• Ad Age, Monday, September 14, 2009 10:55 AM

Nearly 40 years after they broke up, the brand the Beatles created remains almost as strong as it did in its heyday. The quality of the music has a lot to do with that but so does some extraordinary business acumen on the part of the Beatles themselves and their surviving spouses and former Beatles label EMI and Sony/ATV, Beth Snyder Bulik reports.

"The key is they've been so amazingly protective of the brand that everything that does come out is special," says Bill Stainton, president of Ovation Consulting. "They're not going to be on the K-tel compilation, or the 'Best of the '60s' CDs. ... They're almost Disney-esque in their protection of the brand."

The Beatles ranked No. 1 among all age groups as the most-liked band or musical group in a list of 20 popular performers chosen by Pew Research Center in a July/August survey and new Beatles products, such as "Rock Band," which was released last week, keep the lads fresh with younger consumers. Snyder Bulik also examines the Beatles' prowess in keeping the brand alive through re-mastered albums, media relations, Cirque du Soleil, tourism and concerts by surviving members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

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