Richard Branson - Failures

Peyton Manning

Im doing a presentation for college in a few weeks on Richard Branson, and I just need some bits of information on any projects/companies he started that were failures or disastrous? Any info appreciated.

BuffyBot

I don't there are many huge failures or disasters as such (he's canny enough like that), but some have been less successful than others.

Wikipedia gives a good list of his business ventures (including ones such as Virgin Cars, Virgin Pulse etc). That should be a good starting point.

is_that_so

Hasn't he also written at least one autobiography? Local library might help there.

Peyton Manning

Ive checked Wikipedia alright - great list of the Virgin group companies but I found it hard to distinguish which ones were sold because of a good offer and which ones were sold/discontinued because they werent performing well

Sponge Bob

Virgin Cola I think. He went up against coke with a similar brown sludge about 1990. Have not seen it in years so it must be gone. I believe Coke responded by dropping their prices and hammering richards margins thereby leaving nothing for brand building and marketing .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Cola

Virgin condoms were another failure and there were others to , see.

http://www.ninthart.com/display.php?article=1149


I still love his one brand fits all approach. The man is an absolute legend.

BuffyBot

Virgin Cola is still very much alive and well. Take a flight on Virgin or a Virgin train and you'll soon find out

I don't think they marketed Virgin Condoms..I think that's a bit of an urban myth. Branson launched the Mates condom range (because the name Virgin didn't sit well) in the 80's. They've sold the brand since though.

tvr

his european airline virgin express (not the atlantic before any smartass gets posting) was pretty disasterous burnt threw a few million of venture capital trying to expand its routes , still around do. I presume you have read the autobiography on him?

antoinolachtnai

Everything in the last 15 years has been failures to a greater or lesser extent, except for the airlines and telecomms. These are mega-successes which make up for everything else. It is hard to overstate how big a success virgin mobile UK was.

At certain points, everything else that that could be sold was sold to provide funds for these key businesses.

All this small stuff - fragrances, pulse, cars, whatever, it's all such small stuff that it doesn't come up on the radar. Even if it is a mega-success, it won't contribute much cash. He has to sell it to redeem any value.

In terms of telecomms, Virgin Mobile Asia/Virgin Mobile Singapore, which was a joint venture with Singapore Telecom was not a success. Australia (edit: mobile) wasn't exactly setting the bush alight either, but maybe things have improved.

I wouldn't take the autobiography too seriously, I mean, it's a good read and all, but history it ain't. There's another biography out there which is more critical. I haven't read it all in depth, but it might be too critical.

tvr

i think in regard to australia wasnt Virgin Blue a very big success. again another airline do.