Strategies for Staying Relevant: Tricks from “The Boss”

In the process of researching some completely unrelated info on Bruce Springsteen, I stumbled across this creative gem of an essay posted by Rick Newman on his blog back in October of 2007. Newman is the Chief Business Correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, as well as—clearly—a big fan of The Boss. 
Newman goes to school on how Springsteen has managed to keep his “brand” and “product” appealing, despite the passage of so many  years. And his conclusions are both entertaining and instructive for anyone trying to figure out how and where to innovate within an established business. (It’s also a nice piece of ironic poetry, having a business correspondent writing a column about the guy who gave the term “Boss” a whole new meaning.) 
My favorite part? His observation that Springsteen ends each song in a performance with “1-2-3-4!” because he’s actually starting the next song before the audience can catch their breath (or get their attention diverted) by the ending of any one number. “Nobody sits down or gets a breather until the man on stage decides it’s time,” Newman writes. “By keeping the crowd on its toes, the band keeps demand at a fever pitch-kind of the way Apple does, with its rapid flow of new gizmos pushing older products out of the way. But with way better buzz.” 
Not every CEO can match the lightning-intensity energy of Springsteen, of course. He’s like a 95-mile-an-hour-fastball pitcher, in that regard. But Newman also notes that Springsteen clearly loves what he does, and that passion not only fuels his energy and staying power, but is contagious, keeping his “customers” coming back for more. 
Newman’s post is worth checking out. It’s short, entertaining, and brings a Springsteen concert vividly to mind. Hard to argue with a combo like that.