puts an interesting spin on the concept of customer intimacy. Whereas much of corporate America focuses on strategies for knowing and understanding customers better, Aero- smith focuses on ways for fans to get to know the band better. Fans may be more likely to connect emotionally with a brand after having a personal experience with it, especially one that allows them to get to know the brand or company better than others do. Aerosmith allows customers to get to know the band more inti- mately with remote staging, special tours, travel packages, and good old-fashioned meet-and-greets. As a result, fans feel that they have a special relationship with the band, becoming more emotionally tied to the band and its success.       *It is known among concertgoers that the worst time to get food or a drink is during a song from the new album the band is promoting-unless of course it is in fact a big hit single-because that is when the lines are longest. When a leg- endary rock band plays one of its classics, however, no one leaves their seats. Not even Elton John is immune from this phenomenon-when he announced during his recent concert tour that the next few songs would be from his new album, customers and friends alike headed for the john, en masse. At the heart of bands interaction with fans is Steven Tylers under- standing of what it means to be a fan. In the early days, Tyler spent as much time and money as he could going to rock shows. He was, admittedly, starstruck, and reveled in being close to stars. An inter- esting exercise for brand managers charged with creating brands with fan appeal is to become one yourself. Tyler recalls how he worshipped the Rolling Stones during the mid-1960s. People kept telling him that he looked like Mick Jagger (with his big lips), and Keith Richards was the music he loved the most. When the Stones came to play a concert in New York in May 1965, Tyler and his friends schemed to get close to the band, waiting outside the hotel for the limo to pull up. When it did, Bill Jones, Mick Jagger, and Bill Wyman emerged. A friend aimed his Polaroid camera as Tyler tried to get close to Jagger. Girls started screaming and peo- ple started shoving, but the Rolling Stones stopped to sign a few autographs in the midst of the chaos. Tyler recalls in Aerosmiths autobiography, "We hung around for a while, buzzing, like crazy just because we got to touch them!" Today, the members of Aerosmith are the ones dealing with scream- ing fans when they pull up to their hotels. Tyler remembers what it was like to be a fan and treats his fans accordingly, signing autographs when asked and taking the time to talk to people he meets.