Another lesson on doing the right thing.
By Amber Hudson and Luke Sklar
First Spotify and now Apple Music. It’s pretty clear Taylor Swift is feeling a little salty about streaming music. Here’s the latest: Apple Music announced the launch of their new streaming music service complete with a 3 month-free trial for subscribers…but during these 3 months artists would not get paid….Taylor cried foul in an open letter to the company…Apple quickly changed their approach and agreed to pay artists…singer-songwriters released a collective sigh of relief….the tech community lost its mind. Phew [wipe sweat from brow].
In past posts we’ve shared lessons on how brands should stick to their vision and quietly pat the naysayers on the head (Gap logo, Tropicana packaging). This time we think Apple did the right thing. Why? Because Taylor is respected, she spoke honestly on something she knows (note to Taylor, don’t hit up the anti-gun control lobbyists) and she used her power to sway commerce for the greater good.
Oh, but now conspiracy theories abound! Might this be an orchestrated stunt to create buzz for both brands? Exhibit A:
Are we being fooled? Who knows. Regardless, the lesson holds: don’t listen to everyone with a negative flair. But do listen when called to task by opinion leaders. Ask yourself what’s the right thing to do. And if you have to, a little mea culpa never hurt. In fact, it might even make you more likeable.