According to a new study by Lightbox Search, the technology platform that offers search results intelligence for agencies and in-house communications teams, Adidas suffered the worst fallout of all the companies that severed ties with Kanye West (“Ye”), with its online reputation initially shattered but only weeks later virtually wiped clean.

Nearly a dozen businesses severed connections with Ye as a result of the issue that started in early October over a vile antisemitic tweet, albeit Adidas did so later than J.P. Morgan, The Gap, Foot Locker, and CAA. As a result, Adidas faced reaction that almost destroyed its brand, particularly online. Clearly, working with their firms, their search engine marketing and optimization teams took back control of their Google search results.

By the end of November, there were hardly any negative, commercially driven, organic or paid Adidas search results; rather, there were only sporadic “injected” news stories referencing the controversy. In reality, as of December 2, 2022, there was no mention of the controversy on the Adidas U.S. Google page.

Source: Prnewswire