determined by sales of the sin- gle. But if you examine the role of "Dont Stop" in the overall pro- motion of Forty Licks, the sales and performance of the single on the charts seems quite secondary compared to the marketing value of its release. What used to be the "product" of a band may now very well have become the give-away promotional item that helps build brand equity for the band and generate awareness for what really makes the money-concerts and merchandise. Granted, no band wants its album to flop; a hit enhances credibility and perceived relevance while a miss can damage the image of the band. However, does it really matter if it doesnt hit the top 10? Not really-especially if your focus is more oriented toward selling merchandise than albums. Attend a Rolling Stones concert and youll notice that the band does not sell CDs at the venue as other bands do. Rather than use the concert to peddle CDs, the Stones use it to push other merchandise that carries significantly higher profit margins. Other artists usually bring in Sound Scan to capture sales data that will be given credit toward official sales figures. At this point in their careers, however, the Stones dont need to push albums. Fans will buy them online or in stores if they want them, and many of them do. The Stones would prefer that fans spend the limited funds they bring to a concert on T-shirts, hats, and other higher-profit items. In the grand scheme of the Rolling Stones organization, the album really serves as a marketing tool. But the Stones have never really been about record-breaking album sales. "The Rolling Stones never had huge sales of an individual album at the time of its release," explains Gmeiner. "Look at Peter Frampton, who sold 60 million albums at one time, and compare that to the Rolling Stones, whose biggest sales in current lifespan of an album is 2.5 million copies, which I think Forty Licks will surpass."     You Can So metimes Get What You Want   The Rolling Stones understand the complexities and opportunities that arise from having a fan base that encompasses both ends of the socioeconomic spectrum. In the vein of classic product differentia- tion and discriminatory pricing strategies, the Forty Licks world tour     played in three different types of venues-stadiums, arenas, and select small-venue theatres-with the goal of selling out each concert regardless of venue size. Marketing research identified which cities had fan support strong enough to warrant large stadium appear- ances and which were more likely to sell out midsized arenas. Some