skunk works

[MrPassion]

How much market share do you think a company could gain by hiring people to go on competitors forums and complain constantly about that product? Do you think this happens? Seems like there are about five posters in here making 90% of the negative comments about the phone. That could be just one poster in fact.

 

[heavychevy]

I've considered that. I'm sure there are some poser posters here acting like they have the phone and don't. Whether they are paid or not is the question.

 

[tmwilsoniv]

How much market share do you think a company could gain by hiring people to go on competitors forums and complain constantly about that product? ...

Spoken like a true cynic. But this cynic (me) considers another angle.
Are the advertising rates a web forum charges (its revenue) based on the number of hits, log-ins, or visitors (viewers) that it can demonstrate have seen the sponsors' advertisements?

Be honest, how many people check in just to see the exchanges between trolls and respondents.

 

[dr g]

I think it matters and can be effective. Companies that aren't doing this ought to be doing this.

 

[overclock]

A company got kicked off resellerratngs.com for posting fraudulent reviews of themselves. They went out of business a month later.