Abstract:
Marketing faces challenges in the communication process while attempting to persuade the consumer, as external stimuli may influence the target consumer’s response, and in the digital age, audiences choose how to receive messages, even if they opt to do so. Counter-marketing, the ‘dark side’, involves social engineering and should be seen as a new kind of massive manipulation, as fake reviews, on digital media, try to influence the perception of a product during the purchasing process, as consumers rely on these opinions. This study aims to understand the effects of counter-marketing strategies in the form of fake reviews (misinformation) and how they alter consumer behavior. We conducted a cross-platform study to understand if digital counter-marketing actions could affect a product’s perception. Although conversations around the main search query were negative and the perception of Smartphone 15 line-up may have been affected, we discovered that both sales and loyalty were not affected as a reflection of consumer behavior.
