The internet is a noisy place, and amid the cacophony of conflicting opinions, feelings can get hurt. Previously consigned to comment sections, fans and trolls alike are being empowered by tools like Genius – a web annotator that lets people comment on the entire web. While some sites, such as the Washington Post, have embraced Genius’ potential to drive engagement and debate, others have warned of its potential for encouraging abuse.

Trolls are near-omnipresent across social media platforms and forums, purposefully seeking to derail how people and brands communicate online. Yet while these interactions are usually seen as malicious, how can brands use trolling tactics to create a unique voice and win over the public?

Two years after Elton John called for people to boycott Dolce and Gabbana, the label got into troubled waters again for dressing Melania Trump. D&G has made fun of the whole scenario by co-opting the #boycottdolcegabanna movement with its own boycott t-shirt.

Trolling is everywhere – 28% of Americans admit to ‘malicious online activity’ directed at a stranger, and 12% have made deliberately controversial statements. And from Swedish deputy prime minister Isabella Lövin trolling Trump, to Moscow's UK embassy poking fun at the West, even political figures are jumping on the bandwagon. Now haters have set their sights on brands – 52% of UK companies reported a decline in business as a consequence of posts online between 2015 and 2016, and 12% of those affected say they don’t know what to do to improve the situation. If brands can’t avoid the haters, how should they react?