The Excellence Diploma is a rigorous twelve-month program designed by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA)-the professional body for advertising, media, and marketing communications agencies in the UK-for practitioners fascinated by brands. It is their most prestigious qualification and is known as the "MBA of brands." The culmination of the course is a 5,000-7,000 word essay that focuses on the future of brands and brand communications. What is a 21st Century Brand? is not just a collection of the best essays from the last ten years (since the beginning of the program), it also allows the authors, who have gone on to have successful careers at agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy & Mather, and BBDO, to come back and analyze and comment on their original thesis in light of what they know now. It also includes new writing from leading industry thinkers including Stephen Woodford, Chairman at Lexus, and David Wilding, Director of Planning at Twitter UK.With a focus on challenging the status quo, the book asks us to question how we perceive brands, how to build them and, most of all, how to make them better. Consisting of 21 essays, What is a 21st Century Brand? sets out to answer the eponymous question in order to sensibly define what kind of brand idea we need, how to engage people and how the agency business should be organized to deliver it.


Nick Kendall is an award-winning brand and advertising specialist with over 25 years’ experience. He has worked on famous global accounts such as Levi’s, Johnnie Walker and Haagen Dazs. He is a founding partner of Bro-Ken and member of The Garage, which helps start-ups build brands. He designed and created the IPA Excellence Diploma, which is described as ＂the MBA of brands＂ for the advertising industry, and is its Chief Examiner. He has also received the IPA President’s Medal for his services to the industry. Contributors: Stephen Woodford, Executive Chairman, Lexis, and IPA President 2003-2005Mark Earls, Herdmeister, Herd ConsultancyNick Docherty, Global Planning Director, Wieden + Kennedy AmsterdamIan Edwards, Managing Partner and Head of Strategy, Vizeum UKDavid Bonney, Founder, Atheist Shoes/The Meaningful Shoe CompanyTim Jones, Director of Strategy, 72andsunny, New YorkGraeme Douglas, Group Chief Strategy Officer, HavasJohn V. Willshire, Founder, SmitheryJames Borrodell Brown, Senior Strategist, ZoneDavid Wilding, UK Planning Director, TwitterFaris Yakob, Founder and Principal, Genius StealsDavid Young, Independent Marketing ConsultantAlex Dunsdon, Co-founder, The Bakery, and Investment Director, SAATCHiNVESTPete Buckley, Head of Strategy, MEC UKEmily Fairhead-Keen, Business Director, MECSimon Robertson, Head of Communications Strategy, Anomaly LondonSarah Morning, Strategy Director, adam&eveDDBIan Priest, Founding Partner, VCCP, Group COO, CSM and IPA President, 2013-15Gethin James, Head of Planning, Lowe ProferoMatt Sadler, Planning Director, Karmarama and Co-Founder, Two Fingers Brewing CoSam D’Amato, Chief Strategy Officer, M2MTom Roach, Strategy Director and Partner, BBH LondonRoss Farquhar, Partner, 101Matthew Philip, Strategy Director, Manning Gottlieb OMDPatrick Mills, Director of Professional Development, IPA