develop a way to let your fans participate in and live the brand. And, when possible, add a little magic-the surprise factor will bolster word of mouth and loyalty. From examining the success of the KISS brand, we see that every component of the brand builds an image that is unique, dominating, and greater than the sum of its parts. KISSs strategy allowed it to win its battle for brand dominance before competitors even knew they had been engaged. Wal-Mart ap- proached dominance in much the same manner.       Building the Most Successful Br and in the World   KISS and Wal-Mart-similar creatures? Sounds surprising, but its true. Granted, their values and appearances may be quite different, but many of their success strategies are similar. Both brought a new experience to the heart of America; both penetrated the market through secondary and tertiary markets while remaining relatively unnoticed on competitors radar screens; both changed the yardstick by which success in their industries was measured; and both sell more merchandise than anyone in their respective industries. And     finally, in addition to starting in the same era and appealing to a wide range of age groups, ethnic identities, and geographic regions, Wal- Mart and KISS both deliver their product with attention to detail and a constant eye on their fans. The most striking similarity between KISS and Wal-Mart, however, is their segmentation-to-mass-market growth strategy-bringing new, exciting, emotional experiences to rural and small-town North America and building on that structure to conquer cities around the world. It is one of the most important foundational strategies Wal- Mart used to confront and beat larger, established competitors at the game of global retail dominance.     Giant among Us   Wal-Mart is the most successful brand in the world today, getting its start just one year before Gene Simmons watched the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show that fateful night in 1964. Consider these stagger- ing facts:   S Approximately1.3 million people work for Wal-Mart, which equates to 1 in 123 Americans and 1 in 20 retail employees. S Itisthelargestprivateemployerintheworld,withroughly twice the number of employees of the U.S. Postal Service.