The Brand Reinvention Strategies, Complete Reinvention

As long as the band remains relevant, it can count on a certain level of support from the culture that adopted it-much as Crest can count on a certain level of sales because it is the brand consumers grew up with and have little reason to abandon. Compare that to a band that has had a few hit songs but has cycled in and out of popularity and relevance to its audience. With each appearance or new release, not only does the message need to promote the event, it needs to remind people of the band’s identity and why they should attend the concert or buy the album. Without an emotional connection to fans, the baseline levels of sales and support are unknown and unpredictable. That is the value of creating brand equity in the market.

Lessons from Rock and Roll Marketing The rock and roll bands featured in this article have spent their careers generating their own versions of tried and true branding strategies, from the brilliant to the bizarre. At times they needed to bolster recognition among would be fans; at other times, a complete reinvention or repositioning of the band was required after years of absence from the music scene. GM’s Cadillac division-a cultural icon of the 1950s and 1960s-could certainly learn from the brand reinvention strategies of Aerosmith, while Swiss Army knife maker Victorinox might very well benefit from the transgenerational marketing strategies of Elton John. Entrepreneurs looking to get onto retailers’ shelves can learn from fledgling icons, such as Madonna, while existing brands can learn about maintaining shelf space from the Rolling Stones.