More often than not a farfetched or absurd aim is a sign that a previous realistic aim hasn’t been met. It’s easier to hide failure behind some unattainable dream than come to terms with and correct flaws that saw a more modest goal missed. My favorite current example in Sport is England Rugby Union coach Eddie Jones. After he lost the Rugby World Cup final because he stubbornly refused to accommodate a creative alternative to honest endeavor in the sport’s key creative position, his denial and then deflection came in the form of a new exhortation to his pet players, to be the best team the game has ever known. This ridiculous aim landed him and his pets a new contract, and supporters a boring brand of risk free rugby destined to lead back to the previous success levels at best. There’s no lack of self awareness to marvel at, what’s insulting to critical fans is the brazen contempt for their predictions, even after events proved them right. Who wants to hear that safety first certainty is the only option due to supposedly ingrained cultural shortcomings from the ugly boot and mouth of the oppressors who go out of their way to game, taunt, humiliate and destroy the viable creative alternative?

As in sport, that crucible of life, so in business. The chances of Opal Oceans becoming a billion dollar brand on the back of failure to nail a simple million dollar property play in the same emerging market location would seem remote. And nowhere in Opal Oceans sales blurb will you find such a preposterous claim. Technically it’s possible, there are examples of FMCG’s developing into such big corporate beasts, but more than likely it will be a slow burner to a million dollar turnover. But a blog called Billion Dollar Brand with the favorite runner featured has a much more alliterative roll to it than Million Dollar Brand, and the property gearing near miss in Istanbul proved that the story behind any effort ground up on the frontiers is probably the ultimate way to add value to the brand. Turkish culture does a special kind of crazy, so Opal Oceans under mercurial leadership not afraid of failure is just as likely to end up a Billion Dollar Brand as any England team under Corporal Jones and the pugilistic Farrell is to end up Greatest Team Ever.