The Cat is Out of the Bag

Groundswell management is vital to companies and individuals because groundswell control is impossible. Sometimes the worst thing for some people to do is to do anything at all, but the field of intellectual property in law is going to play a big part in the company/internet relationship. While reading this article I could not help but think about MP3s and how difficult it is for the music industry to deal with the internet. I think some of the smartest companies and brands are those that embraced groundswell and used it to their advantage. What comes to mind is bands like Radiohead that made their album releases online for free, or for a donation of what people thought made sense. Rather than fighting copyright laws that are virtually unenforceable due to the internet, Radiohead improved their brand concept by making their release about the music, not the money, which I think in the long run actually will make them more money because of the increased support they will get from concerts, merchandise, and royalties. The pee in the pool analogy from the article is the best takeaway for companies to consider when deciding how they will proceed with their dealings in the internet.