Brand extension refers to the use of a successful brand name to launch a new or modified product or service in a same broad market. A successful brand helps a company enter new product categories more easily.
Brand stretching refers to the use of an established brand name for products in unrelated markets.

Both branding strategies have been characteristic for Richard Branson’s Virgin empire which is made up of more than 200 companies.
The extensiveness of the Virgin brand is reflected in the visual styles of the individual brands and sub-brands. In isolation, these brand identities might do their work but the problem gets visible when they are placed side by side as shown here. Apart from the (mostly) red color and the very recognisable Virgin script typeface, many of the visual identities of the Virgin sub-brands look like they have been made overnight by the manager of the brand himself, without having to follow many rules or guidelines.

Lack of rules and guidelines for brand identities seem to be part of Virgin’s -read Branson’s- culture.
You can’t expect a man, who’s succesfull business-philosophy is "Screw it, Let’s do it" to really care much about this inconsistency in the visual identity of the Virgin brands.
And after all, isn’t he himself the consistent identity of the Virgin brand?

Last week, on his blog, Branson announced the introduction of a new Virgin sub-brand: Virgin PitchTV. Wonder what the logo will look like.