My top 10 branding quotes

Black and white close up photo of Richard Branson laughing
Image by Virgin.com
Virgin Galactic
Richard Branson's signature
Published on 16 August 2016

We knew very little about marketing or branding when we started Virgin Records, back in 1972. We simply formed the business around our personal values, and went from there. 

Virgin’s success can be attributed to a lot of different things, however this was the best decision we ever made. The defining factor that has kept us in business, and growing, for more than 50 years has been the strength and reputation of the brand. 

The way a company brands itself is everything. Beyond your products or services, it will ultimately decide whether or not a business survives. To reinforce this, here are my top 10 branding quotes:  

Double spread from Virgin By Design that reads 'Changing Business for Good'
Image by Virgin.com

10. “Stay true to your values. That’s why you were a success in the first place, and that’s how you make incredible things happen.”  – Rafe Offer 

9. “Determine who you are and what your brand is, and what you're not. The rest of it is just a lot of noise.” – Geoffrey Zakarian

8. “A brand is a voice and a product is a souvenir.” – Lisa Gansky

Richard Branson standing in front of the Virgin logo
Image by Virgin.com

7. “When people use your brand name as a verb, that is remarkable.” – Meg Whitman 

6. “Focus on building the best possible business. If you are great, people will notice and opportunities will appear.”  – Mark Cuban 

5. “Be your own best customer. Live your customer’s lifestyle.” – Milena Glimbovski 

4. “Loyalty is not won by being first. It is won by being best.” – Stefan Persson  

Richard Branson and the tail of a Virgin Atlantic plane in the 1980s
Image by Virgin.com

3. “You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.” – Henry Ford 

2. “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.” – Warren Buffett 

1. “You have to stay true to your heritage; that's what your brand is about.” – Alice Temperley