by Sean McCoy (@TheRealMcCoyTRM) The Airbus A330 had just reached cruising height when the tannoy crackled into life.
Not the captain this time, but a passenger who explained that he was flying with his 80-year old mother so he was well aware of how much more comfortable first class was for the elderly. “Will six of you in economy who think you’re the oldest travellers, please stand up. I’ll fetch your bags – you’re joining me up front.”
And down the aisle sauntered Richard Branson with his trademark grin – clearly relishing the moment, the applause and 
the brand love. It was classic Branson, leading from the front.
The Virgin brand is fun, cheeky, challenging, pioneering, reliable and genuine, like its leader. But whilst there’s probably no better example of a company leader who is so true to their brand’s personality – building a sustainably strong brand takes much more than charisma. It takes time, commitment, resources and most importantly, it takes a visionary leader who recognises that brand strength is built from the inside out.
Internal branding – when organisational capabilities and culture align with the external brand promises – makes it possible for customers’ expectations to be met. And that’s what a strong brand does. It delivers on its external promises – every time.
If the CEO thinks internal brand alignment is a touchy-feely issue, one for the back burner when the going gets tough and definitely not a funding priority – then it’s tickets. And that’s not first-class tickets to the destination of choice either.
Leadership dictates the level of commitment to internal branding, what resources are invested in the process and where it sits on the corporate agenda.
Under the right leadership, companies can undergo substantial organisational transformation which sees brand values and culture become central pillars of the corporate strategy. Such leaders inspire and drive the required changes in behaviour, culture, processes and actions.
A leading bank’s offer to ‘Make Things Happen’ resulted in considerable changes to the company’s performance and ultimately ensured its survival.
And just in case you were wondering…I wasn’t one of the lucky upgrades (way too young for that!) – but you can bet your bottom dollar that every one of the 300 others on the flight plus the thousands of others who’ve heard the story,will choose Virgin. That’s true brand leadership.
Dr Sean McCoy, MD and founding member of HKLM, is a prominent figure in the branding arena, with his expertise centered on client service, brand strategy and business development. Sean has been chairperson for the Brand Council of South Africa since 2012. He contributes the regular “The Real McCoy” column focusing on internal branding to MarkLives.
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