
of 30-plus years of hits. "Sweet Emotion," "Dream On," and "Toys in the Attic" feed the nostalgic side of the older crowd, while "Crazy," "Livin on the Edge," and "I Dont Want to Miss a Thing" satisfy those who were in high school in the 1990s. Sprinkled in between are the new songs of 2001-"Jaded," "Fly Away," and "Sunshine." What makes this classic rock concert different is that the band has the current number-one rock song in the country. In fact, "Jaded" even grabbed the Teen Choice Award honors for best rock song that summer, beating out much younger bands to define cool among American teens. By the end of the night, fans feel emotionally charged and physi- cally exhausted-from dancing around and watching the band exude a level of energy most of us lost sometime during puberty. As they leave the theater, many will rehash the evenings events with respect and devotion in their voices. Ask die-hard fans who have followed the band since 1970, and theyll tell you that Aerosmith has earned that respect. Most rock-and- roll bands have roller-coaster careers. Oftentimes the band splits either for good or until enough time for a reunion tour has passed. But sometimes, though rarely, the band reunites-for the better. What makes the reunion of this megaband so unique is that the reformed version of Aerosmith became stronger and more successful than the original version. On its horizon would be the ups and downs that plague bands-and brands-that achieve popularity, cope with fame, and struggle to stay on top. It gives great insights into: S Howtocourtfansandinvolvetheminthecreationofasuccess- ful brand S The role of reflecting your market to increase cultural adoption S Howtoreenterthemarketplace after brand failure S Howtoreinventabrandwithqualityimprovement,evolvement, and fan involvement S Howtocreate reverse customer intimacy S The role of energy and passion in branding One of Aerosmiths primary brand strategies is evolution. Some brands are holdover brands, labeled as popular with a specific group of customer or a specific generation. Neil Diamond falls into this cat- egory. Oldsmobile even tried to fight that categorization with the