doctorate degree. What happened between his departure from the academy and his return would make music history, deserving of an honorary degree in marketing as well.       M arketing M an   As a young boy, Elton Johns mastery of the classics gave way to his love for rock and roll, fueled by the likes of Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis. He worked hard to go from standing in front of a mirror, pounding out songs on the piano and pretending to be Lewis, to performing live at Dodger stadium in 1975 to a sellout crowd of 55,000. John isnt just a music man; he is a marketing man-thats what has propelled him to phenomenal heights of success and made him a household name. When we study Johns career, we begin to realize that marketing may be one of the most misunderstood words in the common business vernacular. Its often equated with selling or adver- tising when actually its about creating, changing, or evolving a product     into something that people will buy. Simply put-selling is getting people to buy what you produce, but marketing is about producing what people will want to buy. Sometimes marketers are accused of manipulating people by trying to persuade them in some way. John would probably agree, but with one caveat-recognition of precisely who is being manipulated in the marketing process. Marketing is not about a marketer manipulating consumers; its about understanding consumers well enough to let them manipulate the marketer to pro- duce what will sell more easily. Walking the fine line of what "more pure" artists would consider selling out, Elton John is a great example of what it takes to create a complete brand, as youll see in this chapter. His career has flourished because of his understanding of what consumers want, his ability to create what his fans will buy, and his willingness to compromise between artistic purity and commercial appeal. As you see Johns branding story unfold, youll see how his success provides lessons on: S Adoptingamarketingratherthanasalesorientation S Developing transgenerational brand appeal S Developing both the functional and emotional elements of the brand to create a unified message and image in the market S Understandinghow brand attributes work together to drive positioning and "heart share" S Creatingbrandpersonalityandpromisethatconnectwithfans S Changing a brand image when it becomes irrelevant to fans or