Since 27 October, Vickers PR team has taken hundreds of calls from
the media and the public. Only a small percentage were concerned that
the Rolls-Royce marque of excellence might be lost to the Empire. Some,
with a simple faith, suggested it should be sold to Richard Branson. I
suspect these people are connected with the Eurosceptic portion of the
self-depleting Conservative Party. They are certainly out of step with
the general response which has been that the move makes excellent
business sense, both for Vickers and for Rolls-Royce .
Bombast and outrage must have been feared by Vickers. Its preparations
seem to have been comprehensive and well targeted. Sir Colin Chandler
made more time available than is generally conceded by chairmen to their
external communications functions. The results prove yet again that the
right spokesperson well placed is worth more than a lifetime’s press
releases.
Labour won the last election by understanding the mood of the nation and
reflecting it. In the hard-to-plan movements of economic fortune the
country’s mood upswing appears to have been led by new Labour. Timing
and luck are sometimes difficult to separate.
Vickers has chosen its timing well. The sale of Rolls-Royce fits the
company’s strategic intent to concentrate on its core businesses and
comes when Rolls-Royce is strong. It cannot be accused of failing in its
stewardship of the marque, nor in its understanding of what Vickers is
and where it is heading.
Most intriguing is the way a nation changes. The Sun blustered a little,
but away from the front page. Most found little to reject in the Vickers
proposition. The angle that would once have been swung like Boadicea’s
sword was left mouldering in the attic along with Eurosceptic
lances.
Shareholder value. Responsibility to the brand. Return on investment
demands. Long term core business commitment. These are business
terms.
But they are also, now, terms that imply an international
imperative.
Vickers has been able to ride the wave of understanding that the nature
of being an island people has changed. Once an all-encompassing reality,
it is now a comforting metaphor with limited value in today’s European/
global/political/business worlds.
Vickers’ luck is that it is selling Rolls-Royce at a time when the
country’s appreciation of Britain’s place in the world has changed. The
fact that the country is largely accepting of the sale suggests that
many politicians have not yet comprehended the changes that have been
wrought in the minds of their constituents.
