fans lifestyles, these legendary bands will continue to build long-term loy- alty. As a result, they command a major share of fans entertainment dollars and increase their value to the marketers of consumer prod- ucts looking for ways to connect with certain segments of the cul- ture. And, perhaps more important to the artists themselves, they will capture a position in music history. Anyone with the responsibility for managing an organizations brand needs to start by understanding the culture of its core cus- tomers. Brand management should always be focused on evaluating, emulating, and, if the market segment is sufficiently attractive, infil- trating the culture of the largest and fastest-growing groups of its market. Brand evolution is not reserved for just legendary rock bands or consumer products companies. The National Football League has undergone a significant transformation over the past several years to gain a strong foothold in American culture. "The NFL is an established brand, with 80 years of equity, but a few years ago there was a sense among ownership and senior man- agement that it had become more of a licensing company," explains John Collins, NFLs senior vice president of marketing and entertain- ment. "In order to redefine the NFL, we stepped back and thought about our place in the world of brands-what we stood for and how we could evolve. When we talk about ourselves today, we talk about being premier entertainment." Rock and roll has played a key role in the NFLs brand transfor- mation. Fans who religiously fill stadiums on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights are treated to mini-music fests, as music blares between plays and quarters. And then there are the much-awaited Super Bowl halftime shows, which have featured superstars from Michael Jackson to Aerosmith (with Britney Spears and N Sync) to U2. To celebrate its first-ever season kickoff in 2002, the NFL turned to Bon Jovi to headline what was being billed as the worlds largest c r e at i ng cu lt u r a l ly r el e va n t br a nd s | 59     tailgate party. Known for its classic rock sound and the movie-star good looks of its lead singer Jon Bon Jovi and lead guitarist Richie Sambora, the band connected with fans as it played a string of hits and an emotional rendition of "America the Beautiful." Bon Jovis popularity among guys who like good old rock and roll and women who like great-looking sexy guys appeal to NFL fans of either gender. The ultimate tailgate party attracted over 500,000 fans to Times Square and millions more in 226 countries with 13 live broadcasts of