Consulting to tech firms, brands are busy swatting away online crusaders

Rage and fulmination are the norm and brands are vulnerable as they define their online identities, said several experts

It has been a rocky start to the year. With protests raging all around and tempers on a short fuse, within weeks of sending out New Year greetings and messages of hope and peace, social media timelines for many brands are reeling under abuse and threats of boycott.

It all started out with two technology companies at the centre of a storm because two of their representatives were believed to be attending an event organised by the RSS. Their mistake: mixing religion with business, which is always tricky in this country, said experts. But religion is not the only crossed