A BRAND as big as the BBC's takes a lot of managing and is susceptible to all manner of attacks.

Hostile criticism comes with the territory for an organisation like the BBC, with its publicly-funded remit.

If it were any normal business, it's likely that its leaders would be holding their heads in their hands after a week or month or year like the one they have just been through.

But, in terms of attracting criticism, it's far from a normal business. At any given time, it's some licence-fee payer's favourite target.

That's why a lot of what it is put through by its critics provides a sound lesson for those running or managing more conventional outfits that attract less negative comment. In short, less high-profile business with a more conventional structure can learn a thing or two from the way the BBC handles criticism.

We are all well-used to the BBC as a provider of news. The Corporation quite rightly has a fine reputation for the quality of its news gathering and presentation.

Consider then what happens to that reputation when the BBC finds itself making the news instead.

The Jonathan Ross row is still simmering. If you don't believe me, wait and see what happens when he reappears in the BBC schedules. It'll be open season once again.

Last weekend, it was the Corporation's soft spot for telephone vote lines which once again propelled it into the position of news maker rather than solely news provider.

And, yet again, it was a high-profile and successful show attracting publicity for all the wrong reasons.

It's quite possible that many millions of people in the UK do not know about or understand what's behind the perceived irregularities in the Strictly Come Dancing judging/voting saga.

But, for the BBC, the damage to the brand is done. Coming on the back of the earlier phone vote debacles, last weekend's must have caused further angst in the BBC's corridors of power.

That was Saturday night.

On Sunday night, BBC audiences were once again being encouraged to pick up their phones to vote for the Sports Personality of the Year Awards, staged in spectacularly successful fashion here in Liverpool.

On Monday, the head of the BBC Trust, Sir Michael Lyons, took questions on air from Radio Merseyside listeners on a variety of topics. There was some criticism of the Corporation.

So, no matter how big or strong the brand, there remain viewers and listeners unhappy with their BBC – because it's just that. Theirs.

MATT JOHNSON is chairman of Mando Group