What do Gene Simmons of KISS and Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, have in

common?

Written by the co-authors of the best–selling books “Customers Rule!” and “From Mind To Market”, Roger Blackwell and Tina Stephan

Roger Blackwell is the President of Roger Blackwell Associates – also a Professor of Marketing at the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.

Tina Stephan is the Vice President of Roger Blackwell Associates.

Together, they have collaborated on eight books, numerous articles and research projects.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

FROM CUSTOMERS TO FANS

DOES ROCK&ROLL = BRANDS

Businesses and rock-and-roll bands share several goals, including:Breaking through the clutter and creating awareness among consumersCreating and maintaining loyalty among customersIdentifying mechanisms to remain current and relevant in the minds of existing customers and attracting new customersCreating lasting brands that are accepted by a cultureBecoming long-term industry leadersAttracting and keeping talented people who make up the market and the brandIdentifying one or more market segments and crafting productsthat appeal to themCreating a brand image and promise that will maintain its appealfrom one year to the nextGenerating profits

Create an emotional connection with your customers; nurture it over time.Build brand loyalty, one fan group at a time.Stay fresh in the market but true to your core sound or strength.Evolve at a rate that doesn’t alienate current customers.Focus on the entire brand experience, not just the core product.Develop talent continuously; package it well; relate it through multiple mediums.Create realistic expectations that you can meet.Match your message with your mission and your audience.Exude energy and passion—they command respect and engage the audience.Define the brand by more than just the product; include the functional and emotional attributes of the brand.Monitor brand adoption and customer behavior to drive brand adaptation.Play for cultural adoption by focusing on relevance to, reflection of, and influence on the culture.Resist the temptation of overexposure.Empower your fans to help your brand become and stay successful in the market.

LESSONS FROM ROCK&ROLL MARKETING

SIGNIFICANT GRAPHICS

Customers Friends (Repeat Customers)

Fans

Are price-driven Are value-driven Are experience-driven

Shop opportunistically Shop purposefully Shop for pleasure

Want you to sell them products

Want personalizedproducts goods and services

Want personalized advice and solutions

Need a reason to buy from you

Prefer to buy from you Are devoted to you and are yours to lose

Are surprised by good service

Have a history of good experiences with you

Automatically assume you will delight them

Drop you if they’re disappointed

Tell you if they’re disappointed

Tell you if they’redisappointed, wantyou to fix it, and areanxious to forgive andforget

SIGNIFICANT GRAPHICS

Customers Friends (Repeat Customers)

Fans

Are indifferent to yourcompany

Feel a connection with you rationally and/or emotionally

Actively invest in their relationship withyou—time, emotion,attention, money

Don’t think or talk about your firm

Recommend your firm casually

Evangelize about yourfirm

SIGNIFICANT GRAPHICS

BAND = BRAND

Emotional connections turn customers into fans.Maintaining and adapting existing brands is more profitable than inventing new ones.Legendary brands evolve to stay culturally relevant.Passion and energy create brands people want to adopt.Being the best often evolves by borrowing from the best.Baby boomers rule much market demand.

BRANDS THAT ROCK SAYS…

Understand, Emulate and InfiltrateExercise sex appeal and controversy with caution - shouldn’t overshadow a brand’s authenticityEvolve but remain true to your core strength – and within the parameters of your brand promiseFirst mover advantage – Doesn’t matterEmotional Connection – under the skinZag

KEY INSIGHTS

Reverse Customer IntimacyBrand DisciplineTheory of Generalization & DiscriminationGrassroots marketingDiscontinuous InnovationTrans-generational MarketingTrickle-up processFan Inheritance

NEW CONCEPTS

Broad stories – learning from an overall business perspective – could’ve been broken down into specific disciplinesLessons on Business, Entry into the marketplace, Marketing, Branding, Communication (all media), Technology integration, MerchandizingDecades depicted – roadmap for prospective brands and bandsResearch Design – Qualitative Analysis of Band and Brand Histories; Case Studies of their evolution, impact, reinvention

CRITIQUE