in the near future.
Other than how Dong’s personal experiences relate closely with those of commoners, Dong has a few tricks up his sleeve that have allowed him to reach professional and personal success. His down-to-earth attitude has inspired many from humble backgrounds to strive for the best in spite of difficulties. To quote another one of China’s state media outlets, “Within Dong’s live stream channels, traditional culture intertwines with philosophy of life; there is no excitement from adrenaline pumping or the nervousness from acquiring low prices; instead, there is knowledge and culture as merchandise.”
As Dong likes to preach, “While you are memorizing vocabulary words, the codfish of Alaska are leaping out of the water; while you are calculating math questions, the seagulls of the South Pacific are sweeping across the shoreline; while you are studying at night, the polar circles of Earth are shining with glamor. Yet, for you youngsters, dreams are for you yourselves to accomplish!” Such clichés have become the motto of many of his followers. Regardless of his fall and rise, Dong is an inspiration for many in China. However, the real questions may be, “Who will follow Dong’s steps? What comes next after the live stream frenzy?”
Xinbo (Bobby) Zou can be contacted at bobbyzouph@163.com. Xinbo is a high school freshman at Shanghai Pinghe School. He is a polyglot (Chinese, English, Spanish, French, and Latin) and an avid Model UN participant. He has great interest in history and international relations and intends to pursue further studies at university.