The Weaponization of the Marketing Funnel: Adapting Commercial Targeting Strategies for Disinformation Campaigns and Troll Detection

Abstract

In the era of hybrid warfare, the operational mechanics of troll farms have shifted from random disruption to
highly organized campaigns that mirror commercial digital marketing. This paper, grounded in the HYBTRINT project
research, investigates how standard marketing strategies—specifically the "marketing funnel"—are weaponized to
manipulate the information environment and proposes a technical framework for their detection. The study demonstrates
how influence operations guide users from initial sensation to radicalization by exploiting societal "pain points" and
creating "dopamine loops" for artificial community validation. To counter these sophisticated strategies, we define a
detection framework based on a multimodal scoring system involving linguistic toxicity, reaction latency, and behavioural
parameters such as "Activity Consistency". The findings, validated within a controlled experimental "Playground"
environment, offer a model for distinguishing between organic engagement and coordinated inauthentic behaviour. The
research is supported by an analysis of an experimental asset pool with a cumulative monthly reach exceeding 10 million
impressions, providing a statistically significant basis for behavior profiling. This research serves as a basis for developing
adaptive monitoring modules for defence and security institutions.