Competitors who attempt to influence a brand’s public image by creating negative news often use a variety of channels and strategies. Here are some common approaches: 1. **Social media platforms**: - **Weibo, WeChat, Douyin, etc.**: Weaken the brand’s image by posting negative comments, spreading rumors, or organizing cyber attacks. - **Fake accounts**: Create fake accounts and post false information or negative comments. 2. **Online review and rating sites**: - **Dianping, Meituan, Tmall, etc.**: Organize negative reviews to lower the brand’s overall rating and influence potential consumers’ decisions. 3. **Blogs and forums**: - **Industry-related blogs, Zhihu, Tieba, etc.**: Write or commission others to write negative articles or posts against the brand to create public opinion pressure. 4. **Traditional media channels**: - **Newspapers, television, radio**: Spread negative information or expose brand problems through news reports, columns, or advertising. - **Press releases**: Release press releases that are unfavorable to the brand to attract media attention. 5. **Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Strategy**: - **Negative content optimization**: By publishing a large amount of negative content, it ranks higher in search engine results and covers the positive information of the brand. - **Backlink building**: Create a large number of links pointing to negative pages to increase their weight in search engines. 6. **Influencer marketing**: - **Use KOLs and bloggers**: Persuade influential individuals to express negative opinions on their platforms to expand the spread of negative information. 7. **Negative advertising**: - **Online and offline advertising**: Place targeted advertisements to emphasize the shortcomings of the brand or the advantages of competitors to weaken the brand's market position. 8. **Anonymous or underground networks**: - **Anonymous websites, dark web**: Post untraceable negative information to circumvent legal and ethical constraints. 9. **Legal proceedings and public relations attacks**: - **Initiating lawsuits**: Harassing brands through legal means and creating negative news. - **Public relations crisis**: Create a false public relations crisis to force the brand to invest resources in crisis management, thereby affecting its public image. **Note**: Although the above methods may be used to influence brand image, many of them may involve unethical or even illegal means, such as defamation, spreading false information, cyber attacks, etc. These actions will not only damage the target brand, but may also bring legal risks and reputation damage to the operator. Therefore, enterprises should adhere to the principles of legality and integrity in competition and focus on improving their own brand value and customer relationships.