werent just listening to music; they were seeing it, feeling it, smelling it, and living it. With all senses stimulated, their emotions were heightened as never before, and afterward, they were often left in that awkward state of complete excitement, exhaustion, and shock. After an experience like that, word of mouth and repeat patronage was not a problem. What KISS brought back to the stage was an element of surprise- a sensory overload kind of surprise. To this day, KISS combines cre- ativity, escapism, and surprise into one action-packed event. The combination leaves audiences temporarily deaf and dumbfounded, but permanently delighted. Creativity and surprise are what some industry insiders say is missing from many musical acts today. Com- pany executives take note-that is also what some corporate insiders say is missing from many shopping and service experiences today. k is s: k e ep i t s i m pl e, s t up i d | 9 9     Pushing the envelope of creativity and generating the unexpected can be risky and may not always work. In the case of KISS, it did. Tina Weymouth, of the Talking Heads points out, "Today, the pressure is to be mainstream-or commercially safe. Celine Dion has a great voice; before her was Barbra Streisand, and there will be someone after her as well. But there isnt a lot of surprise there, something that will stop you and make you say wow." KISS audiences said wow- and still do. In corporate terms, the element of surprise can help to exceed customer expectations, which impacts fan creation and brand loy- alty. For example, Westin Hotels recently developed its new Heavenly Bed, hoping to give customers something more than just a restful nights sleep-an above average sleeping experience. Travelers, espe- cially seasoned ones, expect a nice bed to sleep in, but dont expect a bed befitting a five-star resort. But the Heavenly Bed delivers; hotel guests are treated to a lush bed outfitted with all-white down com- forters, extra pillows, and crisp linens on a high-quality padded mat- tress. Guests are surprised when they see and sleep in the bed-they are left remembering the experience, telling their friends about it, and often inquiring how to buy the beds for their homes. Adding makeup as a central part of KISSs identity may, in hind- sight, seem a simple tactic to create an image, an experience, and fan interactivity. But hindsight is 20/20. What turned out to be a brilliant marketing move could have been an all-out blunder because of how foreign the bands look was. Being too far over the edge can alienate even the most forward-thinking people-even those on the fringes of society. When is something different and intriguing versus just plain weird? Innovators must gauge the risk of alienating customers when they step out of the safety zone of acceptance and into the danger zone of unconventionality. Think of what happened when famed musician Prince changed his name to a symbol. Because no one could speak a symbol, they could only refer to him as "the artist formerly known as Prince." For many people, that transcends the borderline of bizarre. Perhaps the most vivid example is Michael Jackson, whose obsession with plastic surgery, odd social behavior, and childlike existence in a mansion turned amusement park took him from singing genius to all- out weirdo in most peoples minds. Not only can few fans relate to him