Sir Richard Branson, the flamboyant British entrepreneur behind the ever-trendy and always-hip Virgin empire, is at the top of the news not once, but twice today. Have you heard?
Yes, Virgin in jumping into the digital music market -- just as Anthony and I predicted in 2001. Virgin Digital, as the service will be known, appears at first blush to be yet another in the series of me too imitators of Apple's iTunes. But not to hear Virgin tell it. Oh no, it's really something quite extraordinary:
Virgin Digital is actually a complete digital music store, a subscription music service, award winning digital radio, a complete suite of music management tools, a dessert topping, AND a floor wax. It also slices, dices twice as fast as any kitchen utensil on the market today!
Now tell me that this brand doesn't have a personality....
In other news, Virgin has also announced plans that are, well, out of this world: Virgin Galactic. People might do well to remember that he was laughed out of both London and New York when he first suggested wanting to launch an Atlantic airline when the industry was so depressed. Now who's laughing? Not the gent in Upper Deck, that's for sure.
For all those skeptics out there, note that Richard Branson even has a business plan and a revenue model:
With plans for further "space ports" first in Florida, then Australia and Britain, Mr Branson plans (sic) reinvest profits from the early flights to cut the cost and make space tourism more widely available.
Can't quite afford the £110,000 flight to space yet? Suddenly songs for 99 cents at Virgin Digital seem a veritable bargain. Now then, what do you need to proceed?
Virgin Digital requires a computer running Windows 2000 or XP, Internet Explorer 5.1 and up, an internet connection, a soundcard, ears, and a small talking loaf of cheese.
Anyone have some cheese?
