functional and emo- tional elements of his brand to turn customers into fans. John was at a disadvantage compared to guitar players and other front people, however. They could jump up and down and dance around the stage and even more into the audience. Its a little difficult to carry a piano around the stage, so instead, he jumped up and down and around the piano. Today, he still plays some songs from underneath his bench, bringing fans to their feet. Its a great example of transforming a plain functional element into an emotional con- nection with fans. He didnt have a guitars natural advantage of high-voltage amplification either, so he made up for that with sheer, unrestrained energy-pounding the keys so hard that his fingers sometimes bled by the end of a concert. With his piano, he capital- ized on what others might have considered a restraint and created a differential advantage, introducing a sound different from that of other rock-and-roll musicians of this era.       The Pro mise of the Elton Jo hn Brand   Brands are shorthand for the promises a company makes to con- sumers and supply-chain members about the products it is selling. If there were a pledge companies made to consumers through their brands it would contain commitments about product and service quality, satisfaction with the product experience, fixing problems if they occur, trying to meet customer expectations, and living up to the hype created by advertising. This pledge conveys a brands supe- riority over and differentiation from competitive offerings. Brand promise is a principle that works for people as well as for products. How individuals behave, speak, dress, and make others feel determines how people perceive them, which can affect anything from attracting new clients, in the case of an attorney, or landing a new job, in the case of a student. Just as in the case of any other well- developed brand, the Elton John brand came to symbolize a promise to its fans of quality music, evocative lyrics, and variety of sound- from orchestral ballads to heavy-beat rock songs. Johns brand prom- ise also became focused on the concert experience, which included great music, performed with high energy and accuracy, and an array of flamboyant costumes and accessories. Fans came to expect glitz, glamour, and flash when they saw Elton John perform, and their expectations escalated from one perform- ance to the next. He seemed to operate under the philosophy that consumer satisfaction is not enough to build brand loyalty; rather, it

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