In 1989, the band’s drive toward the perfect product was recognized as the Stones themselves were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, and Mick Taylor present at the ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. Pete Townshend of the Who helped induct the Stones, telling them, “Guys, whatever you do, don’t try to grow old gracefully. It wouldn’t suit you.” Jagger responded, “After a lifetime of bad behavior, it’s slightly ironic that tonight you see us on our best behavior.” Best or worst behavior aside, the Rolling Stones have changed the way people look at rock and roll, from the strategy and business savvy that goes into keeping a brand relevant to a culture to how people think of age, how they dress, and what they sing. They’ve forged the way for corporate sponsorships and bands as multimillion dollar corporations. They set the standard for longevity and vitality in the market and for live entertainment value. They represent continual product improvement and quality control. They are masters of fan creation and fan loyalty. They are, in short, the one and only Rolling Stones.

Aerosmith:

/ Reinventing a Rock and Roll Brand All the big bands started as little bands with a vision.

-STEVEN TYLER I t’s the spring of 2001, and DJs around the country are previewing the hottest summer concerts scheduled to visit their respective cities. In the majority of the top markets, an old familiar group is coming to town, selling out venues from Cincinnati to Sin City (Las Vegas, of course). Aerosmith’s Just Push Play tour is going into full bloom.

Legendary rock and roll bands achieve their status because they stay connected with fans and remain relevant to the culture. For many, this includes evolving the total band experience over time, from how, where, and when fans hear and experience the band to the look, sound, and overall image of the artists and their music. In addition to creating new music, legendary bands reinvent themselves and avoid becoming outdated and irrelevant by: S Touring-to spark renewed interest in the band and bring it into a new point in time for fans S Collaborating with new artists-to associate themselves with new and contemporary sounds, introduce them to new fans, and accompany new memories S Promoting and aligning with products and brands that are relevant to fans S Releasing greatest hits albums-to rekindle loyalty, stir memories and emotions, and introduce new fans to already adopted music S Embracing new media outlets-to reach audiences through new but accepted technology, from videos and DVDs to the Internet S Repackaging (of music and personalities)-to reflect changes in accepted visual imagery, language, and topics and desired physical appearance Although these strategies focus on change, they demonstrate that an important key is to evolve without abandoning what has made the bands successful in the past. As long as people listen to the music of Bob Seger, the Rolling Stones, and Elton John, these performers will remain an active part of their fans’ lives and part of our culture. If they continue to relate to their fans and stay in tune with their fans’ lifestyles, these legendary bands will continue to build long term loyalty. As a result, they command a major share of fans’ entertainment dollars and increase their value to the marketers of consumer products looking for ways to connect with certain segments of the culture. And, perhaps more important to the artists themselves, they will capture a position in music history.

A majority of the rock stars discussed in Brands That Rock have one thing in common-they didn’t fit in with the other kids in school. They were different, delightfully odd in their own sense of the word.”They all came from outside of society and became the inside,” says Bruce Springsteen in a film featured at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Although they did not fit in the mainstream, they were able to channel their creativity, energies, talents, and idiosyncrasies into the world of music, which is still known for accepting individuals who are misunderstood by society. The irony is that their talents and creativity were most likely ignored by traditionalists-retailers, manufacturers, and the like-who probably thought they had nothing to offer to the world of commerce. But these people were able to catapult their status from outcast to megastar, from those who were outside the culture to those who help define it.

Legendary bands influence the culture, and the best allow the culture to influence them as well. Just as Madonna influences fashion and even exercise trends, Gene Simmons and KISS listened to their fans and figured out how to sell more records by packaging the KISS experience (a key lesson examined in detail in Chapter 6). Bands have even influenced people’s definition of good music, creating acceptance of a style or quality level that might have been unacceptable previously.

“It’s not always about how well you sing, especially in the traditional sense of the word, because standards of what is good or bad change,” says Chris Frantz. “Bob Dylan, for example, proves that the message can overcome a lot of other things that we think are important in being accepted. There are a lot of breakthroughs that occur because of things beyond traditional product quality that center more on message and [emotional] connection that eventually change the standard.” Though its hamburgers may not win as many taste tests as gourmet burgers, McDonald’s created a new standard in food retailing based on convenience, speed, consistency, and emotions that influenced what was acceptable and even desired by many Americans in terms of their food choices. Similarly, Starbucks has set a new standard for good coffee, and Wal Mart has set a new standard of what people expect to pay for products.

Three young musicians-Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, and David Byrne-bound together by the desire to write and play a unique form of music, moved to New York City to follow their dream. Armed with a five year plan, they spent the first six months watching other bands perform at CBGB (a local, progressive club), writing material, learning how to play together, and developing their talents. Once they developed enough songs for a show, Hilly Kristal, owner of CBGB, put them on stage opposite the Ramones, a band to which they have been linked ever since. “Kristal provided the incubator for bands much like Silicon Valley did for the technology boom a few decades later,” says Frantz.

The Talking Heads’ music was different-it appealed to a specific type of audience that at the time was at the fringe of society rather than in the middle of it. Seen as smarties who had been to college, they were oddballs in the world of rock and roll, and knew they could attract a niche of cerebral, intellectual fans. Frantz explains, “We were always pretty good about target marketing. We looked for places that attracted people like us and played anyplace we thought would be fans would be, anyplace we could find a connection with who we thought our audience would be.” Their select venues included art galleries and performing arts theaters known for featuring avant garde acts.

As each of the bands performing at CBGB got better, the genre of music they were playing became more popular. The bands of the time “schooled” together, deciding that the best way to become noticed, relevant, and accepted in the marketplace would be to band together with others like them and promote their music movement. “We all wanted our form of music to grow, and we were more powerful working toward that goal together than trying to outsell or outdo each other, ” explains Weymouth. “Together we got more attention from the media and fans and became a part of something bigger than what any of us would have been individually.” When it came time to expand beyond New York City, they united with manager Gary Kurfrist, who understood how to organize, operate, and promote concerts, especially among college markets. He identified college towns in which he thought the Talking Heads, the Ramones, Blondie, and other bands would be accepted, and then found students to act as promoters for campus appearances, often simply finding a place on campus and getting some friends there.

This is a lesson learned by legendary brands such as food marketer Heinz, which successfully introduced green ketchup, attracting new fans-children who probably enjoy playing with the ketchup as much as eating it. Green ketchup enlisted a new generation in the battle with salsa for market share, but Heinz didn’t abandon its classic hit-red ketchup.

During 2002, Aerosmith toured the United States promoting Oh Yeah! and the Rolling Stones promoted Forty Licks, both “new” albums that featured decades of their greatest hits with a few new songs thrown in to satisfy fans looking for something new. This is beyond repackaging old music and selling it to existing fans; it is really about reestablishing a brand within a culture and creating a transgenerational fan base. From its latest greatest hits collection, Aerosmith released the “Girls of Summer” single and video, with airplay and coverage on MTV and VH1. As new, younger fans became interested in the album for this new track, they were introduced to the band’s anthology and music ingrained in the culture for generations.

Brands That Last Some bands remain relevant for decades, releasing albums that combine new songs with classic hits and provide a reason for touring- the primary source of income for these artists. Touring also provides the vehicle for classic bands to stay established in the culture, relevant to fans, and on the top of fans’ minds. How are classic rock bands doing in this area? Table 2.1 shows the top 10 largest grossing tours of 2002. Of the top 10 bands, 7 have been around 20 years or more, disclosing the demand for genres of music and artists built to last.