Public opinion on social media and even fake trends are being engineered… the reality of 'mass account marketing' exposed

TechCrunch reports that marketing firm Chaotic Good has used thousands of social accounts and many iPhones to make songs and brands appear to spread organically on TikTok-like platforms.

Bands like Geese and startup Phia were cited as examples; Phia’s cofounder said the company paid student creators to post multiple promotional videos.

The tactics are evolving beyond reach and views into coordinated comments and early-stage sentiment shaping.

The trend raises concerns that recommendation feeds can manufacture popularity and undermine trust in music promotion, startups, and online discourse.