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Exploiting The Brand (or the Band)

19th Apr 2016
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Most business consultants will tell you that the most important asset a company has is its brand. It takes years to establish and can be ruined very quickly. It needs care and attention. People trust brands but brands can become toxic.

It is with this in mind that my thoughts have turned to The Rolling Stones. Just as I got stuck into the Keith Richards autobiography “Life” – yes I know it was published some years ago , but I’ve had other stuff to read – The Rolling Stones announced the opening of their exhibition of “Stones” memorabilia, ephemera, artefacts (or cynically marketing material) etcetera at the Saatchi Gallery http://www.saatchigallery.com/  perhaps hoping to emulate the phenomenal success of the Bowie exhibition at the V&A a couple of years back.

Coincidentally last week I attended a launch event for David Hepworth’s marvellous book “1971 - Never A Dull Moment” in which the esteemed music and media commentator forcefully and cogently argues that 1971 was the annus mirabillis of the rock album. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/05/1971-never-dull-moment-rocks-golden-year-david-hepworth-review  It was the year The Rolling Stones released “Brown Sugar” (their last great single?), “Sticky Fingers” (Exile on Main Street aside their last decent album), and most pertinently The Rolling Stones logo, and therefore the Rolling Stones as a brand.

I would argue that the last 40 years has been about The Stones exploiting their brand in just the same way as any corporation would. They have stopped tarnishing the brand by putting out frankly awful records (Dirty Work, Bridges To Babylon, anyone?) and by presenting Keef as the embodiment of Rock ‘n Roll, The Human Riff etc.

They continue to tour the world playing “jukebox shows” in mega arenas, stadiums and at high profile parties, and who can blame them? Only I can’t help wondering about what the young Keith – who’s voice I hear reading from the page of “Life” – living in Edith Grove and desperate to somehow be transformed into Muddy, Chuck or Jimmy Reed, would think about The Rolling Stones TM in 2016. I hope not very much!

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