What price Duck and Fcuk?

BrandRepublic reports that fashion brand Duck and Cover has opted to harness the power of social networking by launching its own online community The Clan. A digital marketing campaign is now underway on Facebook ('John wrote at 10:28am on January 31st 2009 "Highly under-rated brand Excellent coats and shirts!"' -- nice one, John, says Fashionista) and on YouTube.

Lovely idea, but once you let a brand loose in the social networking environment you are handing over to the mercy of your biggest fans, who are often also your biggest critics and who sometimes get up to all manner of imaginative things online that may not be quite what the brand owner has in mind. What's more, if the social network works it will need some vigorous monitoring/moderation -- which isn't easy -- and if it doesn't work it will look really sad. And just wait till punters who mix-and-match Duck and Cover with French Connection come up with the visually appealing Duck and Fcuk ...