Why brands like Burger King are using internet troll tactics in their marketing campaigns

Trolls have a bad reputation, deservedly so.

In case you’ve been living under the proverbial rock and are unfamiliar with the term, an internet troll is someone who deliberately tries to provokes an argument or reaction online, usually by saying nasty or offensive things.

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Trolling is in many ways akin to bullying, which is why it’s an objectionable, unpopular behaviour. But despite the negative connotations, many brands are trying to grab consumers’ attention with campaigns that aim to mock and belittle their rivals – and this online behaviour is seeping into the real world.

Take, for instance, last month’s high-profile troll campaign in Sweden, where Burger King retitled the food menu in its restaurants as “Not Big Macs” and renamed its burgers after variations of McDonald’s signature dish.

The name change was poking fun at the fact that Burger King’s fast-food rival had just lost its Big Mac trademark in the EU, after a bitter legal battle with the Irish chain Supermac’s.

This isn’t the first time that Burger King has attempted to troll its competition. Last December, to promote the launch of a new app, the brand sold Whopper burgers for a penny. The catch? Customers had to order it through the app while near a McDonald’s outlet.

Certainly, both stunts garnered media attention and were amusing. But does troll marketing produce results beyond a few laughs at another company’s expense?

While marketing experts acknowledge that this is a risky tactic, they also see its value.

“A calculated risk is worth taking,” says Jonathan Phillips, chief executive of Propero Partners. “If you’re cheeky – like Burger King Sweden has been – rather than malicious, then guerrilla marketing works well. Trolling can often far exceed the value of coverage you could normally achieve or afford, and shows that your brand is human and not too ‘corporate’.”

Of course, humour is a well-worn marketing tactic, and mocking a rival can help to humanise a company by showing consumers that it has a playful side. It can also encourage customers to associate positive traits with a brand’s image, which should translate into future sales.

“Not only does a call-out instil traits like humour, bravery, and spontaneity into the brand that’s instigated it, but it simultaneously highlights the lack of those traits in the other business, especially if it doesn’t respond,” says Sacha Noyes, a planner at creative agency Boys + Girls.

“Providing consumers with entertainment – instead of the traditional advertising that they’re accustomed to ignoring – can leave a brand top of mind for consumers.”

Troll marketing is not only meant to entertain consumers, but also to cut through the noise with potentially outrageous advertising.

One company that’s infamous for such tactics is the Scottish beermaker BrewDog. Its list of controversial stunts is impressive. Last year it launched a campaign that trolled rivals by highlighting the low customer review scores for Carling, Budweiser, and Fosters beers. This campaign helped play into its image of being subversive and rebellious.

“The world is full of sensible brands doing sensible things,” says Jamie Williams, a partner at creative agency Isobel, which was behind that particular BrewDog campaign.

“That’s why so much advertising is essentially wallpaper. Nobody sees it, and nobody talks about it. Cutting through and getting noticed is everything, and being provocative and firing up a debate is a pretty good starting place for brands. It’s also a lot more fun than being boring.”

Troll marketing can be a particularly effective tactic for helping newer firms get noticed. By calling out more established players, the challenger is effectively piggybacking on the marketing budget of its rival.

For example, the fintech startup Viola Black launched a campaign in January with the slogan “Move over, Monzo”, leading to lots of press coverage comparing the two.

“By cheekily capitalising on the Monzo name, Viola Black placed itself in the same sphere as its successful predecessor. Whether or not this positioning is true, Monzo is a successful brand that fintech companies want to emulate,” explains Phillips.

However, there are risks to troll marketing. First, when people in real life engage in trolling, it’s often a sign of insecurity – the same could be said of companies that indulge in it.

“A company referencing itself in the context of a competitor’s weakness or a particular inferiority is usually a sign of proposition insecurity in either its brand or product,” says Ash Bendelow, managing director at creative agency Brave.

“True innovators have total focus on what they’re doing – they don’t waste time or brain power second guessing and mimicking the competition.”

Second, there’s a fine line between being entertaining and being rude, and consumers will see through an ad that’s throwing petty insults at a rival.

This is not necessarily a barrier to success – just look at Donald Trump, who turned trolling on Twitter into winning the US presidency.

But internet bullying is a hot topic in society right now, and customers will object if they think that a brand is engaging in nasty, bullying behaviour, especially if it’s trying to appeal to a wide market.

One can easily imagine a marketer designing a troll ad campaign that they think is banter, but consumers interpret as bullying, which could seriously damage the client’s reputation.

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There’s clearly a place for troll marketing. It’s an effective way for smaller businesses to get noticed and build their image. But it works best as an occasional stunt – try to troll your rivals too often, and it will start to look more like a crutch and lose its effectiveness.

It may even make a brand look silly and juvenile – at the end of the day, no one likes a troll.