What Is Rage-Bait? Why Brands Should Think Twice Before Using It

Why brands using rage-bait might win the moment but lose the audience

If you've spent more than two minutes online lately, you will have come across content so outrageously wrong, offensive, or stupid enough that you have to comment. Or repost. Or send it to the group chat. Which means that the creator of that content may have successfully rage-baited you - congrats!

Rage-bait is content engineered to annoy you and it’s a strategy used by influencers and brands alike to harness attention. They post something controversial, offensive, or wildly out-of-touch, and watch as the algorithm rewards them with “engagement”, even if 99% of that engagement is people responding with hate. People using rage bait are weaponising attention and they don’t mind whether that attention is positive or negative, because they are getting more comments, more shares, more views - which means more ad revenue or sales.

Some brands are leaning into this, but as a social media agency we aren’t sure if this is the right way to go. The case on everyone’s minds recently has been American Eagle’s “Great Jeans” campaign, an ad featuring Sydney Sweeney that spiraled into accusations of white supremacy and rage baiting. The internet exploded in debate, and their stock surged. This might look like a win for the brand, but we know that attention doesn’t equal brand loyalty or trust. If this is what brands are looking for, rage baiting is not the way to go.

If you’re building a brand that needs to outlast one viral moment achieved through rage bait, here’s our advice: 

Check the intent behind your campaign. Do you want to make people feel joy, or do you want to start a thumb-war online? Have you run the content past anyone outside your brand bubble? Rage-bait can be accidental, and it often slips through when teams lack cultural fluency. Before you post, ask yourself if it’s been seen by an audience that can offer diverse perspectives.

Don’t copy influencer content. Some creators make six figures a year on rage-bait alone, but they’re not building brands, and if you’re a business, that’s a dangerous model to copy.

If you do find yourself in the middle of controversy: own it. Don’t ghost your audience because silence can feel dismissive, and make your community feel undervalued or ignored. Respond with humility and clarity, and show your audience that you’re listening.

Think about what your audience deserves from you. People are exhausted by their feeds being full of noise. If you create content that adds something, whether that be joy, insight, connection, or even healthy debate, you win in the long run by earning attention that returns to your brand again and again. 

Any brand can go viral by starting a fire, but not every brand can build something people actually want to gather around. Next time you’re planning a campaign, ask yourself if you're rage-baiting your audience or whether you’re adding something that’s genuinely worthwhile. 

If you want help running socials that earns attention without burning bridges, we would love to hear from you. 

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