Of course, that’s not where the story begins. That has it roots way back in 1970 before disco swept the dance floors, before mobiles were even thought of and way before anyone had heard of Richard Branson.

Virgin was started by Branson as a mail order record retailer. When postal strikes threatened the business, Branson did what he always does and adapted, opening up a store in Oxford Street London. In 1972 he signed up his first artist, Mike Oldfield, and they released Tubular Bells in 1973. This was a raging success and since then Virgin Music has gone on to sign Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Rolling Stones and other embarrassingly famous and rich people.

Virgin Mobile comes to South Africa It’s no secret that Branson has an affinity for South Africa. Perhaps it’s our shared entrepreneurial spirit, maybe it’s because we both beat the odds and continue to dream, maybe it’s because, as a country, we have achieved what many believed to be impossible, maybe it’s just our good looks.

Whatever the reason, ranson has done more than open up businesses here, he has created opportunities. In October 2005 he took his belief in and passion for South Africa and channeled it into creating future growth. He opened the Branson School of Entrepreneurship, aimed at giving ambitious but disadvantaged learners a chance to determine their own future.

Being the consummate entrepreneur himself, he also saw the business opportunities in the country. It was no surprise, therefore, when he opened Virgin Active and then, in 2006, Virgin Money and Virgin Mobile.

Internationally, Virgin Mobile operates in several countries around the world – UK, USA, Australia, Canada, China, France and, of course, South Africa. South Africans have always had a soft spot for Branson and his daring, no-holds barred attitude. As a result, the launch of Virgin Mobile into South Africa was greeted with great expectation. But the market was certainly not an easy one to break into. With two key players already firmly entrenched in the country and a third one trying to muscle its way in though the back door, Virgin Mobile had to offer something truly unique and enticing for the South Africa public to sit up and take notice.

Virgin Mobile started by asking a few key questions.

In an industry that invented personal flexibility, why are all the leading players so inflexible?
Why do they insist on charging for a minute when people rarely talk for long?
Why should someone who pays upfront, pay more than someone using credit?
If owning a mobile is meant to make your life easier, why are the packages so darn complicated?
And finally, why should these companies get away with offering packages and benefits that only make sense to the company and not the customer?

To stand out from the small but entrenched crowd, Virgin Mobile entered the South African arena promising to put the customer first. We realised that, in an industry that prizes profit above logic, the consumer needed a champion – someone who would stand up for them and provide options that were affordable and simple to understand.

As a company known for renegade behaviour, the role of champion had Virgin written all over it. So we adopted a no-nonsense, no bull attitude that is reflected in everything we do, say and support. And the success of this approach can be seen in the fact that, just over a year after launch, Virgin Mobile is opening its 20th flagship store.

In its simplest form, Virgin Mobile is a mobile company. We sell time. We sell mobile phones. But we also sell an attitude because we stand for something. We stand for the unconventional. The guy (or gal) who is tired of being told what he should want and would rather hear how he can get what he knows he wants. We stand for simplicity because bullshit doesn’t baffle brains, it annoys them. We stand for respect.

To create the Virgin Mobile communication, a visual and verbal voice was created The rules are simple; don’t be ordinary, don’t be formal, don’t use clichés that have lost their meaning or overused tricks that have lost their power. Don’t do the expected, do take people by surprise and don’t choose copy or visuals so dead boring that you would rather sew your eyelids together with mooring rope than look at them.

By staying consistent, approachable and relevant to all consumers - from first time users to the most hardened and cynical mobile-addict - Virgin Mobile has established itself as one of South Africa’s most recognisable brands. People know what it stands for and, most importantly, relate to it. And it’s this sense of recognising something in Virgin Mobile within yourself, that gives it its unique appeal.

Oh, and don’t try too hard. Virgin Mobile is about being effortlessly unique.

For more information contact 0860 000 818.