Virgin!


I was a fan of Culture Club and that's when I first heard about the Virgin music label. What a name! My parents probably thought I was something wrong to love those new romantic bands but somehow I persuaded them how good looking Boy George was in those music videos.

I thought Virgin record company should be something big at that time and I didn't know that Virgin Altantic and Virgin megastore were all under the Virgin Group. These businesses are all unrelated and somehow they're all under the control of the same guy Richard Branson.

Is this CEO charming? He is. But how come his realty show was a bit boring. I don't know if the American contestants are better off at those realty shows than the Brits. I almost finish reading this book but somehow there are still a lot of controversary points of views about this guy according to this book. Is he a control freak or is he the liberalist? He's like the dream boss of every PR but at the same time can be a nightmare for every publicist.

I don't agree that you either love or hate him. I'm sure he can be someone who can motivate and push his staff to their limits but he can so believe in what he's doing and pushing you in the corner.

The more I learnt about the Virgin Empire story, the more surprises I've found with its expansion plan over the years.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dynamic Change of Media Landscape

Newspapers and magazines do not operate the same way as it used to be. Editorial content was considered to be a very important asset for attracting advertising. Some years ago, I saw some chief editors call corporations and PR consultants for advertising, taking up some of the roles of an account manager. In recent years, more newspapers and magazines judge on whether corporations place ads on their publications before placing any stories on them. An English newspaper here used to run editorial video stories but a recent layoff dramatically cut the resources and made its online team to do "sponsored video interviews" only. That makes the team very commercial and almost gives up their reporting work. Even I'm one of their sponsors, I feel sad. But things have never been the same. Should you quit or stay? I guess that the team might not be there some months later. On the contrary, more Chinese newspapers have been adding video news stories, 100% editorial content. Can they...
Read more

Alfresco Dining

Image
The weather is so unpredictable in New Zealand. In the morning and at night it can be below 10°C,  while in the afternoon it is hot like summer at 26°C. The wind direction plays a big role when it comes to the actual temperature. The forecast said 17°C, but I was wrapped head to toe in winter clothes on this summer day.   The sun is always so bright that sunglasses have become essential. If you put your feet in the water on the beach, it is not so bad, but the further you go towards the sea, the colder it gets and the waves get bigger.  In late spring, the temperatures are usually perfect for having a coffee and eating outdoors. Find a beautiful lake, a farm overlooking with snowy mountains, a beach, a pier, or even a park, to lie down and stretch those aching muscles. Bring some chairs to your favourite garden, sit down with a friend and happily have a bite of good sandwiches, apples, and cheese.  I enjoy the luxury of being so close to nature on my travels. It...
Read more

Agricultural Show

Image
  The agriculture show resumed in Christchurch, New Zealand after a two-year hiatus. This show has put a lot of emphasis on sustainability with its online advertising although the plastic cups and plates have not yet been replaced with better solutions. However, the organiser claimed that they sourced local and climate-friendly partners, used recycled and decomposted materials as much as possible, and of course donated materials to the community after the show.  I'm glad to lear that such efforts were made to protect the environment.  I absolutely love saying hello to a variety of sheep, cattle, and horses at the show. The food stalls were of great variety and good quality. The selection was excellent throughout the day. There were lots of fun competitions such as gumboot throwing, wood chopping, and educational stalls on recycling aimed at families and serious workers. I hope there will be more shuttle buses and signages in the future.
Read more