Branding Story #2

Richard Branson was/is extremely dyslexic – both letters & numbers, & was a high school dropout (He says today that’s why he is intuitive about business decisions; not liking spreadsheets so much). But he had the advantage of being born into a family that embraced the entrepreneurial spirit.

He started a student paper at 16, opened a record store soon after that, & went on to start/stop/launch over 400 companies with the Virgin brand. He experienced success, failure, was brought to trial over tax evasion, had numerous blunders & started an airline and is in the process of starting a rail line, because he saw the need for ‘better’ in existing services as they were.

An ‘entrepreneurial investment banker’, he supports a start-up & reaps the rewards of a new Virgin brand when the business succeeds.

As a world-focused entrepreneur, he’s worked on global NGO efforts & individual environmental endeavors.

His brand embraces entrepreneurialism, corporate responsibility & philanthropic environmentalism as a total approach to living life large and “following through on a great idea”.

Brand colour: Red – daring, adventurous, ambitious

Face of the brand: Richard Branson

Brand message: Follow through on a great idea

Brand voice: Upbeat, hip, possibility