1. Name an AC/DC song about political strife in the third world.

2. Name a U2 song about getting drunk and getting laid.

Trick questions, both of them.

U2 consistently sings about politics, social justice, relationships, and emotions.

AC/DC consistently sings about loud music, fast cars, and hot women.

Relating that to business, people who are shopping for politically-charged rock ‘n’ roll don’t shop at the AC/DC store, and AC/DC is okay with that. Those people shop at the U2 store. AC/DC has a different set of customers, shopping for an entirely different product.

Your business cannot possibly please everyone. Stop trying.

If you sell expensive luxury furniture, don’t offer a discount price point loss-leading offer to draw low-budget customers to your store.

If you serve high-fat comfort food, don’t try lure health-conscious people in with salads.

Do the special thing you do. Do it very, very well. And do it over and over again.

Click here to instantly download or order your copy of Brand Like a Rock Star: Lessons From Rock ‘n’ Roll to Make Your Business Rich and Famous. The book will help you define your brand, tell your story, and turn your customers into raving fans.

Happy 58th birthday to Angus Young of AC/DC!

The legendary guitar player still has all of the on-stage energy that he did when he was 28.

Angus owes a life-long debt of gratitude to his sister Margaret.

She was the one who suggested that Angus wear his school uniform on stage.

And she also came up with the band’s name, after seeing the letters “AC/DC” on a vacuum cleaner.

Your next great idea could come from anywhere.

We tend to close off our world to outside voices, preferring to listen to the inner circle of people we know and trust. But those people are cursed with knowledge, so their ideas are often “inside the box”.

When you are looking for inspiration, take a walk outside your comfort zone. Talk to people disconnected from your field on expertise. Read a magazine from an industry that is totally unlike the one you work in.

And listen. Hear the words and phrases around you and soak them in.

When your radar is on, the ideas flow like the electricity that powered the vacuum that inspired AC/DC’s name.

The marketing book Brand Like a Rock Star profiles AC/DC in Chapter One, examining the band’s incredible consistency. The book goes on to look at dozens of legendary bands, and how you can use their experiences to make your business more profitable and successful. You can order it in paperback or digital download with one click from Amazon.

This week, after 35 years together, INXS called it quits.

You mean INXS was still together?

INXS as we know it sadly ceased to exist on November 22, 1997, when charismatic lead singer and chief songwriter Michael Hutchence was found dead in a Sydney, Australia hotel room.

Only the band failed to realize it. They carried on, touring with Terrence Trent D’Arby (remember “Wishing Well”?) and other interim lead singers. The closest INXS got to a true comeback in 2004 when they took part in the CBS TV series Rock Star: INXS in which various singers competed for the chance to be the new lead singer of the band. The winner was a young Canadian singer named JD Fortune, whose voice held an eerie resemblance to that of the departed Hutchence. With Fortune, the band recorded a new album called Switch. From that album the song “Pretty Vegas” became a minor hit, except in JD Fortune’s home country, where it was a substantial hit thanks in part to government regulations that require radio stations to broadcast a certain level of “Canadian Content”.

A few years ago they released a collection of re-recordings of their earlier hits, each one by a different guest lead singer. Although Pat Monahan from Train did an incredible job on “Beautiful Girl”, but the album was a flop.

Last year they permanently severed JD Fortune and named a new lead singer and released some new songs, but it was a tree falling in the forest.

Such a sad ending to a truly great band.

There was a time in the late 1980s when INXS rivaled U2 as the biggest rock band on the planet. Their album Kick was insanely successful.  They sold out the biggest stadiums. Their string of hits included “Need You Tonight”, “Devil Inside”, “Never Tear Us Apart”, “What You Need”, “Original Sin”, and “Suicide Blonde”.

And their eventual breakup will be a mere footnote in music history

The reason is simple: In the minds of music fans everywhere, INXS had already broken up 15 years ago. Without Michael Hutchence, there was no INXS, no matter how talented the rest of the band might be… and they did make some decent post-Hutchence music.

Led Zeppelin chose not to replace John Bonham when he died in 1980. They quit. Today the value in the Led Zeppelin brand is beyond compare. It will not fade.

Van Halen was able to carry on when David Lee Roth became dead to them. But they couldn’t pull it off when Sammy Hagar left and Gary Cherone walked in. Today Van Halen is a joke.

AC/DC stands out as one of the few bands to replace a highly-visible lead singer and successfully carry on.

There are some parts of your company that are replaceable and interchangeable.

Like Coke’s secret formula, there are other parts of your company that are the essence of what your customers believe you are. You cannot replace those parts and carry on. No matter how good it tasted, New Coke didn’t work.

No matter how good the music was after Michael Hutchence died, INXS was finished.

What parts of your company are irreplaceable?

What is the very essence of your brand? How can you protect it from ever disappearing?

A new AC/DC album is on the way. Depending on who you talk to, the album could be out as soon as 2013 (according to Brian Johnson, the lead singer of the band) or 2014 (so says guitarist Malcolm Young). Either way, a new AC/DC album is coming.

I haven’t heard it yet, but I can already tell you plenty about it.

How Will It Look?

The album cover will include the band’s name, written in their iconic “Squealor” font.  It album graphic will look something like this.

In addition, you’ll see guitarist Angus Young wearing a school boy outfit. Lead singer Brian Johnson will very likely be wearing a newsboy cap, rolled up sleeves, and black jeans. Do not anticipate any hair gel or make-up.

How Will It Sound?

Somewhere on the album there will be a song that includes the word “rock” in the song title. Quite possibly, there will be multiple songs with this trait. After all, in their 16 previous studio albums they’ve included 20 different songs with the word “rock” in the title, from “Rock and Roll Train” to “For Those About To Rock” to “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution”.

Getting into the musical nuances, there will be a wealth of songs with simple three-chord progressions. The guitar riffs will be so simple and catchy that you’ll wonder how nobody came up with them before.

In terms of song structure, expect to hear most songs begin with a simple guitar riff. Drums and bass guitar will likely join in after four bars, followed shortly thereafter by screaming vocals.

From a lyrical perspective, you won’t hear any songs about starving children in the third world. There will not be a song about the pain of watching a relationship end sour. There will be no power ballad on the new AC/DC album. Most songs will be about drinkin’, rockin’, partyin’, women, drivin’, and sex.

How do I know all of this?

Because AC/DC is the epitome of brand consistency.

They know exactly what their fans expect from them, and they deliver precisely that album after album, song after song, concert after concert.

Even those who hate AC/DC know exactly what AC/DC is all about.

Why Does This Matter To You?

Do your customers know exactly what to expect from your brand?

Do they know exactly what makes you different from all of your competitors?

Do those who dislike your brand still get it? Remember, the opposite of love isn’t hate. The opposite of love is indifference.

Read Chapter One of Brand Like A Rock Star For Free.

Download the book for immediate reading, or order it for home delivery from Amazon.

The week before his band Guns ‘N Roses is to be inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, Axl Rose has released a letter written to the hall rejecting his nomination into the shrine and telling them that he won’t be attending. He has even asked that the hall specifically not include him in name or image when they induct the band.

Some people are saying that Axl Rose is an immature idiot. Others are giving him credit for standing by his personal ethics.  No matter what your opinion is, you can learn from Axl Rose.

GENERATING BRAND BUZZ

Everyone is talking about Axl Rose today. That hasn’t happened in a long, long time. He has gotten his name in the press in a major way. But… consider the massive buzz a one time Guns ‘N Roses reunion would have created had Axl showed up, accepted the honor, and joined his estranged former bandmates for a jam session. The Police did it in 2003, playing together for the first time in two decades. It was magical.

REINFORCING YOUR BRAND IMAGE

Snubbing an organization like the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame is, well, pretty damn rock ‘n’ roll of him. By doing this, Axl builds up his anti-establishment image. Not that it needed building up, considering his past behavior.  But… there’s bad-boy behavior and then there is just being an a**hole. Plenty of people would suggest this borders on the latter. Notoroious bad boys like Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, The Clash, AC/DC, The Ramones, and many others are in and they all accepted their awards with class and grace.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? 

Is Axl Rose a genius for standing pat on his beliefs? Or is Axl Rose a petulant punk for blowing off the rock hall?

Order Brand Like A Rock Star now and start reading immediately with a digital download, or have the paperback delivered directly to your home.

This is episode #1 of a new podcast series presented by The Music Biz Weekly. “The Rock Star Branding Podcast” uses the book Brand Like A Rock Star as inspiration for a series of discussions to help new and emerging bands establish themselves using the lessons of rock legends.

The podcast is hosted by Michael Brandvold, Brian Thompson, and Steve Jones.

Michael was the driving force behind the online presence of KISS and numerous other artists. He owns Michael Brandvold Marketing and works with musicians and businesses to build stronger connections to their fans and customers.

Brian Thompson is the man behind Thorny Bleeder Records and in addition to artist management and consulting, he has a great track record helping artists develop social media strategies.

And if you’re reading this, I assume you know a little bit about me. I’m Steve Jones, author of Brand Like A Rock Star: Lessons From Rock ‘n’ Roll To Make Your Business Rich And Famous.

The Rock Star Branding Podcast 1 by Brand Like a Rock Star

Steve Jobs has a history of stunning the world, but this time around it wasn’t a new tablet computer or smart phone that helped him do it. It was instead the shocking announcement that he was stepping down as CEO of the world’s most successful company.

Few business leaders cast as long a shadow as Steve Jobs. He is the human face of Apple. His status is cult-like. While Apple will no doubt carry on, it won’t be easy to replace a leader who is so deeply connected to the brand.

Could The Rolling Stones replace Mick Jagger? They wouldn’t even try.

U2 would never play a show again if Bono left.

The Who couldn’t replace Roger Daltry, even though I wouldn’t put it past them to try (based on their history of replacing mortally departed drummers and bassists).

In fact, when you think about it, remarkably few big-name bands have replaced high profile lead singers at the peak of their career and continued on with any measurable success.

Van Halen managed to successfully replace David Lee Roth with Sammy Hagar, but they’ve never been the same since Hagar’s first departure.

AC/DC did it when Bon Scott died and they recruited Brian Johnson, although Scott wasn’t a tremendously high profile frontman.

Alice in Chains appears to have pulled it off, replacing Layne Staley with William DuVall, and recording a successful comeback album in 2010.

Classic rock bands like Styx, Journey, Foreigner, and others continue to tour with new lead singers but each band is a shell of its former self.  Judas Priest tried and failed. So did Iron Maiden.

So will the new Apple be able to pull off a lead singer change the way Van Halen, AC/DC, and Alice in Chains did?  Or do they risk falling into the abyss of once-great classic rock bands who relentless pursue faded glory?

You can order the new book Brand Like a Rock Star now by clicking the link below. If you’re on the fence, download a chapter for free and sample it first.

The boys in AC/DC are a template for rock ‘n’ roll consistency, rocking through nearly forty years with hardly a change in their signature sound.

Australia’s Warburn Estate will release four AC/DC themed wines this week, including “Back in Black” Shiraz, “You Shook Me All Night Long” Moscato, “Highway To Hell” Cabernet Sauvignon, and “Hells Bells” Sauvignon Blanc.

On one hand, the demographic fit is perfect. The AC/DC audience has grown older. Their beer-swilling young fans of 1979 are today’s wine drinking movers, shakers, and power brokers.

On the other hand, there is the issue of brand compatibility. Even if the audience is older and more inclined to be sipping wine instead of chugging beer on a Saturday night, that doesn’t mean they will turn to AC/DC as their sommelier.

My guess is that AC/DC fans seeking fine wine will turn to a brand with a reputation for fine wine, not Angus Young. I predict that the collection of AC/DC wines will be nothing more than a novelty item that might get talked about at a dinner party.

Then again, maybe that’s the goal. If so, is there anything wrong with that?

AC/DC’s legendary consistency is the focus of Chapter One of Brand Like a Rock Star. You can download that chapter absolutely free here, and then buy the entire book here.

I’ve been blogging about brands for two years. Regular readers know that my platform is lessons in business that can be learned from rock ‘n roll. All of these blog posts have become the formation for the book Brand Like A Rock Star which comes out October 1.

Over the past two years, I’ve also noticed some rock ‘n roll examples that can be applied to bloggers, and today blogging has become a business of its own.

For bloggers, it is tough keeping both quality and quantity up. It is sometimes discouraging thinking nobody is reading your material. Often you can go a long time without any feedback. It isn’t easy, but it is fun and rewarding… just like making music.

Here are five lessons bloggers can learn from the music industry:

1. Create. In Nashville (where country music isn’t just an art form, it’s an industry) songwriters get together in writing studios and simply write and write and write. Not all of it is gold, but from quantity comes quality. As a blogger, the more you write the more likely you are to create material that you are proud of. My hard drive is full of drafts that will probably never see the light of day.

2. Learn from the past. Hit songs have formulas. Jay Frank writes about it in his book Future Hit DNA. Smart songwriters analyse what connected in the past and use those lessons to create their next masterpiece. When blogging, look back at the posts that generated interest and reaction. What do they have in common? Examine your popular posts and use the results to create your next blog masterpiece.

3. Be consistent. Did you know that Brian Johnson of AC/DC is a huge fan of Rodgers and Hammerstein and the Broadway musical? In his spare time, Brian even started working on a musical version of Helen of Troy. Being as consistent as he is, he never attempts to bring those influences into AC/DC! AC/DC is consistent, song after song, album after album. When blogging, stick to your theme relentlessly. Fight the temptation to blog about things completely disconnected from what you usually discuss. If you have other interests, start another blog.

4. Promote. Music that doesn’t get promoted seldom gets heard. Becoming the next viral musical sensation on YouTube is a long shot. You need to promote your music to the fans who are likely to be interested in it. Likewise, when blogging you must commit to telling people about your latest post. Expecting the world to find it on their own is crazy. Social networks like Twitter and Facebook are a great start, as is commenting on similarly themed blogs.

5. Be real and build relationships. Lady Gaga has an incredible network of “Little Monsters”. The Grateful Dead had “Deadheads and Jimmy Buffett has “Parrotheads”. Networks of fans help spread the word about music and create a built-in fan base in each city for concert ticket sales. When creating a blog, it helps to build up powerful networks of other bloggers and people who are interested in your blog’s theme. You can do that through honesty and integrity, not through spam or auto-replies. Comment honestly and intelligently on other posts. Have dialogue with those who comment on your blog. Interact and be part of a community, and in time your network will expand.

If you enjoyed this post and are passionate about music and business, please consider subscribing to Brand Like A Rock Star by email. I will never share your contact info. You can also subscribe by RSS feed using the button on the upper right portion of the page.

Angus Young of AC/DC is a genius. He has a knack for writing simple and catchy three-chord guitar hooks. Those three-chord masterpieces have made him millions upon millions of dollars.

It takes great talent to be that simple, especially in advertising.

I heard a Honda dealership advertise on the radio yesterday. The commercial started off promoting their great selection of Civics. OK… but then it mentioned that they have Accords too. And the CRV for those looking for more room. They then moved into their over-stock of used vehicles. They added a few lines about their unbeatable warranty. It wrapped up with their super-duper financing deals.

What a collosal waste of time and money.

Great ads are simple, like an AC/DC guitar riff. They are singular and focused. Because they are simple and focused, they can touch emotional hot buttons with the customer, inspiring them to buy.

Here are 3 simple things to remember when putting your next ad together:

1. Focus on the customer and how they feel when they use your product. Don’t waste time talking about the product itself until you’ve gained emotional buy-in from your customer by selling the experience.

2. Always deliver only one message in your ad. Don’t try promote every aspect or benefit of your product. If you need to do that, then you need more than one commercial.

3. Great commercials motivate customers to buy. That’s all. You don’t need to win a million awards or become a YouTube sensation. You need to motivate customers to take action. Remember that. If you entertain me, but don’t motivate me, you wasted your money.

Here’s a classic simple Angus riff, performed at the 2003 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. I was fortunate enough to be in the audience for this one… a night I’ll never forget.

If you enjoyed this post and are passionate about music and business, please consider subscribing to Brand Like A Rock Star by email. I will never share your contact info. You can also subscribe by RSS feed using the button on the upper right portion of the page.