The Internet is the ultimate democracy. Anyone with an Internet connection can share their opinions, regardless of whether they are good or bad, and they can do it honestly, publicly and uncensored. When you sit on the right side of the ledger, the collective opinion can propel your brand onto the world stage. Do it wrong, though, and in some cases it can render it almost worthless.

You are powerless to stop negative commentary and feedback. This is part of the power of this new democracy. Send a threatening lawyer’s letter to shut someone up, and they might just publish it online causing you even greater havoc. You don’t have control, and those brands that try to enforce it end up looking scared.

The power of the Internet doesn’t stop there, of course. It is also a powerful leveler, one where a single person can etch the name of your company onto a lone bullet, aim and fire, and leave even the most powerful brands in the world reeling from the carnage. If you’re one of the very few brands who still hold any shred of doubt about your vulnerability, just turn to Dave Carroll’s story to set your own internal barometer straight.

You can Google for the rest of the story, but the lesson is clear. Before the Internet, big brands may have got away with less-than-ordinary behavior. Now it isn’t possible to escape penalty for it. When Dave Carroll warns United he’s going to write songs about his experience with their brand, one can almost imagine the rolling of the eyes in their hallowed corridors. Those same eyes will be spinning, not rolling, anymore.

For what started as a simple compensation claim for $USD1200 for the repair of a guitar morphed into brand carnage. The video reached more than 4 million viewers in 3 weeks, was reported in most major media, and became a lively topic for blogs, forums and dinner parties around the world.

It will cost United millions of dollars to repair the damage to its reputation. One wonders whether it can even be done. And sadly for United it will take a long time. High profile, catchy ditties, such as the one created by Dave Carroll, just don’t fade from people’s memories fast enough to save the biggest brands in the world.

Of course, the last laugh is with Dave Carroll. He’s gone on to international recognition for his music and song-writing. His music sales have soared. His band is in demand. He has offers pouring in. Bob Taylor wants to give him guitars.

And it’s all thanks to a big brand that claims to care about its customers but when the time came to walk the talk, it stubbornly refused to step forward.

See related post: How Goliath Should Respond To David

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