Aretha Franklin Protects Her Brand

One of the most valuable assets of any company is its brand, from its brand name to its brand image, message and everything in between. Protecting that brand should be a top priority at all times.

Today, Aretha Franklin provides an example companies should follow in terms of protecting a brand. Everyone knows Aretha Franklin has been dubbed the Queen of Soul, and Aretha really likes that title. She owns that title, and she doesn’t want anyone to forget it. So when she didn’t get a big enough nod from Beyonce Knowles during her Grammy performance, she spoke up.

Today, Aretha Franklin’s publicist released an unsolicited statement from the Queen of Soul in which Aretha said, “I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyoncé. However, I dismissed it as a cheap shot for controversy.”

In case you didn’t see it, here is Beyonce’s performance with Tina Turner at the Grammy Awards show on Sunday.

While I think it’s amusing that Aretha Franklin thinks Beyonce’s performance had anything to do with Aretha directly, let alone included hidden insults, I think there is a lesson to be learned here. Own your brand, protect it and defend it at all costs. Be your brand’s guardian. Remember, your brand can be powerful. Use it.

Be the Aretha Franklin of your brand.

Tags: Aretha Franklin, Beyonce Knowles, Aretha Franklin Beyonce, Grammy Awards show, Beyonce Tina Turner Grammys, branding, branding tips, marketing, brand image