The Rise of Trollmarketing and Trashtweeting on Business Social Media

Using trolling as a marketing campaign on social media. Advertising used to be so polite. Well except when it wasn’t. When Apple ripped into IBM with the Superbowl 1984 Ad, it was a shocker to the world. And unusual. Today it seems that every brand voice is experimenting with being obnoxious to get those much needed eyeballs that wander the ‘net lost in the Attention Economy. Dissing competitors is du jour. And activating your customers as an army leads to hooliganism that is usually reserved for soccer brands. What’s up with that?

Grab a cup of coffee while you read this and play the videos. Or a Coke. Will a Pepsi do? Cola Wars. Or a Burger King vs a Whopper (“Whoppers taste better”).

Or a beer

Brand Sarcasm – IKEA vs Apple

The newest trollmarketing campaign comes from Ikea against, ironically, Apple. And it’s funny, in a bitchy, attention seeking kinda way.
Ikea vs Apple – nearly 2 million views.

Brand Hate The Other Guy – Microsoft vs Google

Good old Microsoft – that bastion of brand love and customer happiness ratings [sarcasm]- vs Google.  Microsoft has developed an independent microsite called Scroogled (after Doctorow’s short story) to basically diss Google. Feel the love here. I didn’t find this one so funny. It seems to be arming the Microsoft fanbois against the Google fans. Key influencer against key influencer. This works – think football, sports in general – but what was fun in early Apple days against IBM, seems to reek of desperation today. Microsoft playing the underdog just doesn’t cut it?

There are blogs and merchandise and tv shows dedicated to trashing the opposition. Or at least making catty comments about other singing reality TV shows!

Brand Tribe War – Samsung vs Apple.

Getting your customers to go to war with the competitor customers is an art form. Some have mastered it others not so much. HOMEWORK. Post this question up on your personal Facebook profile or Twitter account: Hey guys I’m thinking of getting a new phone. Android or Apple?  Sit back. Watch. Samsung is very naughty re: Apple.

Audi vs BMW billboard war escalated on Facebook.

If you are Sony Playstation, you wait until the day of the Microsoft Xbox release then mock/parody/hat tip the war between the two brands in a video on YouTube

It’s not just Technology wars – bank wars

Activate your customers to “break up with their bank”. NAB dropped this one on their competitors on Valentines Day. Noice.

IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU.

Whether it’s individual competitors hammering it out for example Mumbrella’s Tim Burrowes who sells tickets to his social media conference in Sydney for $900 a day, dissing me for charging the same for a small workshop in Bali  (and his 29 other bitchbloggings about me) or the big boys of Ikea and Apple and Microsoft slugging it out, it’s all rather unpleasant. I’m not sure it reflects well on the initiator (seems a bit mean spirited to me) unless it’s done with a light touch and humour. Ikea gets it. Microsoft doesn’t. I’m pro- competition. It makes us better. But does it have to be sooo nasty? Trollmarketing and Trashtweeting can bitch right back at you.

Competitor Trashing vs Customer “Feedback”

I’m all up for listening to paying customers complain. And turning it around. You CAN win that war.

But competitors? Nah. NOT A CHANCE. Just stick it to THEM the next time they screw up. Or get on with being successful – give them something to REALLY waste their time on. 😉

Does anyone have a copy of the photo where a bank puts up “now open on Weekends!” and the competitor copies the sign with “Always been open on Weekends!”. I’d love a copy. 🙂 Ta.

PS Fave Brand wars that you’ve seen or indulged in?