We all know Paul Stanley, guitarist and vocalist for KISS, wants to rock and roll all night and party every day. Little did we know he also wants to speak like a business idiot. Stanley was asked by Ad Age’s POINT magazine what the difference is between a band and a brand. He responded by saying ...
"A band is limited in its potential to diversify, by its lack of multidimensional appeal. If music is the sole connect a band makes with a fan, music is all the fan will buy. In the case of KISS, in addition to music and video, we can market the iconic images of the band through products that allow fans to show their affiliation and allegiance to the band’s music, image and philosophy. That said, for a band/brand to sustain, the band must remain viable and credible as a music entity to maintain the brand’s validity."
Huh?
And this comes from the same man who penned such thought-provoking rock ‘n roll lyrics as:
Don’t wanna wait ’til you know me better
Let’s just be glad for the time together
Life’s such a treat and it’s time you taste it
There ain’t a reason on earth to waste it
It ain’t a crime to be good to yourself
Chorus:
Lick it up, lick it up, it’s only right now
Lick it up, lick it up, ooh yeah
Lick it up, lick it up, come on, come on
Lick it up, lick it up
[lyrics from LICK IT UP (1983)]
Oh my. Slow day for business news?
Honestly, what he said is not surprisingly loopy, but the essence of it doesn't seem all that flawed to me. KISS the band doesn't make records or perform any more. So, their devout Army of fans licks up their dolls, posters, mugs, lavalamps, whatever they can get. It's not really line extension, it's more like KISSMANIA, the post-KISS brand. It seems to me that if Ferrari stopped making cars, legions of devout Ferrari-lovers would spend the next hundred years buying anything and everything they could get their hands on that had a Ferrari logo. Few brands are so powerful as that; it is borderline "religion". KISS may be religion too, despite Paul's obtuse analysis. He's a rhythm guitar player who wears makeup and spandex for crying out loud, but I'll go out on a limb and say he ain't really so dumb. Neither is Gene Simmons. They must have done something (marketing-wise) terribly correct, (Customer evangelism? WOM? Remarkability?), as they now sit on top of a high-margin, low risk business model that many should envy, so long as it lasts. "Post-Beatles" has not only lasted, it has exploded. I'm not sure that conventional rules apply here, do they?
Fun stuff John, great catch.
Posted by: Thomas | September 09, 2005 at 02:57 PM
Very interesting. Who knew he was that smart?
Posted by: Sarge | September 09, 2005 at 08:44 PM
Damn. All I can say is . . . watch out brand consultants!
Posted by: Tom Asacker | September 11, 2005 at 12:13 PM
Actually, I am with him every step of the way. Makes perfect sense: Make good music, and make it central to the fans' lifestyle, and then give the fans lots of ways to celebrate the connection the music has to their lifestyle. All great bands do this.
Try this: Take the word "music" and substitute the word "motorcycles." Take the word "band" and make it "company." Take the brand "Kiss" and substitute the brand "Harley-Davidson." Same difference.
Posted by: Marketing Headhunter.com | September 14, 2005 at 08:08 PM
There is a surprising amount of marketing wisdom in the KISS mystique. What most people fail to realize that KISS was never a mediocre band taking advantage of a pop-kitsch band brand. KISS has always been a group of savvy marketers playing to their audience (and a mediocre band!). Those surprised by their clarity of marketing thought ought to take a look into how they turned the KISS characters into icons and a $100m worldwide enterprise when many many many better musicians have faded into "where are they now" VH1 episodes.
Martin Tibbitts
Martin Tibbitts
Posted by: Martin Tibbitts | September 19, 2005 at 07:52 AM
Like Martin said, Kiss have always been clever marketers, and that does nothing but add to the experience for their fans.
Posted by: Felicity | September 22, 2005 at 06:26 AM