In the brave new world of social media where the fan and the brand are now on the same level, but the multinational computer company releases the hounds on the little Aussie supermarket for having a stylised “w” that looks a bit like an apple as part of its corporate identity, the matter of who owns your brand and how you police it becomes a very grey area.

Now, I’m nothing if not unoriginal (I even stole that line), but even I don’t want this to be just another blog about big brands and how they ought to lighten up a bit.

So I’ll keep it small.

Personal even.

Natalie Imbruglia being that person.

In 1998 she had a massive global hit with the song “Torn”. It sold a million copies in the UK alone (that’s copies kids, not downloads), it was in the US Billboard chart for 14 weeks and won both ARIA and MTV music awards.

Even today it’s still the song most readily identified with her. You’d think she wouldn’t want anyone dicking around with that.

Yet in 2005 English comedian David Armand did just that, in character as ‘Johann Lippowitz’ – an Austrian interpretive dance artist – a performance of his mime to ‘Torn’ went viral and was seen around the world. And to be fair it is very funny. But it’s borrowed interest (like all the stuff I get from Wikipedia) and it’s hardly doing anything for Brand Imbruglia is it?

What to do then?

Sue? That’s what Apple would probably do, have the legal department to get medieval on his ass.

Turn a blind eye? Coca Cola did that with the Facebook page that was started without their permission, it now has 4,129,366 fans and they have left control in the hands of the pages’ founders, they even occasionally supply content. True story.

But Imbruglia chose to do neither. She embraced it. In 2006 at the ‘Secret Policeman’s Ball’ the Amnesty international fundraiser, she got up and performed alongside Johann Lippowitz. The audience loved it, how could you not? She had shown in one single act that she was not just a big enough person to be able to roll with the punches, but big enough to take back ownership of the song again.

I think it’s brilliant.

Apple, watch and learn.

d

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Tags: branding, dave scott, natalie imbruglia