Brands that rock: what business leaders can learn from the : world of Rock and Roll

The unique ability of rock and roll to inspire fanatical support from its customers is undeniable; the loyalty showered upon the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Aerosmith, and others who create it, unmatched; and the lessons for corporate America, endless. In the past, business leaders have looked to the successes of other firms to guide their own strategies for increasing market share and capturing more consumer attention, spending, and loyalty. However, in today{u2019}s hyper-competitive marketplace, managers are looking for ways to shake, rattle, and roll corporate America{u2019}s traditional marketing and branding mindset. In Brands That Rock, Roger Blackwell and Tina Stephan, co-authors of best-selling Customers Rule! and From Mind To Market, take readers behind the music to uncover how businesses can create brands that become adopted by culture and capture a long-term position in the marketplace. Brands That Rock takes a unique, behind-the-music look at how businesses can increase brand awareness, customer loyalty, and profits by implementing some of the same strategies that legendary bands have used to transform customers into fan and create deep, emotional connections with them. Aerosmith and Madonna offer insight into how to evolve a brand to remain relevant in the marketplace without alienating current fans, while the Rolling Stones and KISS prove that successful execution at all levels of the brand experience are key to capturing long-term loyalty. Stephan and Blackwell also examine how businesses, from Victoria{u2019}s Secret and Wal-Mart to Cadillac and Kraft, have implemented {u2018}rock and roll strategies{u2019} to become adopted by culture and secure fans in their own right. Filled with fun anecdotes and interviews from industry insiders, Brands That Rock will relate to managers who grew up with classic rock, showing them how build iconic brands, and delight fans decade after decade. Roger D. Blackwell (Columbus, OH) is President of Roger Blackwell Associates, a consulting firm that works with Fortune 500 companies in the areas of consumer trends, strategy, e-commerce, and global business. A highly sought-after speaker, he is also Professor of Marketing at the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. Tina Stephan (Columbus, OH and New York, NY) is Vice President of Roger Blackwell Associates. Together, they have collaborated on eight books, including Customers Rule! and From Mind to Market, and numerous articles and research projects

Praise for BRANDS THAT ROCK

"Brands That Rock: A sexy fusion of rock ’n roll, hip hop, and fashion. This is what I call ‘fashion-tainment.’"
—Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Chairman of Sean John

"Roger has captured the essence of marketing by highlighting the know-how of some of the most exciting music industry entertainers. This is both a must-read for any marketing professional and one of the most interesting books on the art of marketing to consumers. Bravo!"
—Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman & CEO, Gibson Guitar Corporation

"Out of the scores of recent books on brand building, this is the most unique and inspired one that I have read. By showing the ways that successful rock ’n roll bands build and preserve their fans, Blackwell and Stephan draw masterful lessons for even the most staid of packaged goods brands."
—Philip Kotler, author of Marketing Management and Marketing Insights from A to Z

"Brands That Rock takes you through the loyalty-building process and carefully explains brand importance. Thinking back, even Wal-Mart used a basic musical lyric to get the customer’s attention. Our first TV jingle (in the 1970s) sang out ‘Come to Wal-Mart, for savings you can see, everywhere you look.’"
—Jack Shewmaker, Wal-Mart Director

"Getting new ideas across to people is what Tina Stephan is talking about in this book. The connections that she makes are great."
—Calvin Klein

"Once again, Blackwell hits the nail on the head. Brands That Rock is another thoughtprovoking read from one of our nation’s leading marketing minds. The connections between brand marketing and the music industry are cleverly explored in this must-read for today’s generation of brand managers."
—Christopher M. Connor, Chairman and CEO, The Sherwin-Williams Company

"This book couldn’t be more timely. The best brands know and behave as if they are a part of popular culture. As current as the next hot single or stadium concert, Roger and Tina have it exactly right. Plus, they rock!"
—Ed Razek, President and Chief Marketing Officer, Limited Brand and Creative Services

"The secrets to brand leadership rest in the emotional connections to one’s core base. Brands That Rock brings this tough-to-really-learn lesson to life for today’s marketers who have been rocking to this very backbeat all their lives in a fresh and exhilarating way."
—Todd Cunningham, Senior Vice President, MTV Brand Strategy and Planning

From band loyalty to brand loyalty Creating culturally relevant brands Elton John : music man, marketing man, architect of a brand KISS : keep it simple, stupid The Rolling Stones : branding strategies beyond satisfaction Aerosmith : reinventing a rock and roll brand Madonna and Neil Diamond : the relevance of sex in branding Lessons from the legends of rock and roll Roger Blackwell and Kristina Stephan, co-authors of "Customers Rule!" and "From Mind to Market", present a look at how marketers can increase brand awareness, customer loyalty, and profits by employing the strategies of the world's most successful bands, such as the Rolling Stones and Elton John A guide to developing a bond between brands and consumers looks to long-lived rock bands for strategies on building brand loyalty, staying fresh in the marketplace, grabbing attention, and evolving without alienating customers.