Why millions dig ABBA, as I do!

Listening to ABBA will be a lifetime act for me. I can never get bored. Not if I were to get older, dumber, whatever. And there's lesson there for marketers, worldwide. A lesson about how a brand's lived this long, attracts consumers from across demographics, and will continue to do so for a long time to come.

Consider two reasons to the ABBA phenomenon. One, they've got great melody, that's simple and wonderful on the ear. Pure and simple music. The masses love that. In the world of brands too, the masses don't need complicated sophistication. All they want is attributes that are relevant and come across clearly through the brand's communiques. Value that is discernible and delivered without fuss. Wal-Mart's 'EDLP' is a great example to that.

Two, ABBA's songs croon stories out of life. Stories that are familiar to millions worldwide. Stories of heartbreak, laughter and joy. When you hear ABBA, you live a page out of your life. The greatest brands out there evoke in the consumer something beyond the rational. They effect an emotional connect. A connect driven by stories that tug at something within consumers. It isn't just about a product. Like Apple's not just tech. products, its a maverick personified. Being part of the Apple tribe's about being the rebellious non-conformist who balks at what's considered normal.

But beyond all of that, ABBA's music speaks a language that's found universal acceptance. Across cultures, languages, ages and geographical boundaries. The ABBA magic may never be fully decipherable, but it sure exhibits characteristics that can be learned and employed. To build an everlasting brand.