Social media data, collected by data company Freemavens, has revealed which brands associated with FIFA are receiving the most negative sentiment online.
Adidas has seen the largest percentage increase of backlash since it was revealed that seven FIFA officials have been arrested and 14 football officials are accused of taking more than $US150 million in bribes.
Social media data from the Freemavens study:
According to the study, Adidas saw negative sentiment rise a ridiculous 32,500 per cent, followed by Visa 27,000 per cent, Budweiser 25,500 per cent, Nike 23, 700 per cent, Hyundai 16,600 per cent, Coca-Cola 9,650 per cent and lastly, McDonald’s 4,600 per cent.
Keep in mind that Adidas would have had lower negative online comments prior to the scandal, whereas brands such as McDonalds often have higher negative perception on Twitter. This could explain why Adidas’s negative sentiment has sky rocketed.
The social backlash is pretty clear: people want big sponsors to withdraw their sponsorship of FIFA.
Twitter:
Until brands act – @Nike NOT @Adidas, @BurgerKing NOT @McDonalds, @MasterCard NOT @Visa, @Hyundai NOT @Kia & anything but @Budweiser | #Fifa
— Steven Worobec (@stevenworobec) May 29, 2015
#FIFA partners @adidas @CocaCola @Hyundai @emirates @Sony @Visa where are your morals + ethics now? You bring shame on your brands #boycott — Djemal UA (@Djemalist) May 29, 2015
Brands acting like corruption in FIFA is something they were unware or not participating… Bad, bad, bad… http://t.co/JAlyVtlww5
— CarloBraga (@carlobraga) May 28, 2015
@adidas @Visa @CocaCola @McDonalds @Budweiser @Hyundai Stop supporting corrupt FIFA or I stop buying your brands! — Stefan-Jörg Göbel (@stefanjorggobel) May 28, 2015
Come on @adidas @sony @visa @coke show some leadership and tell #fifa the corruption must end. It’s tarnishing your brands too.
— Robert Pratten (@robpratten) November 15, 2014
I’ll boycott anyone brands who sponsor #FIFA now. Adios. — Mike King (@mikekingphoto) May 29, 2015
Sponsorship of #FIFA by @pepsi @nike @visa @coca_cola condones and accepts corruption #boycottfifa @fifacom
— Richard Lorello (@richardlorello) May 30, 2015
In other FIFA scandal news, Coca-Cola has released a statement:
“Our expectation remains that FIFA will continue to act with urgency to take concrete actions to fully address all of the issues that have been raised and win back the trust of all who love the sport of football. We believe this decision will help FIFA transform itself rapidly into a much-needed 21st century structure and institution.”
What do you think about brands sponsorship with FIFA? Tweet us @bandt