Move over Reverend Wright, there’s a new controversy that has the country in an uproar. It’s the risqué photos taken of Disney’s “it girl” of the moment, Miley Cyrus, for next month’s issue of Vanity Fair. Yes, I’m aware that Rosie has already exhausted the issue on her video blog, Access Hollywood has covered every square inch of it and Keith Olbermann has even included it in his top ten. I, like everyone else in this country, have my own personal opinions on this issue. However, I wanted to share my thoughts from a brand manager perspective, so as to demonstrate just how important a consistent brand experience really is.

Miley Cyrus’s alter ego, Hannah Montana, seemed to explode out of nowhere. Parents were paying a fortune to get their hands on concert tickets and before we knew it, she had infiltrated every possible product marketed to the pre-teen audience. Why has she become so popular, so quickly? What I believe makes her so popular is that she is a breath of fresh air to parents everywhere, especially in an age of over-sexed, repeat rehabbing, young, Hollywood starlets. Parents love Cyrus because she acts her age, dresses appropriately and stays out of trouble. This good girl image is her brand and every decision she makes in her professional life should be in line with that brand. Although Annie Leibowitz’s photos of Cyrus were solely for artistic purposes, and one could argue whether or not they were in fact risqué, the finished product contradicts the Miley Cyrus brand. Cyrus’s decision to pose for these photos is inconsistent with her brand and thus the huge backlash from her fans and their parents. Can Cyrus reverse the damage that this decision has caused to her brand? If you were her brand manager, what would you do?

-Hiley Spaet