I like many have always been fascinated with Virgin. There are 50 companies that are a part of the Virgin brand (Virgin Brides is my favorite). What I never understood is how Virgin manages its brand and makes expansion decisions.

Enter Corporate Religion by Jesper Kunde. This is another one of the many books that Tom Peters recommended in Re-imagine. What made me bite on this book was that fact that Kunde is Danish. I really enjoy reading good business books with European perspective.

This from page 23 of the book:

A product or a service can only come under the Virgin umbrella if it matches the company’s founding values and profile. Thus the focus is not directly on product specifications, but on the “linkage potential” to a range of emotional values. Virgin’s policy is that new areas must as a rule fulfill four of the following five criteria:

1. the best quality
2. innovative
3. value for money
4. a challenge to existing alternatives
5. “a sense of fun or cheekiness”

I am just about done with the book and plan to post a review over at the 800-CEO-READ blog.