When a powerful person, company, or institution deliberately floods the
internet with unrelated but highly searchable content in order to bury or “deflect” attention from an embarrassing rumor, scandal, or conspiracy.
The move usually involves releasing something with the exact same keyword as the damaging story, so when people Google it, they get the official, harmless version instead of the scandal.
Examples:
• People joked that Disney named the movie Frozen so that when you search “Disney Frozen,” you get the animated
princess and not stories about Walt Disney’s frozen head.
• Rumors spread that Beyoncé had a year-long affair with her bodyguard; not long after, she dropped a song called Bodyguard.
• Gross gossip about Dubai “
chocolate porta-potties” parties started circulating, then suddenly “Dubai
Chocolate” became a big marketing push.