• ClickZ, Monday, November 16, 2015 12:57 PM

The red-cup Starbucks controversy set off by Joshua Feuerstein in a YouTube video after discovering the company's holiday cups do not have the words "Merry Christmas" written on them seems priceless considering the publicity the company continues to receive -- not only in social media, but also search engine queries. 

Feuerstein's video went viral recently after he denounced the company, saying that Starbucks removed Christmas from its cups because it hates Jesus. Starbucks didn't respond, which Mike O'Brian notes seems to contradict what agency partners typically tell their clients. "We recommended brands to respond quickly and own up to their mistakes," he writes.

It wasn't a mistake, but rather a change in direction. And for every person criticizing Starbucks for taking the "Christ out of Christmas," O'Brian writes, several others either defend the brand or make fun of the absurdity. 

Starbucks' decision to change this year's cup design not only lit up social media with consumers talking about the brand, but also sparked a firestorm on search engines. Searches for the keyword "starbucks" and keywords "starbucks holiday cup" spiked in November from a flat line, virtually nothing -- up 100%. So did searches for the keywords "starbucks red cup" and "starbucks cup," which typically don't command much attention. 

Read the whole story at ClickZ »