to specific customers or stock items certain customers prefer, all in the name of building brand loyalty. In the CRM vein, Aerosmith monitors its fans behaviors during concerts, understanding that the right balance between classics, con- temporary favorites, and new releases is important in keeping fans engaged during a three-hour show.* Legendary bands do that better than most fledgling bands because of the depth of material they can play. In notes published on the web site of AeroForce One (Aero- smiths official fan club), talking about their experiences on the road, Tom Hamilton admits to watching audiences from the stage, espe- cially when performing new songs. When the crowd starts singing songs from a new album, they know they have been adopted by fans, giving the band guidance as to which songs to keep performing dur- ing the tour, which ones to add to the next tour, and perhaps when to add another new track to the set list. On that web page, fans are encouraged to learn the words to new songs, so they can sing along at the concert and participate in the experience. Aerosmith, however, puts an interesting spin on the concept of customer intimacy. Whereas much of corporate America focuses on strategies for knowing and understanding customers better, Aero- smith focuses on ways for fans to get to know the band better. Fans may be more likely to connect emotionally with a brand after having a personal experience with it, especially one that allows them to get to know the brand or company better than others do. Aerosmith allows customers to get to know the band more inti- mately with remote staging, special tours, travel packages, and good old-fashioned meet-and-greets. As a result, fans feel that they have a special relationship with the band, becoming more emotionally tied to the band and its success.       *It is known among concertgoers that the worst time to get food or a drink is during a song from the new album the band is promoting-unless of course it is in fact a big hit single-because that is when the lines are longest. When a leg- endary rock band plays one of its classics, however, no one leaves their seats. Not even Elton John is immune from this phenomenon-when he announced during his recent concert tour that the next few songs would be from his new album, customers and friends alike headed for the john, en masse.     Ho w to Treat Your Fans   At the heart of bands interaction with fans is Steven Tylers under- standing of what it means to be a fan. In the early days, Tyler spent as much time and money as he could going to rock shows. He was, admittedly, starstruck, and reveled in being close to stars. An inter- esting exercise for brand managers charged with creating brands with fan appeal is to become one yourself. Tyler recalls how he worshipped the Rolling Stones during the