Saluting the entrepreneurs who put their names to the brands

A PAIR of Yorkshiremen who forged successful careers in London’s advertising industry have written a book chronicling the “eponymous entrepreneurs” who gave their names to their brands.

Charles Vallance and David Hopper’s book The Branded Gentry tells the story of 13 men and women who invested more than just blood, sweat and tears in developing some of Britain’s most successful and enduring businesses.

The pair carried out in-depth interviews with Tim Bell, Johnnie Boden, Emma Bridgewater, Jackie Cooper, James Dyson, John Hegarty, Robert Hiscox, Tony Laithwaite, David Linley, Julian Richer, John Sainsbury, Paul Smith and Jonathan Warburton.

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The book reveals in their own words the secrets behind their fame, their lessons of success and failure and the drama and difficulties they experienced along the way.

Mr Vallance, the 48-year-old chairman and founding partner of ad agency VCCP, said many of the people interviewed experienced terrible doubts, uncertainties and issues with self-confidence at various stages of their careers but were driven by the belief that “one day they will get there”.

Mr Hopper, 58, who runs his own consultancy H2 Partners, explained why they have been so successful.

“All of these people, whether they are part of dynasties or self-made, take ultimate responsibility for their name.

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“They have put their name over the shop. They take everything personally. It is them – it is down to them.

“It is almost the diametric opposite of celebrity, where over the years you turn yourself into what the public wants or desires you to be.”

Both authors have personal experience of eponymous brands. Mr Vallance’s father Julian and uncle Martin ran the well-known electrical retailer Vallances, made famous by its television advertising campaign.

Mr Hopper, who is from Bradford, had a summer job washing management cars at Wm Morrison’s head office, which gave him an insight into a forward-looking burgeoning retail enterprise.

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He highlighted the “proud, unselfconscious names with tough, stocky vowels” of his West Riding childhood, names such as Hammond’s, Booth’s, Crawshaw’s, Looker’s, Arnold Laver’s and Wallace Arnold.

“Behind these names were the gentry of the industrial era, who were part of a historical transition of wealth going back centuries – from men who represented God to men who exploited the land, to men who used motive power, and which would soon be on the move again to men and women who knew how to communicate ideas,” Mr Hopper wrote in the introduction.

The authors fit into the latter category. Both moved to London to pursue careers in advertising in the late 1980s and worked with companies including Orange, O2, First Direct, Pret A Manger, Body Shop and Dyson. “It was a flowering of British brands around that time,” recalls Mr Vallance.

The entrepreneurs chronicled have built hugely successful business empires covering a diverse range of industries and sectors, from fashion to ceramics, from hi-fi equipment to bakeries.

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But when writing the epilogue, Mr Vallance was struck by the thought that the tradition of eponymous entrepreneurialism might be dying out. “If you think about Microsoft, Virgin, Apple, Google and Facebook, you know the people but they have taken a step away from the brand,” he said.

“It wasn’t just digital giants, but a trend that has grown since the 90s – with companies such as Innocent, Pret A Manger, Gu and Carphone Warehouse. Even Jack Wills and Ted Baker are made-up names.

“The reasons not to put your name on the business are numerous, but one of them is down to financial flexibility – the founders can leave and extract value at any stage. One of the points we make in our book is that there is a difference between investing money in a business and investing yourself in a business. It raises the stakes.”

Mr Vallance added: “The digital age makes it easier for an individual to become a brand. YouTube and eBay mean that anyone can be a broadcaster or a retailer and the internet gives everyone a window to the world.

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“This is leading to a renaissance for small businesses, some of which will become big.”

The entrepreneurs of The Branded Gentry have largely resisted the temptation to sell out.

Mr Hopper said: “They would rather sell their kidney than sell their business.”

Mr Hopper, a marketing strategist, advises clients including Bollinger, Nokia and Standard Life. VCCP works with clients including ING Direct, Land Rover, Heineken and The National Lottery.

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