Some people talk about wearing their emotions on their sleeves; Tyler one ups the sentiment.

Borrow from the Best The most obvious example of borrowing from the best lies in the evolution of rock and roll itself, which borrowed heavily from rhythm and blues, deeply rooted in black culture. Some even say rock pioneers stole the soul of African American music, which emerged from a culture of suffering and survival to become America’s most unique and globally dominating art form. Elvis was a key innovator who combined soul and gospel, the sounds that surrounded him in his youth, to create a new sound that mainstream culture gobbled up.

The massification of his roots, which stemmed from exposure to black culture and music, divided pop music culture into two eras- “B.E.” and “A.E.”-which not only changed contemporary music but changed cultural values around the world as well.

The transition of blues and soul to rock and roll was not limited to Elvis and Bill Haley; some first movers within minority markets, such as Louis Armstrong, Nat “King” Cole, and Chuck Berry, achieved substantial mass market success. Following a trickle up approach, they broke through the traditional race based market barriers to reach and dazzle mainstream markets. But even rural blues stars like B.B. King achieved greater success because of the massification of his product by the likes of the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. In fact, today, his records sell to more white consumers than African American fans.

Two white singers who helped pave the way for mainstream adoption of B.B. King were Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley. Like Elvis, they listened to black singers such as Charlie & Ray and Jessie and Marvin, duplicating their soul based, close harmony songs so well that they were booked at black oriented clubs. During one of their appearances, one fan yelled to them on stage, “That’s righteous, brothers.” You know how the story goes from here. Millions of records and scads of sold out concerts later, it was clear that fans of all colors had embraced rock and roll sounds derived from the African American culture. Hatfield and Medley were honored as the Righteous Brothers at the 2003 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies for their “blue eyed soul” music. At that same induction ceremony, Elton John acknowledged the debt rock and rollers owe to the blues musicians who developed the art form that led to rock and roll’s dominance among global music and culture.

Today, as the band approaches 15 years of sobriety, each member is quick to say that life is more rewarding and focused than ever before.

Not the Same Old Song and Dance: Reintroducing the Aerosmith Brand Reentering the rock arena meant reintroducing the Aerosmith brand to a market that had changed during its absence. Hard rock had given way to the hair bands* and new wave punk sounds of the 1980s, and music had taken on a new visual dimension with the invasion of MTV. To complicate things further, Aerosmith hadn’t left the music scene with a good reputation because the band’s performances had suffered fiercely due to the members’ abuse of drugs. Many labeled them washed up has beens-victims of the excesses of success.

Reinvention with Brand Discipline Formulating Aerosmith’s comeback was challenging at best. What would be the right combination of newness that would make the band relevant in the music scene and familiarity that would enhance the

• Not to be confused with hairballs, hair bands consisted of well coiffed, longhaired young men who belted out rock songs that were big on sound and small

on substance. Some bands, such as Bon Jovi, proved later that they were about more than their teased ‘dos and snazzy outfits, but many remain permanently entombed in the video archives of the 1980s.

loyalty of its current fans? Brand managers advising Aerosmith might have counseled the group on the importance of brand discipline- remaining true to a brand’s personality and image. Did that mean changing the look and dress of the band, its sound or genre of music, or the personalities of its members? Did it mean adapting to the new medium or playing to Aerosmith’s strengths of the past? Did it mean collaborating with a hot new band to grab attention in the new music arena? Brand discipline dictated that Aerosmith examine the changes occurring in the music landscape, many of which were due primarily to a disruptive innovation, the music video. MTV forced rock and rollers from Christopher Cross and Bruce Springsteen to the Kinks and Foreigner to explore the visual side of their music. Some stars would rise to the occasion while others faded into oblivion-not because their music wasn’t good, but because they didn’t look the part of the 1980s rock and roll star-proving all’s fair in love and marketing.

Repeating songs on multiple albums has helped ingrain Rolling Stones music in the minds and hearts of baby boomers across socioeconomic and geographic segments. In addition to the publicity and promotion that accompanies the release of a record, each product introduction gives the band a chance to strengthen the relationship with current fans and creates an opportunity to reach new fans. Creating and releasing albums at such a rapid rate also generates an aura of demand, popularity, and success with which people want to associate. An aggressive product release implies that the previous products are hits and that the band must be hot or it wouldn’t be releasing another album. For new customers, the fact that a song has already appeared on a previous album may go all but unnoticed. Among devoted fans, a song they already know just makes the new material more familiar, an important principle in the theory of how people learn to like something.

Slow Change One of the secrets to the Rolling Stones’ long term success has been the band’s ability to change and evolve at a rate that doesn’t alienate its greatest fans yet keeps the band relevant in the market. How have they done it? With a strategy built upon the psychological theory of generalization and discrimination, which illustrates that the more similar something is to the past, the more likely people are to learn it.

The Rolling Stones practiced the theory of generalization, in the context that the more a new song sounds like one from the past, the more likely people are to learn it, accept it, and like it. But if something is perceived as being the same as something else, it usually doesn’t warrant purchase or adoption. Therefore, marketers must build something new into a product for it to be perceived as different and worth buying. The Rolling Stones could repeat songs on albums because the old songs were surrounded by new ones, making the albums quite different from one another. However, throughout the years, the band didn’t really change its music very much, choosing to stick with the blues roots and overall sound that brought it to the forefront of rock and roll.

It’s Only Rock and Roll, But Boomers Like It Few bands exceed the staying power and commercial success of the Rolling Stones. In part, it’s talent (quality in the world of commerce), hard work, vision, planning, and execution, a basic formula that keeps the band rocking decade after decade, similar to the way brands like Coke and Cadillac keep rolling through the generations. And, in part, it’s timing. The Rolling Stones happened to hit the music scene and become part of the collective life soundtrack of the largest demographic segment of our time-the baby boomers. Teenagers of the 1960s listened, made out, danced, smoked, rebelled, and fantasized to Stones music. It was their puberty music, and it was good enough that the kids continued to sing it, and the band evolved enough that the kids continued to follow it for decades.

“When bands connect with fans during their growing up years, during emotional times, they will feel emotions when they think about them in the future,” explains Stephen Swid, founder of Spin magazine.

“We want to listen to favorites over and over again because they help us remember.” The fact that the band and its music are ingrained in the memories of what many marketers consider to be the most important market segment of the twenty first century helps explain why the Rolling Stones are a relevant American cultural icon today.

But not all in the Stones’ formula for success is corporate babble- this is, after all, rock and roll, and therefore sex and excess beg to be mentioned. But, bottom line, after 40 years this group continues to perform the kick ass, take no prisoners brand of music that has earned it the title of “Greatest Rock and Roll Brand Ever” in the minds of music fans.

By the autumn of 1967, John (although he was still called Reggie Dwight then) had put music to several of Taupin’s lyrics including “Scarecrow” and “A Dandelion Dies in the Wind” and mailed them to him. Both were folk songs reflecting Taupin’s life growing up on a farm. Eventually Williams brought Taupin to the recording studio where John was doing session work and with the simple words “meet Bernie” ignited one of the longest lasting and most commercially successful partnerships in the music industry.

Perhaps an unconventional pairing, the synergy between John, trained in classical music, and Taupin, a farm boy who nevertheless loved classical poetry by Coleridge and Tennyson, birthed some of the most emotion evoking songs in music history. Taupin was impressed with how much John knew about music; John recognized that Taupin’s lyrics, though sometimes cryptic, had an intriguing, mystical, earthy quality that connected at a deeper emotional level than anything he had written himself. It wasn’t long before Taupin (who soon became the brother John never had) moved into the home where John and his mother still lived. Their brotherhood would provide the foundation for a lifelong collaboration and help them survive strains that might sever other, less personal partnerships.

The team tackled the creative process just as they had on their first collaboration, which would become a hallmark difference between their collaborative team and others in the business. Taupin wrote the lyrics first, then handed them off to John, who wrote the music around them, abandoning the traditional process in which lyrics are written after the music. As a result, the music is lyric driven rather than music driven, and to this day, that is how the team works. “I’m a musical mouthpiece for his lyrics, which I love,” John explained on VH1’s Behind the Music.

Elton John’s ability to amass critical acclaim, fans, and profits stems from his two primary strengths-his artistic talent and his marketing prowess. He recognized early that one without the other usually leads to moderate success at best, and the brand that is Elton John certainly doesn’t stand for moderation.

Music Man Reginald Kenneth Dwight was born in 1947 to a musical family in Pinner, a London suburb, where his father played trumpet in both the Royal Air Force and in an American style big band. Young Reggie grew up with records by singers like Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, and Frankie Laine and pianists such as Nat “King” Cole, George Shearing, and Winifred Atwell, who played both popular and classical music and quickly became one of his favorites. After listening to her classic recording of “The Skater’s Waltz,” he sat down at the family piano and played it perfectly by ear. He was three years old. By the age of four, Reggie was “on stage” for family gatherings, and he performed at his cousin’s wedding at age seven, when the band was late.

Piano lessons and an ability to listen to and then play classical recordings to near perfection won him a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music in London at the age of 11. At the academy, he excelled in mastering the music of Handel, Chopin, and Bach and sang in the school’s choir. As busy as he was with his studies, he found time for a part time job as a newspaper carrier.

Although a model student in many ways-polite and highly capable-he was less than diligent in his studies, perhaps because he didn’t find them challenging. He could mimic the classical masters without much effort, and after five years, he left the venerable Royal Academy. He did return, however, in July 2002, when he became the second person in the school’s 180 year history to receive an honorary doctorate degree. What happened between his departure from the academy and his return would make music history, deserving of an honorary degree in marketing as well.

When consumers carefully consider the message’s content, then the presence of compelling claims about the advertised brand is essential to develop favorable attitudes toward the brand. However, when consumers do not think carefully about the message claims- probably the reality with many products ranging from colas and beers to personal care and household items-the strength of the ad claims becomes less important. Instead, the ad’s persuasive impact depends on whether it contains positive peripheral cues. This is why background music by the Rolling Stones or Elton John may affect attitudes toward the brand even without much conscious awareness of the music. Ad practitioner Elias explains, “I’m not sure that the consumer listens as much to the copy as the advertiser might think. I think the personality of the product is shaped by the type of music chosen.” Music and promotional tie ins to music help marketers position a brand as up to date and reflective of current culture, as well as develop stronger relationships. Macy’s teamed up with GQ magazine and designers ranging from Kenneth Cole and Geoffrey Beene to Perry Ellis and Tommy Hilfiger to create a promotional campaign blending retailing, fashion, and music. In an eight page 2002 holiday ad, Macy’s created an up to date men’s collection featuring musical artists clad in designer duds, with a description of the apparel, the artists, and their upcoming releases. Each designer brand was connected with a music brand, connecting to an established fan base and reflecting a lifestyle segment. Macy’s customers who spent $75 or more on any of the fashions featured in the ad could send in a copy of the receipt to GQ Promotions and receive a free CD by the featured artists. Macy’s rewards its customers with free music (and shopping suggestions), promotes its vendors’ labels, creates awareness for the bands’ upcoming releases, and connects its own brand as well as those of the designers and artists with customers. It’s a quadwin proposition for building relationships at multiple levels.

Reflecting Society to Make an Emotional Connection Businesses, not for profit organizations, and government leaders, to name just a few types of marketers, are wise to study popular music for a very important reason. Popular music often predicts changes in mainstream culture well before mainstream culture recognizes the change. In the 1960s, when mainstream America and the political leadership were still supportive of the Vietnam War, they could have detected the winds of change by paying attention to the music of Peter, Paul, and Mary; the Kingston Trio; Bob Dylan; and others.

Madonna was a leading indicator and reflector of changing sexual mores in the 1980s and continues to be on the cutting edge today (see Chapter 7). From Cat Stevens to rapper Jay Z, music changes as society changes-reflecting changes in people’s lifestyles and moods.

Winning marketers monitor changes in the culture and its music and reflect them in their brands. Why? Because problems arise from life, and firms that address top of the mind issues by developing solutions to perceived problems-and do it well-are rewarded with robust sales, brand loyalty, and willingness to pay premium prices even in difficult markets.

Lifestyle trends affect a myriad of marketing strategies and tactics, including product design, positioning, packaging, advertising, and distribution. Witness Campbell’s recent introduction of soups that come in heat and drink cups, designed specifically for people who don’t have time to eat anything requiring a table or utensils. Similarly, a recent ad for Tide laundry detergent focuses on a single mother getting ready for a date, dressed in a freshly washed sweater and armed with dating advice from her teenage daughter-a far cry from June Cleaver themes of the past. Typically, brands are analyzed from the perspective of products-either consumer or industrial-and services ranging from financial institutions to health care systems. Most books on branding, including this one, reflect this emphasis. The nature of brands and winning strategies that make them culturally relevant is more comprehensive, however, recognizing an increasing importance to develop culturally relevant brands for retail organizations, for professional persons, and ultimately, for the most important brand of all-the brand called You.

Eventually, in an almost “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” fashion, Elvis appealed to nearly everyone, drawing fans from all walks of life and from generations that initially were threatened by what his music and his style embodied. Why? Because he bonded with people at an extrasensory level through his personality as much as (if not more than) through his songs. His music had cultural relevance in sound and message; his lyrics, style, and delivery reflected his core market at the time; and he influenced how teens danced and dressed.

Consequently, he was adopted by the culture, becoming an icon dubbed the King of Rock and Roll, and he ruled the music industry for decades. Today, over 25 years after his death, he is actually more successful than he was in the latter part of his career.

Many rock and roll bands followed, striving for the impact and connection Elvis had with his fans. Some were successful; others weren’t. But all were aided by the King of Rock and Roll, who paved the way for the mainstream rockers of the 1960s-from Bob Dylan to the Beatles-and opened the door for the next wave-from the Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin.

Elvis’s passion never swayed far from his roots. He loved gospel music; it was his favorite to listen to and to sing. Though he gave a generation of fans a soundtrack of music to live by-”Love Me Tender” for romantic moments, “In the Ghetto” for reflective times, and “Jailhouse Rock,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” and “Hound Dog” for dancing-he would be most honored and recognized for his gospel works. During the span of his relatively short career, the King of Rock and Roll was nominated for 16 Grammy awards, but ironically never won one for rock and roll.

“Today, the music industry is very song driven,” says Lake. “People may connect with a particular song, but they often don’t know who sings it, let alone the names of the front men of the group, which is different from bands of the past.” Rather than focus on which bands have the talent to impact the music world in the long run and build large fan bases into the future, the industry focuses on the songs that can hit number one today. If the artist behind the song can release several hits over a few years, that’s icing on the proverbial cake.

What is missing from the formula is a focus on emotional connection and the long term goal of cultural adoption. Since marketers hold tight rein on who will actually break into the music industry, they often market artists who fit the mold rather than break it. As a result, seemingly less than stellar artists achieve success, albeit contrived and most likely short lived. In an effort to find the next hit and to sell the most records this year, music marketers sacrifice the longterm investment in music brands that generate long term revenue and profits, as has been the case for Elton John, U2, Dave Matthews, and Billy Joel. If today’s rock and roll darlings have disappointing sales on their second go rounds, marketing and PR dollars disappear, new stars are created, and the process repeats itself. And after a decade of hits by flash in the pan artists, who sang what becomes a blur-band loyalty as known in previous decades is rare, and so is the sense of relationship of music to personal life events.

On the other hand, once bands and their music are adopted as part of a culture, the role of advertising, promotion, and other branding activities take on different dimensions and goals. Rather than selling the band or creating awareness, branding activities can focus on evolving the band to maintain its emotional and cognitive connections to the culture. For example, the Rolling Stones and Neil Diamond know that when they announce a tour, they can count on a large proportion of their fans to buy tickets and concert garb. And many of their fans are of the generation that still buys music, opting to pay for CDs rather than invest the time to learn how to download music and then actually do it.