Oklahoma City tornado picture from www.cnn.com

The images are horrific, and today all of us are thinking about the lives lost and lives impacted by nature’s fury… and holding our loved ones a little closer.

On Monday, dozens of devastating tornadoes ripped through the midwest. In Oklahoma in particular, the storms caused massive damage and loss of life.

When tragedy strikes a community, businesses often feel a responsibility to help.

But there is a fine line between altruistically doing good and opportunistically capitalizing on pain and suffering.

Smart brands simply do the right thing.

They give. They help those in need first. They don’t look for credit. They say “how can we help?”

Weak businesses can’t help themselves.

They give conditionally. They help themselves first.  They seek out credit and remind everyone of what they did. They say “look at us!”

Bob Geldof didn’t organize Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas” in order to make his own band more famous, make himself rich, and earn himself a knighthood. He did it because he was genuinely moved when he saw a TV news report about starving children in Ethiopia, and he felt that he and his colleagues in rock ‘n’ roll could do something about it.

CAUSE MARKETING LESSONS FROM SIR BOB GELDOF

* Only involve your brand in causes that you are personally passionate about. Bob Geldof was genuinely moved, so he acted on his passion.

* Find out what the community needs and act accordingly. Geldof raised money, because that is what made an immediate difference. Every crisis is different. In post-Katrina New Orleans, things like ice and drinking water were in short supply. Don’t give people things they don’t need just because it suits your business… it just makes things more difficult.

* Move quickly, when the need is most dire. Bob Geldof saw the BBC report on African famine in late October 1984, and within weeks he had organized a recording session with the biggest stars in UK music. The song was recorded and produced on November 25 and 26, and released on November 29, 1984 in order to reach the Christmas market to raise the most money possible in the fastest time.

* Involve your employees, friends, or colleagues. Turn your team into your community’s team. Bob Geldof brought together the people from his personal network, which happened to be the who’s-who of British rock music. Your friends and co-workers are equally valuable.

* Downplay your role. Simply show that you care, and people will notice that you care. Bob Geldof took a relatively small role in the Band Aid song, preferring to give key singing roles to more famous people like Simon Lebon of Duran Duran, Bono from U2, and George Michael of Wham!.

Spare a thought, donation, prayer, or helping hand to those struggling to rebuild their lives after this disaster.

It is called the Pareto principle, the notion that 80% of effects come from 20% of the causes.

It is named after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed that 80% of the land in his country was owned by 20% of the people.

The Pareto principle has been applied to all aspects of our lives, and it generally holds up.

80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers.

80% of your complaints are generated by 20% of your customers.

80% of the fun you will have will be with 20% of the people you know.

80% of your favorite team’s points will be scored by 20% of the players.

Most importantly, 80% of your success comes from 20% of what you do each day.

And it is an vital principle to remember, because it gives you pause to eliminate certain things from your life.

If you can devote more time to your 20% that generates your 80%, you can increase the value of your 80%.

The Pareto principle applies to rock ‘n’ roll.

80% of an band’s sales are driven by 20% of the band’s songs. That’s why bands release “singles” to radio. An album of ten songs will often have two singles the generate album sales.

When that ratio goes up, you have blockbuster albums like Thriller by Michael Jackson and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours.

Think carefully about how you spend your time and energy.

If you want more success, focus on the 20% of what you do that generates your 80%.

You can get 80% of the good stuff by reading 20% of the marketing book Brand Like a Rock Star: Lessons From Rock ‘n’ Roll To Make Your Business Rich and Famous.  Click here to order it now with one click on Amazon.

Roger Daltry sang “I hope I die before I get old” in the song “My Generation”. It was 1965. The outcry was intense.

Now Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mark Jefferies says A&F only targets thin, “cool, good looking people”, and the same kind of outcry ensues.”We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends,” Jeffries told Salon.com. “A lot of people don’t belong in our clothes, and they can’t belong. We don’t market to anyone other than that.”

Jefferies might be an asshole. His company might represent all that is wrong with our vain society. But he’s not stupid when it comes to building a well-defined brand.

Smart brands clearly state their core values and adhere to them every single day.

Weak brands state their core values ambiguously, or even worse… don’t have any core values at all.

Jefferies has pissed-off and alienated plenty of people with his comments.

When a company tells you don’t want your business, why are you pissed off?

He doesn’t want your business, so don’t give him your business. I know I won’t. As a 42 year-old bald guy, he doesn’t want me. Fair enough.

The very smart Erika Napoletano said it well on her YouTube channel yesterday. “This is what brands should be doing,” she said, while eloquently calling him a “douche nozzle”.

Chik-Fil-A has clearly stated they are against same-sex marriage. How anyone could be against equality is beyond me, but I applaud them for having values… even moronic ones. I won’t be caught dead buying anything from them, and that’s my prerogative. You make your choice. Vote with your wallet.

On the other hand, Whole Foods clearly supports sustainable farming and renewable energy. If you don’t think those issues are worth the extra cost of food at Whole Foods, go somewhere else to buy your groceries. Do what you want. Vote with your wallet.

To be a rock star brand, you need to have values.

Just stand for something. Anything. Have the balls to say it clearly so that everyone understands what you’re all about.

After all, Roger Daltry didn’t sing “I hope I get to feel young and energized for a really long time.”

Smart brands have clearly stated values that they adhere to every single day, whether you like those values or not.

As Gene Simmons once said, channeling George Bernard Shaw, “the fastest way to success is to offend as many people as possible at once.”

The General Practitioner – the everything doctor –  makes a healthy living.

But the Cardiologist – the heart doctor – pumps around $500,000 a year.

The Orthopedic Surgeon – the bone and joint surgery doctor – can carve up to $800,000 a year.

And don’t even ask about the high-end Plastic Surgeon – the vanity doctor – who can use our obsession with youth to implant millions into their account every year.

See a trend?

When you do something general, you get a general reward.

When you do something special, you get a special reward.

What makes you special?

Think about the one thing that you do insanely great that:

A) very few people do as well as you,

B) is in high enough demand to make a living from, and,

C) you love doing.

When you can find one answer that satisfies all three of those questions, you’re on the right path.

The generalist is a cover band, a great musician who plays the same stuff everybody else plays. He is entertaining and fun to listen to, but it doesn’t last.

The specialist is a rock star, creating something that nobody else has created before… and something nobody else can recreate the way she does.

Be special.

Be rare.

Be different.

Be a rock star.

Have you read Brand Like a Rock Star? Click here and order it now in digital download or paperback. I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy the stories from rock history, demonstrating how you can use the lessons of rock legends like AC/DC, Bob Marley, KISS, Bob Dylan, and ABBA to build a more profitable brand.

I’m very excited to share with you a chapter-in-progress from the new book tentatively titled Rock Your Career.

The book is similar to Brand Like a Rock Star in that it examines the strategies of rock legends, but instead this time it applies them to your personal brand and career development. The goal of the book is to help you build a powerful personal brand, directly leading to more happiness, success, and reward in your career.

Here is a link to the chapter called “Give a Little Bit”: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?pbcc6e9sacxct7m

Each chapter shares a story from rock history, followed with real world examples of this concept at work, and wraps up with a five song playlist based on the band or topic discussed.

I would love to hear your feedback.

You can email steve@brandlikearockstar.com and let me know what you think.

This summer will be spent editing, with a goal to have the book published late this year or early next.

Thanks for the support… for reading, sharing, discussing, and providing your valued input.

Sincerely,

Steve

Geddy Lee of Rush in Rolling Stone magazine. Click on the picture for the full article.

“I hate Rush,” Ben said. “They’re a stain on all of Canada.”

My friend isn’t much of a Rush fan, so he wasn’t terribly impressed when the band was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year.

The truth is, plenty of people feel exactly the same way that Ben does.

Rush polarizes people.

Their bizarre and fantastical lyrics, frequent time changes, geek-metal appeal, and mullet-sporting look are a massive turn-off to hordes of people.

Yet those very attributes endear them to millions of others.

You either love Rush. Or you hate Rush. End of story.

Very few people are indifferent towards Rush.

Smart businesses are like Rush, yet most waste their time trying to appeal to everyone.

Complaints strike fear into the hearts of entrepreneurs… when they should be greeted with enthusiasm.

When someone passionately dislikes what your brand represents, that’s a clear sign of three very important things:

1. They know who you are. (Ben knows exactly who Rush is)

2. They understand what your brand represents. (Ben understands what Rush is about)

3. There are people out there who love you. (Rush has millions of passionate fans)

The opposite of love isn’t hate. The opposite of love is indifference.

Hate doesn’t kill businesses. Indifference kills them.

There’s a book out there that can help you build a brand that people love and hate. It’s called Brand Like a Rock Star: Lessons From Rock ‘n’ Roll To Make Your Business Rich and Famous. You can order it by clicking here and have the paperback delivered to your door or start reading the digital download on your Kindle instantly. 

The song was done, but Steve Miller felt something wasn’t quite right.

He had a great lyric, that he knew. And he had some great music to go with it. But for some reason, the end result didn’t fit. The music didn’t work with the lyrics.

It took some time, but eventually he untangled the song. The lyrics became “Take The Money and Run”. And the music became “The Joker”.

Two strokes of genius. Both songs were massive hits on their own, but at one time they were both entangled in this good-but-not-quite-right song.

Finding the right people to build your business is a lot like the situation Steve Miller found himself in.

You probably have plenty of great and talented people, but are they doing what they are best at?

Chances are good you have some “Take The Money and Run” lyrics doing “The Joker” tasks.

Great businesses discover what their people do best, and then empower them to do it.

They don’t waste any time asking square pegs to fit into round holes.

They don’t force right brain people to do left brain jobs.

Like Steve Miller, great businesses find the genius inside of their organizations and unleash it to change the world.

Quite often people ask me if they can order bulk signed copies of the book to give to clients, staff, and friends. Now you can do that! You can now order a box (38 books) of signed copies of the book for just $380 plus shipping. To order, email me directly at steve@brandlikearockstar.com and we will make it happen!

The opening guitar of “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones.

The powerful drumroll that launches “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen.

The single snare that opens “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan.

From those first notes, you know exactly what song you’re about to hear. You instantly know whether you need to turn it up… or turn it off.

That’s the power of first impressions.

People meet you, and in those opening notes they decide if they should turn you up… or turn you away.

You only get one chance to make a lasting first impression. Make it rock.

Click here to order Brand Like a Rock Star: Lessons From Rock n Roll To Make Your Business Rich and Famous. You can download it instantly for your Kindle or have the paperback sent directly to your house.

Photo courtesy of leocub at www.sxc.hu.

The bar and blue ocean of Santana’s Grill Pit in Little Exuma.

Ozzy bites the head off of a bat.

Pete Townshend smashes a guitar into tiny pieces.

Brad Paisley records a controversial duet with LL Cool J about racism.

Bruce Springsteen plays for over four hours non-stop.

And we talk about it!

The secret to word-of-mouth is simple.

Be remarkable. 

Do something that people will want to tell their friends about.

Yes, there are ways to use social media to help fuel your conversation. You can employ various strategies to increase word-of-mouth. But ultimately, if you want people to remark about your business… then be remarkable.

Today I had lunch at Santana’s Grill Pit on the Bahamian island of Little Exuma. TripAdvisor rates it as the #1 restaurant in the Exumas.

The restaurant itself is a run-down wooden shack by the side of the road miles and miles away from anything. Behind the restaurant is the beach with soft white sand and perfect turquoise ocean. The atmosphere is perfect, the food is incredible, and the entire experience is remarkable. Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom hung out here while filming Pirates of the Caribbean.

Santana’s Grill Pit is remarkable, and I will tell my friends about it for years. Hey, I just told you about it!

You don’t need to be a five-star place to be remarkable. You don’t need to have the best location or the lowest prices.

You just need to be different and stand out in a meaningful way that makes people want to tell others.

And that’s the secret to word-of-mouth. Simply be remarkable.

This summer, the 3D version of Jurassic Park is coming out.

And the real-life dinosaurs are coming back to life as well.

Fleetwood Mac is on tour. The Rolling Stones just announced their dates. And The Eagles are criss-crossing North America once again.

You won’t be hearing many new songs – if any at all – at these shows. You’ll hear the hits. You better be careful with how many drinks you have, because it will be tough to find a song that you could use for a pee break.

All three of these legendary bands recognize what their customers want, and they deliver.

The Stones, celebrating 50 years together, have been a nostalgia act for 25 of those years. They recorded all but four of their albums in their first 25 years together. Once their fans demanded the old hits, the band wisely obliged. The last relevant new Stones album was 1989′s Steel Wheels. Okay… maybe the 1994 album Voodoo Lounge.

The Eagles haven’t made relevant new music since 1979 and The Long Run.

Fleetwood Mac hasn’t made relevant new music since 1987′s Tango In The Night.

So here are my questions for you:

Do you truly know and appreciate what your customers want from you?

Do you wake up every day with a commitment to deliver what they want?

Or do you fill up your concert with pee-breaks and songs your fans don’t really want to hear?

Steve Jobs claimed it was his mission at Apple to make customer’s hearts sing.

That’s a pretty good mission, and it is one that Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, and The Rolling Stones totally buy into.

Click here to order your paperback or Kindle version of Brand Like a Rock Star: Lessons From Rock ‘n’ Roll To Make Your Business Rich and Famous.  The book will take you backstage to reveal the core marketing strategies of rock legends, and show you have to make them work for your business right away. You’ll turn you customers into loyal fans.

PS – have you visited the Brand Like a Rock Star Facebook page? I would love to have you join and be part of the discussion.

Photo credit: Dinosaur image courtesy of stock.xchng user Totek