Dive Brief: 

• "Conquesting," a term coined for the practice of buying Google ads aimed at rivals' customers, is going real-time on Twitter. 
• Brands are scouring Twitter for complaints from customers of rivals and offering an alternative.
• According to industry sources, Walmart was wildly successful last holiday season by setting up a team to find users talking about "@BestBuy," for example, and pushing counter offers. 

Dive Insight: 

The conquesting tactic seems brilliant on the surface. What customer wouldn't be thrilled to have their complaints received and responded to, even if it's not from the brand they were tweeting? Unlike Google conquesting, however, everyone is able to clearly see this tactic being employed in real-time and it could come off to some as unethical. It makes sense, though, so be prepared to see more of it this holiday season.