allow themselves to dive into the world of rock and roll and emerge with a better understanding of band loyalty and fan creation in the music industry. We believe that retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and service providers alike need to examine how the most successful rock bands have achieved long-term success and devise ways to incorporate those unorthodox forms of creative thinking to affect innovation within their own companies. At risk is the ability of well- established firms to remain fresh in the marketplace when compared with younger, hungrier, and more innovative competitors. Our analysis focuses primarily on bands that have had an impact in the marketplace for 20 years or more. They have proven their abil- ity to attract fans, connect with them emotionally, and keep them engaged over the years. Some of you will like their music and others will not-frankly, it doesnt matter. The lessons their stories offer are not about music preference; they are about long-term brand domi- nance in a fickle marketplace. The following is an introduction to the bands that are featured in this book.     Elton Jo hn   Ask most baby boomers about the special moments in their lives, and they are likely to tie an Elton John song to several of them. Some boomers may think of his 1970 breakthrough hit, "Your 16 | B r a nd s Th at Roc k     Song," while some of their children may think of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," from Disneys 1994 megahit, The Lion King. Though known for his Liberacesque costumes and style and his 30-year string of top-10 hits, Sir Eltons career has roots in classical piano. John studied at the Royal Academy of Music as a teenager but left the world of classical music for the world of rock and roll to reach larger audiences and make the most of his talents and passion. He partnered with lyricist Bernie Taupin to create a string of hits span- ning three decades. Elton John is the very definition of how to blend music and mar- keting, providing stellar lessons on how to grow profits with seg- mentation, driving marketing and brand-development strategies one segment at a time. Taupin and Johns musical creations serve as a blueprint of consumer behavior-the science of understanding why people buy and motivating them to buy from you with appeals to consumers lifestyles and most basic motivations. John also serves as a classic example of balancing the functional and emotional ele- ments of a brand to delight customers, a strategy flying high at the airline JetBlue. Like JetBlue, John knows how to turn brand equity into sales, whether he is promoting his latest CD, concert, Broadway show, or commercial endorsement. He went beyond appearing in Coca-Cola ads by placing the product on his piano during his con- certs, pumping up sales in grocery stores.     Kiss   Who can forget KISS-four makeup-clad men who strutted around