Originally Posted by
inOban
Two thoughts.
1. What do people think that the Virgin brand brings to any enterprise in 2019? To me it's redolent of a generation ago. No-one would choose it as a brand name now. As I see it, Branson's involvement with the businesses is limited to collecting the license fees for using the name.
I think you are absolutely correct that nobody would come up with Virgin as a brand name today, it belongs in the 70's. Now it would be offensive regardless of the context. But, because it is so established as a brand when someone says Virgin, we think airline. Others may think radio / leisure centre / holiday / TV / mobile etc. That is its strength. No-one responds with a schoolboy blush to the name, because the first definition in the dictionary isn't what comes to mind.