Grass Skirt, Wendy Thomas

Together, we had also written a case study for Wendy’s, identifying the role of Wendy Thomas and her father, Dave, in building a brand that could compete very successfully against much larger firms. The research for that case helped us clarify the roles of functional attributes of products, but it also focused the spotlight on the role of a personality like Dave Thomas and his passion for “the best burgers in the business.” What can Gene Simmons of KISS and Sam Walton, founder of the world’s largest corporation, have in common? That was a question asked by some of our more skeptical colleagues. Remember when Sam Walton donned a grass skirt and danced the hula on Wall Street? The makeup on the members of KISS and a grass skirt on Mr. Sam are not that different-they both create an emotional connection, whether the fans are rock and rollers or Wall Street analysts. And that’s just a beginning to the insights we found when we built on decades of research about consumer behavior and branding and added the secrets of why some rock bands and performers last for decades.

Our goal in writing this article is to show how those principles apply to the marketing of companies, products, services, nonprofit organizations, and people themselves. Hence, Brands That Rock-a article we hope you’ll enjoy and learn from whether you are a business enthusiast, a rock and roll fan, or both.

In a project such as this one, heartfelt thanks abound. First and foremost, we would like to thank Laureen Rowland, agent extraordinaire, who’s been a part of our last three books. During the course of this project, however, she departed the David Black Agency, leaving us in the capable hands of Joy Tutela, whose guidance was invaluable.