Hikvision USA Declares "HERETOSTAY", With ADI

Hikvision USA is running a marketing campaign titled "#HERETOSTAY" leveraging events at ADI, the US's largest security system distributor and part of publicly-traded Resideo.

Inside this note, we examine Hikvision USA's efforts and how they leverage their relationship with ADI, despite being deemed a national security threat by the FCC, federally banned by the NDAA, and sanctioned for human rights abuses.

This month, ADI started a marketing campaign on LinkedIn combining ADI counter days and the hashtag "#heretostay" as the animation below shows:

This restarts a related marketing campaign from Hikvision last fall where they centered its marketing around ADI, as shown in the video below:

ADI No Response

IPVM received no response from ADI's President, Rob Aarnes, We have asked if Hikvision had permission to use ADI in its marketing campaign. IPVM also asked if ADI believes it is acceptable to host Hikvision at its branches even though Hikvision was labeled an unacceptable risk to national security.

Neither Aarnes nor anyone from ADI has responded to IPVM's questions, and this report will be updated if/when we receive a response.

ADI Distancing from Hikvision

However, ADI USA has practically ceased all marketing of Hikvision. For example, Hikvision was once a staple in the ADI monthly flyer. Hikvision has been missing from the USA flyer for nearly a year. Likewise, ADI USA's "flash sales" once centered around Hikvision almost monthly (e.g., from a few years ago - Hikvision USA Giving Free Cameras In Biggest Flash Sale). Now, Hikvision has been absent from USA flash sales also for nearly a year. Plus, Hikvision and Dahua were dropped from ADI's prominent home page "Top Brands" marketing.

Good Tactic From Hikvision

Hikvision risks losing further confidence from customers and employees. Promoting a "heretostay" campaign and anchoring it to the biggest distributor, it shows the company is determined to fight to stay. This is further reflected in the approaching $20 million Hikvision has spent lobbying the US government.

The company is still embattled in the US. Back in 2017, Hikvision had 300+ employees and planned to have 800 by this year. Currently, they have just about 200.

The next major milestone for Hikvision is for the FCC to implement the order from the Secure Equipment Act to ban new Hikvision models from being authorized in the USA by this November.