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The Woodies have a blog. It’s a kind of collective. Not sure we’re about to start a revolution baby, but we might kindle a small debate or two and perhaps raise a smile. Anyway, rather than just blogging corporate Woodreed by fielding our top Woodie (as so many other companies seem to do in a thinly veiled attempt at impressing with their profundity), we wanted all our individual voices to be heard. An agency’s most valuable assets are its people after all. Everyone’s got something to say here and with us everyone’s ideas and opinions matter.

Each week someone different will be blogging. It's mostly about stuff that rocks our world as well as the flipside – the things that just don't cut it with us. We'll blog about inside and outside – inside this glorious industry where we work and outside in the real world.
It's a bit of an experiment, so go with us on this one.

Hope you enjoy.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

When a balance sheet becomes more important than a brand

I am so desperately worried about the sale of 49% of the Virgin Atlantic brand to Delta Airlines.

Whilst I appreciate that it has had serious losses for the last year, it still doesn't alter the fact that when major brands are either bought out or merged, the brand and its values are totally compromised.

Look at Habitat, HMV, EMI, and Safeway's amongst others, all serious brands that have all ended up at the receivers because of uncompromising and ruthless take overs and mergers.

I am a huge fan of Virgin Atlantic, from its swashbuckling business activity to its fantastic advertising campaigns. All based and powered on its brand values; fun, innovative, caring, honest and value.

I can almost say I use Virgin the generic brand because of what it represents, so I am a passionate and committed customer, one that will be disappointed and sad if it disappears like American Airlines did.

Richard Branson has bet a remarkable £1m with Willie Walsh that Virgin Atlantic will still be intact in 5 years time. A brave and re-assuring move.

But I have horrible feeling that this huge brand, just like the huge empires from history, will end up in the hands of a group of greedy accountants, and not in the hands of a group of innovative marketeers.