change within a society, so too does the cul- ture change. And when changes occur in a culture, branding opportu- nities emerge-just as the chance emerges for a band to carve out its own space in peoples life soundtracks. Just as the Grateful Dead has done with its legions of Deadheads, successful brands reach beyond the minds of consumers and into their hearts. Building a brand on the key values of its customers causes them to connect with the brand at an emotional level, much more than just a cognitive level, evoking strong responses and connections that differ- entiate customers from fans. Fans feel, perhaps without knowing why, "This is my brand." When this happens on an individual basis, an extrasensory connection is made; and when it happens en masse, cul- tural adoption occurs. Attending a rock concert is a valuable way for marketers to experi- ence firsthand the role that emotional connection plays in acceptance of a product-in this case a band or a particular song. Fans like the familiar-if they know a song, they often sing along or at least dance a bit more fervently than they otherwise might. Even during a Paul McCartney concert, fans will sing and dance to the Wings and Beatles songs they know, and head for the restrooms when he announces that the next five songs are from a new CD. Bands know this happens, but they continue to perform the new material for the obvious reason of selling new CDs. But they perform the new material for less obvious reasons as well-to give fans an emotional and memorable experi- ence to connect to the new song, thereby reinforcing relationships with fans, increasing the likelihood of continued cultural adoption, and increasing their longevity in the market. Had Borden followed this strategy in the 1960s or 1970s when the association between Cracker Jack and baseball was ingrained in the American culture, it might have been able to extend the brand and build other Borden brands by piggybacking on the relationship of generations of con- sumers to the Cracker Jack brand.       Its Got to Be Relevant   The phenomena of long-lasting, successful bands and brands can often be explained by cultural relevance. If a brand isnt relevant to the c r e at i ng cu lt u r a l ly r el e va n t br a nd s |     people who are supposed to buy it, they dont, at least not in the long run. When people say about a brand, "It makes sense; it fits into our lives and our lifestyles," then they are on their way to describing a store or products as "my store" or "my brand," assuming a sense of owner- ship and pride. A relevant brand name often becomes a descriptive word, such as a "Wal-Mart kind of guy" or a "Tiffanys kind of girl."