and punishment in a society whose members adhere to or deviate from the groups norms. When highly rewarded rock stars-or sports heroes and politicians, for that matter-adhere to or deviate from social norms in dress, food and beverage preferences, and social behavior, millions of fans learn what is rewarded and follow suit. The key to cre- ating a cool brand is often to associate it with the people and behavior admired by the market segment to which the brand is targeted. A majority of the rock stars discussed in Brands That Rock have one thing in common-they didnt fit in with the other kids in school. They were different, delightfully odd in their own sense of the word. "They all came from outside of society and became the inside," says Bruce Springsteen in a film featured at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Although they did not fit in the mainstream, they were able to channel their creativity, energies, talents, and idiosyncrasies into the world of music, which is still known for accepting individuals who are misunderstood by society. The irony is that their talents and cre- ativity were most likely ignored by traditionalists-retailers, manu- facturers, and the like-who probably thought they had nothing to offer to the world of commerce. But these people were able to cata- pult their status from outcast to megastar, from those who were out- side the culture to those who help define it. Legendary bands influence the culture, and the best allow the cul- ture to influence them as well. Just as Madonna influences fashion and even exercise trends, Gene Simmons and KISS listened to their fans and figured out how to sell more records by packaging the KISS experience (a key lesson examined in detail in Chapter 6). Bands have even influenced peoples definition of good music, creating acceptance of a style or quality level that might have been unaccept- able previously. "Its not always about how well you sing, especially in the traditional sense of the word, because standards of what is good or bad change," says Chris Frantz. "Bob Dylan, for example, proves that the message can overcome a lot of other things that we think are important in being accepted. There are a lot of breakthroughs that occur because of things     beyond traditional product quality that center more on message and [emotional] connection that eventually change the standard." Though its hamburgers may not win as many taste tests as gour- met burgers, McDonalds created a new standard in food retailing based on convenience, speed, consistency, and emotions that influ- enced what was acceptable and even desired by many Americans in terms of their food choices. Similarly, Starbucks has set a new stan- dard for good coffee, and Wal-Mart has set a new standard of what