things I had no idea of when I was in my twenties." Among them is the value of inner peace, and the fact that fashion trend setting is best left to those with more youthful blonde ambition, according to a 2003 People description of Madonna.1 Her experiences as a master marketer reveal insights and lessons on:    Harnessing the power of controversy    The power of sex, sexuality, and sexiness in gaining consumer attention    The role of brand authenticity-being the real thing-in con- necting with fans    The risks of going too far in sexual branding and alienating cus- tomers    How to evolve and remake brands over time   Madonna is the shining example that sex sells. Even after years of hard work by womens organizations to further womens rights and squelch the degradation of women, society cant deny that sex still intrigues customers. Initially, one might see using sex to sell a brand as easy and by some standards a cop-out to formulating a more sub- stantive branding strategy. Achieving significant long-term sales and keeping fans interested in a brand with a sex-oriented sales pitch is not easy, however. First off, maintaining a sexy image becomes more difficult as a brand ages-     especially if that brand is a person. But even for products, what is sexy and cool one moment becomes average and humdrum the next. Sec- ond, sex can sell on a limited basis, but product and experience qual- ity build loyalty over time. The classic example of the sizzle selling the steak is true-but there needs to be a steak, and it has to taste good in order for someone to order it a second time. As Denver points out, "Something has to connect with fans to move a record from passive, where fans enjoy listening to the song on the radio, to active, where they go buy the CD or attend the concert. It takes more than just siz- zle to do that, but Madonnas image and positioning over the years has been pretty good sizzle." A brand message that features a sex angle needs to fit the natural characteristics of the brand. After revamping its line of shampoo and conditioners, Herbal Essences was unleashed on the market in the late 1990s. The sexually charged television ads grabbed peoples attention. The series featured a woman washing her hair and becoming excited by the scent and feeling of the Herbal Essence experience to the point that she moans and groans the words "Yes, yes, yes." A final sigh and shake of the head leads to the tagline, "Herbal Essences, a totally or- ganic experience." Calvin Klein, fashion brand extraordinaire, has attracted attention and fans over the years with its sexy positioning. Who can forget the steamy Obsession television ads that heated up many a living room or the Calvin Klein underwear ads featuring chiseled young men that grace