Rumours spread fast. And they have their merits.

AIDS-infected syringes in cinemas? Spiders in Yuccas? Killer microwaves? George W. Bush in direct contact with extraterrestrials? Crocodiles in New York’s sewers? Lemurs hiding among us? Procter & Gamble a satanic cult? We could go on and on listing the rumours that make up the daily media buzz (Latin meaning of rumor) that surrounds us, teeming with news stories where reality rubs shoulders with fantasy.

From a purely sociological point of view, rumour is the dissemination of information that is doubly illegitimate in terms of conventional discourse and information channels, and more generally in terms of all institutions that issue official statements (councils, courts, academies).

But why do they spread so quickly and so well?

Contrary to popular belief, rumours have their virtues.

Three social virtues
They empower the person who spreads them: knowing a rumour means being the holder of sensational information that others do not know, and is therefore a way of occupying the position of a “prophet” who wields a certain social power, a power that is fleeting but so narcissistic. It means placing oneself in a position of social dominance by possessing knowledge that others do not have.

They strengthen group cohesion: knowing THE current rumour is a way of identifying with the group, just like rituals, language codes or dress codes. The group thus builds an internal identity (those who know) and contrasts it with others (those who do not know). The more rumours circulate, the more the group becomes united, as it provides a reassuring sense of shared knowledge. This cultural and emotional sharing reinforces the idea of similarity and therefore cohesion.

They explain the inexplicable: when faced with things and actions that are almost incomprehensible, we need to recreate logic and explainability. As a result, rumours become part of the arsenal available to restore control over events. They appear as a tool for explaining reality. It is in this sense that rumours are reassuring, because they have the merit of offering an explanation, however irrational it may be: the absence of explanation is so intolerable that beliefs arise where reason and scientific knowledge are ineffective or inaccessible.

How to debunk rumours?
A denial circulates much less effectively and less quickly than the rumour itself. Less sensational, it ultimately tells people that they were wrong. Furthermore, denials are not always issued at the right time: if they are too early, they arouse suspicion, and if they are too late, the rumour is too well established and entrenched to be dislodged.

Furthermore, denials do not always have the capacity to prove that the rumour is false: either the proof exists but requires a highly complex scientific demonstration, or the proof does not exist and the two versions oppose each other without the credibility of one taking precedence over the other.

Finally, denial can sometimes have an effect that is worse than simply being ineffective. In fact, it can have a boomerang effect. This is the case when the denial itself triggers or increases the spread of the rumour. A study conducted among secondary school pupils on the supposed toxicity of Malabar tattoo stamps showed that nearly 21% of the young people surveyed who did not believe the rumour before reading the denial were convinced by the content of the denial itself.

So, if there’s no solution, what can be done?
On the web, fake news takes many forms. It fuels the most sophisticated conspiracy theories. It also serves as entertainment on parody sites such as Le Gorafi. It is used in the communication strategies of brands such as Carambar, which poked fun at the web by suggesting that the jokes on its sweets would have educational value. Rumours take the form of scoops, fake photos, bogus campaigns, and more.

As a result, companies may be tempted to view rumours as a fantastic, powerful and free form of media. It is therefore not surprising that advertisers want to exploit them to spread all kinds of messages: commercial messages, messages designed to increase awareness of a brand, a company, a person, etc. After all, the lines between rumour, buzz and viral marketing are blurred.

Many brands have started rumours (or bad buzz, if you will) to get people talking about them, using the same methodology, which consists first of all of stirring up outrage on sensitive topics such as feminism, environmentalism, justice, equality and nostalgia. Then, they fuel the fire by encouraging more engagement on social media. Finally, they convey messages and promote a product, backed by an endorsement (an institution, brand values, etc.).

While these strategies may seem profitable at first glance, they remain a very risky and double-edged sword. It is therefore essential to always keep in mind that word of mouth, which now spreads at lightning speed, can create instant – but fleeting – successes as well as resounding failures.