another. Eminem sings in his song "This looks like a job for me, so everybody just follow me, cause we need a little controversy, cause it feels so empty without me." As his lyrics reflect, doomsday certainly doesnt always precede controversy. Madonna and Victorias Secret have proven that. And while Eminem might believe the cultural scene would be empty with- out him, so might it be barren without the likes of Madonna and Vic- torias Secret. Not everyone, however, wants to follow brands that challenge the status quo. Neil Diamonds sustained popularity and degree of impact prove that controversy isnt necessary to achieve cultlike fame; in fact, there are legions of fans looking to worship someone with tra- ditional values. One need just look to the popularity of Christian singer Bill Gather, who sells out arenas wherever he performs, and to the phenomenal growth of Branson, Missouri-a mecca of good, 202 | Br a nd s Th at Roc k     old-fashioned, family-oriented entertainment (including the revival of The Lawrence Welk Show).* Madonna is innovation, change, and evolution personified. But not all of her moves are smooth, like her appearance in the movie fiasco Swept Away (directed by husband Guy Ritchie), which even her kindest critics and audience members panned. Robert Summer, former president of Sony Music International, says, "The challenge she faces now in terms of finding another cats life is exponentially greater than anything shes faced previously. She handles the matter of relevance masterfully, but more immediate is the issue of Swept Away. When you hit the floor that hard, its really tough to bounce back." Madonna presents a tantalizing study of how to craft a brand that interprets, relates to, and influences the values of its fans. The next episode in her saga will be how she rebounds from her most recent setback-her controversial album American Life, with an antipatri- otic video, causing even some fan backlash. But that was last week. Her spin control is already repairing damage. Anticipating her next move keeps us on the edge of our seats to see what shes going to do next and, in times of adversity, how shes going to get herself out of another fine mess. Stay tuned! The similarities between and juxtaposition of Madonna and Neil Diamond give insight on how two brands can take different ap- proaches to positioning based on the same attribute. Each brand authenticity in the area of sex is real, though very different based on their life stages, values, and fans. And as different as they are, they share fans, who work out or dance to "Ray of Light" and other peppy Madonna tunes and listen to old Diamond favorites over a candle- light dinner. Of different generations, different styles, and different values, they are different sides of the same coin.       *If you are child of the 1960s, we know youve seen at least one episode of the original television show. For a real study in how television and culture have changed, try to catch a rebroadcast on your local PBS station. Most likely, youll recognize some of the music and