Just a thought from someone currently working on marketing his own firm online:

Ideally, your existing customers would be so happy with your product, that they would write about you in those forums. Could you help them do that, or lead their attention to it? Or - if you think that is unethical - could you respectfully recommend your own product in the forums?

Alternatively, you could just participate in the discussions and add value like that. You could learn about how your competitors work from their customers perspective, and get new ideas for your own product from the interaction.

That way, you would get both visibility and ideas for product development.

Good luck with your branding! Feel free to set up a call if you want to discuss the idea more in depth.

Best regards
Kenneth

Focus everything on how your product helps "them" get what they want. Your USP. It is not just about your "brand" at this point. Describe the benefits of your product, then introduce the brand name as the one that best provides those needed and wanted benefits.

Best of Luck,
Mike
From the Trenches to the Towers Marketing

If you believe that you can find a forum where people are spewing venom on your competitors, you will get none because it will against their terms of service and it will be reported and deleted. If you find it there it will be for a short term. No forum wants to have a bad name and fall in the whirlpool of lawsuits for allowing such posts. As far as using Google Display Networks are concerned this link will help you: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2404190?hl=en
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath