The Virgin Way

July 28, 2014
No new ground is broken in this latest volume of aphorisms from Branson, billionaire founder of the Virgin Group—a conglomerate of 400 companies that are apparently run with breezy executive style and a fierce devotion to ensuring customer loyalty. Branson (Losing My Virginity) deserves credit for eschewing business jargon as he advises readers to challenge entrenched businesses (“Goliaths”) by creating a new niche markets right under their imperious noses, with “hybrid product that pigeonhole.” That’s the essence of Virgin’s successes, from an airline with a rock n’ roll attitude to the iconic chain of record stores. Virgin Megastores “became tourist destinations in their own right” in Paris and New York, while other ventures, such as Virgin Cola, were less successful. Branson comes across as a branding genius, making an impression on the customer and his own workforce, which he credits lavishly and frequently, from key executives discarded by competitors to entry-level employees who have thrived and been promoted internally (a practice he endorses). Given his obvious drive, his protestations that he’s happiest working from a hammock on his private Caribbean resort island sound disingenuous.