A Quebec company has apologized after an appearance on the CBC show. dragons lairduring which celebrity judge Simu Liu expressed concern that the brand was culturally appropriating a Taiwanese drink.
The company, Bobba, sells a bottled version of boba tea or bubble tea, which is typically made with iced tea and chewy tapioca pearls. It originated in Taiwan during the 1980s before it became popular in North America.
Quebec City entrepreneurs Sebastian Fiset and Jessica Frenette appeared on the show Thursday seeking a $1 million investment in exchange for 18 percent of their business, pitching their version of the popular drink as an “experience ready.” to drink, convenient and healthy.”
They promoted their brand's boba pearls and an alcoholic version of the drink.
Liu, a Chinese-Canadian actor and investor, said he was concerned about “this idea of altering or disrupting bubble tea,” adding that it is an issue of cultural appropriation, which is when a majority adopts the customs or culture of a minority in a manner that may be perceived as inappropriate or insensitive.
“I want to be a part of bringing boba to the masses, but not like this,” he said. Liu did not invest in the company.
Fiset said the company works closely with a supplier and recipe developer in Taiwan but also said, due to the widespread popularity of bubble tea, that “it is not a [ethnic] product.”
Clips of the episode went viral on social media, with some users attacking Fiset and Frenette for the appearance. The company took to Instagram on Monday to apologize, saying it did not intend to “harm or disrespect the community that created and popularized this beloved beverage.”
“At no point did we mean to imply that our Bobba Bubble Tea is better than traditional bubble tea in any way.”
One marketing expert says that in the era of rapid social media backlash, the company may have to rebrand to recover.
“I think from a mass audience perspective, it will surely affect their brand image. I think apologizing is a good start and acknowledging the problem is a good start,” said Aleena Muzhar Kuzma, a branding expert in Whitby, Ont. and senior vice president, general manager and partner at marketing agency Fuse Create.
But, he said, the company has work to do amid the fallout, which includes dragons lair Investor Manjit Minhas announces that she has thrown their investment in response to criticism.
A company in Bobba's position, Kuzma says, should: “be clear that it is not appropriating Asian culture and is actually respecting it and potentially having community advisors.”
Long considered a staple food of Taiwan, bubble tea It emerged from the local tea shops of Taiwan before spreading to other parts of Asia. It became especially prevalent in North America during the 2010s, when tea brands experienced a resurgence in popularity. The bubble tea industry in the US would be valued at $2.4 billion in 2024 by a market research company IBISMundo.
“I think the brand story needs to tie into the heritage and the culture and the current origin of this product in a more authentic way,” he said.
Carmen Cheng, a Chinese-Canadian food writer and securities consultant based in Calgary, says she grew up drinking bubble tea.
“When we think about culturally ethnic foods, people from Canadian or North American cultures are often made fun of for our food, our norms, our customs, our clothing, our appearance,” she said.
“And then you have someone who maybe, quote, 'does it better,'” he said.
Cheng says he can see how that mindset could be perceived as transformative or innovative.
“But I think when we think about appropriation, we're thinking about taking from a culture in a way where there's a difference in the power dynamic and maybe even an imbalance in how the culture is perceived,” he said.
In his apology, Bobba alleged that he had been the target of hate speech and that his founders were receiving death threats as part of the backlash. CBC Information has not been able to independently verify the allegations.
The company did not respond to calls seeking further comment.
In a statement, CBC spokesperson Chuck Thompson said Bobba's segment about dragons lair “It sparked an important conversation but, unfortunately, at the same time there was a lot of online harassment of program participants.”
“Many people have shared their thoughts and opinions in a respectful manner, but we certainly do not tolerate hurtful comments made by others. “We support calls for this harassment to stop immediately.”