Parasitic communication refers to deliberate or unintentional actions undertaken by an individual or organization that damage the image of a product, service, brand, entity, or idea. It encompasses various practices such as ambush marketing, anti-marketing campaigns, rumors, counterfeiting, and calls for boycotts, all of which have the effect of temporarily or permanently altering the reputation of a brand and its products. This form of communication can simply exploit a brand’s communication codes to keep it top of mind for the target audience and convey its message.

Combating parasitic communication is complex because it can spread through various communication channels with no limit to its harmful intent, reflecting the diversity of strategies used to achieve this goal. For example, the concept of reverse viral marketing is used to describe the counter-advertising actions carried out by consumers online. These campaigns rely on the rapid dissemination capabilities of online communication channels to publicly discredit companies’ business approaches and tarnish their brand reputation, according to observations by Joël Le Bon.