Brand Authenticity and Rage Marketing: How Does It Work?

WebMD defines "doom scrolling" as a user's activity when during a time of tragedy or crisis, they binge what is repeatedly related to that particular content. Another word for doom scrolling is doom surfing.

Due to this, advertisers might see that this is the case and use the increase of followers online to their advantage to farm engagement, thereby creating the cycle of keeping people on the platform even though it can be detrimental to mental health.

Why do companies use anger to sell? Well, it's essential always to know those companies' target audience and the most optimizable social media platform. X, or formerly Twitter before Elon Musk bought it, is the successor to this concept, with 'Tweets' or posts with limited characters could go viral the more likes it garners.

A subset of the method of rage marketing is 'rage farming,' or the act of intentionally posting provocative or mean content to spark engagement. To others, this may not seem like an ethical means of follower gain, but one can't ignore its true, uncalled-for effectiveness.

Provocative tweets that spark immediate outrage are typically political content or some sense of manufactured outrage based on false rhetoric.

So knowing this, with a compelling narrative enough to get people listening on the proverbial pedestal of your chosen internet platform, it's easy to understand why companies decide to go with this method. Though, I suppose this then falls onto the consumer again: are you more likely to support a brand that uses rage marketing as a tactic for follower loyalty? It is, rather, something that works, despite the angst that comes with it.

The brand balances a slippery slope in terms of appearances and when to use this marketing tactic effectively.

An example of this outrage or 'rage' marketing is implementing reality television. The Kardashians -- a well-known celebrity family, for better or for worse -- gives folks a good idea of how brands utilize their fame to promote their business, therefore creating a continued cycle of revenue for both parties. The public outrage that follows after a Kim Kardashian meltdown, or when packaging problems plagued Kylie Jenner's liquid lipstick, the family name was trending on the internet for days. No matter what or how the public reacts, the reality is a win-win for the Kardashians. (Why would consequences matter when you're rich? The 5% of this population hardly know how to act once money is involved, it seems).

In conclusion, while outrage or rage marketing has its psychological advances, it's not without it's risks or losses on brand image. This blog is not to promote or support these practices or the family mentioned, to be clear -- it's to point out the pros and cons of it. At the end of the day, the reality of internet fame is fleeting. Likes and dislikes and attention can only get a person or an internet celebrity family so far, before the general public forgets about them.

It's how a person becomes famous that matters the most, though it's understandable how easy it is to get lost in the battle for attention.

This then brings about the age-old question: is it better to be feared or be loved? Would you rather have momentary viral fame or consistent notoriety?