In this summary from Des Dearlove’s Business The Richard Branson Way you will learn how Richard created one of the most powerful brands in the world. How to structure your businesses so you don’t lose the personal touch. How to make work an exciting adventure – for you and your staff.
Richard Branson’s secrets will show you how to use the media to generate free advertising better than anything money can buy.
Secret 1: Richard the Lionheart
While other empire-builders get involved in corporate dogfights, Richard Branson approaches business challenges as a crusade. He prides himself in taking on big companies to offer customers better value for money.
Secret 2: Do the Hippie Hippie Shake
Branson’s informal style and nonconformist attitude have earned him the title of “hippie capitalist”. This is one of Branson’s greatest business attributes. Being part of whatever is hip and trendy allows him to project the Virgin brand as a “cool” alternative to whatever the ‘suits’ are offering.
Secret 3: Haggle – Everything’s Negotiable
Branson is congenial, charming and unconventional. But he also has a street-trader’s knack for negotiation, knowing just when to press the point and when to walk away. And he likes to haggle just for the fun of it.
Secret 4: Make Work Fun
Branson believes that business should be fun. His own appetite for work and the success of his business ventures rest on this belief. He creates an exciting work culture that motivates people and makes them want to give their best.
Secret 5: Do Right By Your Brand
Some critics have argued that the wide reach of the Virgin brand threatens to dilute its strength. Branson disagrees. He believes that as long as the integrity of the brand is not compromised, there is nowhere that it cannot stretch.
Secret 6: Playing Up To The Press
Richard Branson has turned himself into a walking, talking Virgin logo. Instead of spending millions on advertising, Branson has mastered the art of generating column inches for free.
Secret 7: Don’t Lead Sheep, Herd Cats
Richard Branson doesn’t expect his people to follow blindly wherever he leads. Instead he creates a challenging, exciting environment, which brings out the best in people. He doesn’t coerce – he inspires.
Secret 8: Business At Record-Breaking Speed
When an opportunity presents itself, Branson has a unique ability to move at record-breaking speed to take advantage of it. Management gurus are amazed at the speed at which his huge organisation is able to act.
Secret 9: Size Does Matter
While most of the corporate world seems obsessed with the size of one another’s organisations, Branson prefers to keep it small. The Virgin group retains its unique energy and speed because it maximises the entrepreneurial spirit of its staff whilst minimising the bureaucracy of its systems.
Secret 10: Never Lose The Common Touch
Part of Branson’s charm is his belief in keeping things simple. Despite the complexity of the Virgin group – a constantly evolving web of start-ups, joint ventures and partnerships – Branson’s personal life epitomises his down-to-earth philosophy.
For more of this book and how you too can become a great PR machine like Richard Branson listen to “Business The Richard Branson Way“ ⇐[link here]
Des Dearlove is the co-founder of media consulting firm Suntop Media. He writes regular pieces for The Times, American Management Review and Human Resources. He has written a number of books on business and management, including The Ultimate Book of Business Thinking, Architects of the Revolution and Business the Bill Gates Way.
