Brand Like A Rock Star: Lessons from Rock 'n Roll to Make Your Business Rich and Famous

by Steve Jones

Make your brand a blockbuster with strategies perfected by the superstars of rock 'n roll Brand Like a Rock Star takes you beyond the hype to reveal the core marketing strategies behind the success of the world's greatest bands. Author Steve Jones has earned his street cred as a savvy marketer in an outrageous business. He combines insider stories from AC/DC, The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, Kiss, and many other legendary bands with sound business advice, to deliver a rockin' guide to building a breakthrough brand. Brand Like a Rock Star puts a new spin on the branding process. From merchandising, to establishing a resonant core message, to developing an iconic logo, Steve Jones illustrates abstract concepts with actionable practices. How is Led Zeppelin like Nintendo's Wii? How does U2 resemble Proctor & Gamble? What do Johnny Cash and Old Spice have in common? The answers may have a profound impact on your business. Marketers in any business will pump their fists and boost their bottom line with Brand Like a Rock Star .

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Music

200 pages, Paperback

First published September 18, 2011

About the author

Steve Jones is the VP of Programming for Newcap Radio, one of Canada’s largest radio groups.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Roshan Varghese · Rating 5 out of 5]

very crisp and exciting read!
really enjoyed the well presented lessons on branding

[Kenya Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really amazing book! I loved every word.

[Book Gossips - Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admire nothing more than a book that makes you think without noticing and this is exactly what author Steve Jones has accomplished with Brand Like a Rock Star. Not only is this a fun and informative read, I think it is also transformational. Over and over again, Jones highlights bands, brands, groups and individuals who have discovered that some of the greatest successes come not only to those who work hard, but to those who work different. All it may take is that one switch in your mindset or one nudge to your perception and you can discover, uncover and smash through any obstacle in the way of your Rock Star path.

Brand Like a Rock Star is a perfect read for anyone in the Marketing field, as Jones reveals simple, yet crucial, ways your brand may be missing out on big opportunities. All the while entertaining his readers by demonstrating how incredibly successful bands and brands have illustrated the merit of his techniques. I also think this is a must read for anyone who admires the perseverance and thoughtfulness that goes into to promoting a product, a brand or even yourself. Furthermore, Brand Like a Rock Star is perfect for the music buff who is curious about their favourite band’s rise to fame.
Jones makes thought provoking connections between rock star bands and key marketing principles which grant the reader back stage access to pivotal moments in music history as well as instances of practical application for the practices he outlines. Any employee of any business can benefit from reading this book.
Really, though, this book is for everyone. In today’s society we are all consumers and as such what better way to get inside our own psychology to understand why we love, and hate, the brands we do, and what those brands have done to earn their valuable place in our overcrowded mental market place. No point is more spot on for me than Jones’ explanation of one of the most “vital” aspects of any brand, “No matter what you sell, it is all about the experience: the emotional reaction that your customers have when they use your brand. Rock star brands realize they don’t sell products or services, they sell experiences.” (pg. 69) I suggest you experience the rest of Jones’ Brand Like a Rock Star to further understand our growingly complicated consumer environment.
I give this book a crying and screaming groupie level of recommendation and if you enjoy reading Brand Like a Rock Star, you will be pleased to know a new release by Steve Jones, Start You Up, can be expected in May 2014 so watch this space!

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book made me remember why I usually avoid business books altogether - the truly relevant material could easily be summed up in about 10 pages, and the rest is fluff taken partially out of context using examples that are by and large more about luck than skill. I found this especially the case with many of the rock band examples (though they were quite interesting) where it seemed blatantly obvious that these "legends" stumbled onto their marketing savvy instead of planning for it. And that's really the point that most b-book authors try to hide - there isn't a magical set of tools you can just apply to your business and poof it's great. What worked in the past has no guarantee whatsoever of working again, and if there was a formula for success then everyone would already know it and be successful.

[Rae Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of music and someone who's at the start of their business journey, Steve Jones' book grabbed me on two levels. Free of any blue sky management speak, it's a simple and easy read. Most of what he talks about is common sense but there are some great pearls of wisdom in there as he takes us through the best, and the worst, of promotion. The techniques are designed to work for any kind of business. Although, if you've read other promotion technique books you may find it's a bit repetitive. However, it's a great read to hear his tales of life within the music industry. There's also a free Brand Like A Rockstar e-book which gives a play list for every chapter which I also highly recommend, if only to see which ones you have in your collection! Great book and definitely recommended for someone who's just starting their own business.

[Tyler Hurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simplistic but entertaining read consisting of examples that made it big either in the music industry or with a similar approach that many bands used.

It's not a deep dive, nor does it take much about theory.

There are a bunch of great quotes, but I can't recommend this to anyone that's not a music fan. It reads too much like an old music producer reciting his life accomplishments while comparing them to a few modern groups.

But I certainly don't regret reading it.

It's definitely fun.

[Dave Warawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve has really captured the essence of the importance of personal branding in a very relatable comparison to well known rock stars. This is important for anyone who wishes to be perceived as a leader in their field. When reading this book, ask yourself the question - "What do I wish to be known for?" That will be your first step toward personal branding.

[Neeraj Shukla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book.

* stay true to your brand

* what is your brand?

* it does not matter what you think your brand is, it only matters what your customers think your brand is

* dare to be different, not the same.

* your brand is your real state in the mind of the customer and how he feels about you

[Ellanden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Remember: Once a customer's heart is made up...it's pretty darn hard to change. The heart always trumps the mind.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be mandatory reading for anyone who ever speaks the word "brand."

[Jacqui Miyabayashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cool book with a totally new perspective on marketing. Very enjoyable read.

[Sandra Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read, well written, easy to follow and some really great stories. Very relatable.

[Ana Rattinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

light reading, yet really entraining. I read it twice so I could multitask and investigate a bit more on some examples I didn't catch the first time.

[Rick Guilfoil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent real life examples of branding from rock bands we all know. The stories behind the stories are intriguing.

[The Mystikmonk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book.. A must read for marketing guys whole love rock :)

[Earl Veale · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an entertaining book with solid suggestions on branding, played out on stage with examples from the world of rock. Good concept.

[Steedan Crowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book and some great insights into some cool startups.

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an OK book. it started out with good premises and concepts but couldn't finish it well.

[Abhishek Addy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice read, and a different perspective to branding and how we look at some of the biggest rock bands of all time.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information is excellent; however, it is very repetitive and could have been much shorter. It is still worth a read for communication professionals.

[Moses Hejny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great perspective!

[Srishti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth reading if you're into marketing and music.