Why You NEED to own Your Brand

Why do Disney, Nintendo, and other large media companies sue creators for using Mickey mouse, the Mario brothers, or other copyrighted IP without their permission?

The obvious answer is about money of course, but what many people don’t consider or realize is how important it is to protect your brand, IP, and messaging and the only way you can do that is by owning your brand.

Let's say you have a reputation for being a very family friendly brand. What if your mascot was used in content where it goes on a killing spree, makes adult videos, and kicks puppies as a hobby? It would paint him, and by extension you, in a very bad light. On a less extreme example, what if your mascot wasn’t involved but the logo was featured prominently on the weapons? People would at least create a negative association with you, if not believe it was an official endorsement of the actions.

This is a major problem with smaller brands relying on royalty free library music. You have no control of when or where the music appears, and it can become a prominent part of a competing campaign or material with a conflicting message.

If however you own your identity, you have the sole right to determine when and where your music is used. This gives you far greater control of your brand than relying on generic library tracks, as library music can and will appear in thousands of other unrelated content. In addition, it can also be far more memorable and help you with long term brand growth.

When you own your sound, you own your brand. If you’re interested in a free e-book on Getting Started with Sonic Branding, join our mailing list - here.