Read Online Business Stripped Bare by Richard Branson - Free Book Online
Authors: Richard Branson
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(They're very successful.) If you're not in the industry, you won't have a clue. Why would you? The IPC brand means plenty to the industry, but nothing to the punter. The punter wants the flavour, tone and content of the magazine, not its purse-holder. The punter cares about the magazine's brand; the owner's brand would merely get in the way.
Who published the last novel you read? Which production company made the DVD you watched last night? You probably don't know, the companies know you don't know, and you know what? – nobody minds.
Brands exist as a means of communicating what to expect from a product or service – or to highlight the family likeness between different products and services. An established brand on a new product is a guarantee that what you're getting will be, in its own way, like something you've enjoyed before. This is not always a good thing. Readers of Mills & Boon romances may want the same kind of story again and again; families look forward to taking their kids to see the new Pixar movie, regardless of whether it's about animals, toys or cars. On the whole, though, novelty and discovery count for a lot in the entertainment sector, and the last thing you want to do is stick some galumphing great label over everything you do, suggesting to your audience that your new thing is just like your old thing.
At the other end of the spectrum – perched in splendid isolation in the far, far infrared – there is Virgin. The Virgin brand tells you that using this credit card is rather like using this airline, which, in turn, is rather like using this health spa, and listening to this record, and paying into this pension fund.
What's the family resemblance? What resemblance could there be between these diverse goods and services?
Pretty obviously, it has something to do with the customer, because when you look at the range of things we're involved in, the customer is about the only factor common to all of them.
And that really is all there is to it . The Virgin brand is a guarantee that you'll be treated well, that you'll get a high-quality product which won't dent your bank balance, and you'll get more fun out of your purchase than you expected – whatever it is .
You see, what gets me up in the morning is the customer, and the idea of giving the customer a good time. No other brand has become a 'way-of-life' brand the way Virgin has. And we achieved it, not by clinically deciding one day to become a way-of-life brand, but simply by following our appetites and the things we were curious about. I've always and continually been interested in learning new things and, equally important, I've always wanted to share what I learned with other people.
Should you follow the 'Virgin formula', and focus your company around the customer's experience? Probably not. Not unless your heart's really in it. Not unless, like me, you wake up of a morning saying to yourself, 'Let's give people some fun !' Obviously, I hope you care for your customers. But I can't tell you that your company should be about customers. What your business is about is up to you.
The Virgin brand came into existence gradually, to reflect what I was fundamentally interested in. And to my own surprise, it wasn't publishing magazines; it wasn't even music. My driving force, I realise now, was finding new ways to give people a good time – ideally, in places where they were least expecting it. Like airports.
While the brand has its roots right back in the seventies with my beliefs and spirit, I think Virgin Atlantic has done more to capture and articulate what the brand stands for and personifies to consumers. Many other Virgin companies have adopted those powerful values of innovation, honesty, caring, value and fun. So I believe it's about great customer service and giving people a good time.
This is why Virgin wears its sense of humour on its sleeve. We want to inform and entertain people . You don't have to be a Virgin customer to enjoy
Who published the last novel you read? Which production company made the DVD you watched last night? You probably don't know, the companies know you don't know, and you know what? – nobody minds.
Brands exist as a means of communicating what to expect from a product or service – or to highlight the family likeness between different products and services. An established brand on a new product is a guarantee that what you're getting will be, in its own way, like something you've enjoyed before. This is not always a good thing. Readers of Mills & Boon romances may want the same kind of story again and again; families look forward to taking their kids to see the new Pixar movie, regardless of whether it's about animals, toys or cars. On the whole, though, novelty and discovery count for a lot in the entertainment sector, and the last thing you want to do is stick some galumphing great label over everything you do, suggesting to your audience that your new thing is just like your old thing.
At the other end of the spectrum – perched in splendid isolation in the far, far infrared – there is Virgin. The Virgin brand tells you that using this credit card is rather like using this airline, which, in turn, is rather like using this health spa, and listening to this record, and paying into this pension fund.
What's the family resemblance? What resemblance could there be between these diverse goods and services?
Pretty obviously, it has something to do with the customer, because when you look at the range of things we're involved in, the customer is about the only factor common to all of them.
And that really is all there is to it . The Virgin brand is a guarantee that you'll be treated well, that you'll get a high-quality product which won't dent your bank balance, and you'll get more fun out of your purchase than you expected – whatever it is .
You see, what gets me up in the morning is the customer, and the idea of giving the customer a good time. No other brand has become a 'way-of-life' brand the way Virgin has. And we achieved it, not by clinically deciding one day to become a way-of-life brand, but simply by following our appetites and the things we were curious about. I've always and continually been interested in learning new things and, equally important, I've always wanted to share what I learned with other people.
Should you follow the 'Virgin formula', and focus your company around the customer's experience? Probably not. Not unless your heart's really in it. Not unless, like me, you wake up of a morning saying to yourself, 'Let's give people some fun !' Obviously, I hope you care for your customers. But I can't tell you that your company should be about customers. What your business is about is up to you.
The Virgin brand came into existence gradually, to reflect what I was fundamentally interested in. And to my own surprise, it wasn't publishing magazines; it wasn't even music. My driving force, I realise now, was finding new ways to give people a good time – ideally, in places where they were least expecting it. Like airports.
While the brand has its roots right back in the seventies with my beliefs and spirit, I think Virgin Atlantic has done more to capture and articulate what the brand stands for and personifies to consumers. Many other Virgin companies have adopted those powerful values of innovation, honesty, caring, value and fun. So I believe it's about great customer service and giving people a good time.
This is why Virgin wears its sense of humour on its sleeve. We want to inform and entertain people . You don't have to be a Virgin customer to enjoy
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