This blog has been in existence for over a decade. A large amount of content has been written about brands like Digidesign/Avid over that time, some of it has been critical; of products, concepts, business practises and the brand. Never has Avid resorted to the kind of actions and a campaign against one individual that led Uli Behringer to issue an apology today.

In the apology he wrote;

"Kirn Video

Please allow me to respond to the video we had published today. For the past 20 years, Peter Kirn and Behringer have had an 'interesting' relationship to say the least.

What was meant as pure satire by our marketing department, has clearly offended some people and looking at the video, I could understand why. However, in no way did the team ever intend to make any connection to semitism (sic), as some people have alleged.

We unreservedly apologize to Peter and anyone who felt offended.

Uli"

As we've already said, this blog has also has had what Behringer describes as an 'interesting relationship' at times with Avid. Still, Avid understand that mocking the press and singling out one individual in the way that Behringer did and which many of those watching Behringer’s actions described as bullying and sinister, is neither appropriate or smart.

However, the apology raises as many questions as it answers.

It seems to imply that the Marketing Department works without any reference to management or legal, which to be frank in an organisation the size of Behringer is unthinkable. It also suggests that should a publication criticise Behringer then they are fair game for the kind of campaign waged against Peter Kirn.

Just like governments, brands need to be held to account and the bigger the brand, the more essential it is for this to happen. The press is not perfect, we don't always get it right, but our role is essential and trying to silence us is a bad idea. After all, if we only write what brands want us to say then our integrity is gone.

A healthy business is one open to criticism from the press. Try and silence one of us then you need to silence all of us. To reframe the words from the 1960s movie classic Spartacus ‘I'm Peter Kirn!’