Gap “may not want to have” that position associated with its brand, said Andrew Gilman, CEO and founder of the public relations firm CommCore Consulting Group. At this time “almost anything you say can cause your image and your brand some harm,” he said.
“It can be dangerous for brands to align with highly outspoken celebrities,” Jeetendr Sehdev, author of The Kim Kardashian Principle, told CNN Business in an email.
He noted, though, that any attention from West’s comments could be positive.
“What’s essential for Gap at this moment is that it’s injected with a strong point of view, and people pay attention to the brand again,” said Sehdev. “Gap knows it can’t play it safe and is counting on this big risk translating into a big reward.”
The Yeezy deal could earn the retailer up to $1 billion in additional sales by fiscal year 2025, wrote Susan Anderson, an analyst with B. Riley FBR, in a recent note. Customers interested in streetwear, which includes stylish sweats and casual looks, could start coming into Gap stores for the first time to buy Yeezy products, she explained.
Source : CNN