In a post at his blog, Jeremiah Owyang discusses the case of artist Nadia Plesner, who produced a t-shirt depicting an impoverished child holding a Louis Vuitton bag and a Chihuahua, à la Paris Hilton; her point being that the media are more interested in celebrity culture than the genocide in Darfur.
The French luxury goods maker sent Plesner a cease-and-desist letter, and then filed suit when she declined to comply. But, given the fact that Louis Vuitton's aggressive response has served primarily to fan the controversy's flames, was it the correct response?
Owyang's post outlines the basic options:
Take action. The company will likely prove copyright infringement, winning damages but losing the PR battle.
Participate. Conversely, Louis Vuitton could drop the suit and join the Dafur awareness movement; the drawback is setting a shakedown precedent for activist groups who see brand jacking as a potential revenue stream.
Redirect. Owyang reader John Bell says Louis Vuitton could host discussions through a neutral third party: "LV can become part of [the] solution without taking on the brunt of an issue they do not own."
"It could have been Rolex, Lexus, Gucci, or even your brand," says Owyang. "[S]adly for LV, it was theirs." Your Marketing Inspiration is to be prepared—if your brand gets jacked, what will you do?
More Inspiration:
Ted Mininni: Starbucks: Building Innovation with Customers
Lewis Green: Why Putting People First Makes Good Business Sense
Mack Collier: Dueling Blacklists: Bloggers v. PR Firms
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