Branson Ties Employees to Virgin's Success
Virgin Records was originally going to be called Slipped Disc Records. "Can you imagine Slipped Disc Airlines?" CEO Sir Richard Branson joked during yesterday's keynote at the DMA Conference. No one doubts that he has transformed the company into a blockbuster superbrand, but many had their doubts as he entered new and completely different markets. What was he thinking?
Branson explained that his company is able to enter so many diverse markets -- music, airlines, soda, mobile phones, even health clubs -- because the brand promise and philosophy keep it all together. And what keeps the brand promise alive? Employees. "Employees must feel part of the brand and part of the mission," he told the audience. Large companies can become impersonal as they grow, and employees lose sight of the mission and team philosophy. At Virgin, Branson considers it a series of small companies, tied together with a common purpose -- entertain, have some fun, and shake things up to improve the customer experience. What ties the brand together at your company? Do employees feel like they share a common goal?
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