Know What You and Your Brand Stand For
It is really important for you to know the core values of your brand. What do you and your brand stand for? For Richard Branson and Virgin their core values are…fun, good value and strong customer service.
And so at every possible opportunity, he epitomizes all that it stands for. Besides that he is a master of getting attention. Be it hot air balloon adventures or showing up at a press conference nearly naked to promote Virgin mobile, he certainly knows how to grab eyeballs.
Do It in Style
Make it larger than life, exotic, bespoke and simply unforgettable for people who buy your product or service. At Virgin Records, he recruited the S_x Pistols (yes another bold name which is not run off the mill) and reinvented a whole category of music. At Virgin Atlantic, passengers were pampered with massages on airplanes and ferried in limos. Next up… Virgin Galactic, where he’s taking people into space.
Don’t Be Afraid to Be Yourself
Brash, bold, independent… Richard is no one else but himself. With a flair for challenging rules and limits, he has always been very bold and that is probably why he has been able to do some pathbreaking stuff.
Resilient enough to get John Lennon to do an original piece of music for him which he put on a special disc and packaged it into the newspaper, right next to the interview he’d done on the rock ‘n roll legend he knows how to position strategically.
Don’t Be Afraid to Use the Element of Surprise
Richard Branson is an absolute whiz at using the element of shock and surprise in equal measure. A look at the titles of his books is enough to help you see how he does it and learn from this…
Losing My Virginity
Like A Virgin: Secrets They Won’t Teach You at Business School
Screw Business As Usual
Reach for the Skies
Business Stripped Bare
Screw It, Let’s Do It
What are you waiting for? Take a leaf or two out of Richard Branson’s book to script your very own branding success story!