5 September 2014
Chairman’s introduCtion
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Contents The judges
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A year of deep diving How to crack the Diploma
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Roll of honour 2013-14
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en years of IPA qualifications and its “jewel in the crown”– the IPA Excellence Diploma. Ten years, 105 delegates, 663 essays and 29 Distinctions, 45 Credits, and 31 Passes. Ten years of hard work by everyone involved: the IPA team; the module editors who volunteer their time; the agencies and the mentors who “volunteer” their brightest and best; and the delegates themselves. To all I offer my eternal gratitude. Ten years in which the IPA Excellence Diploma has earned its soubriquet (first awarded by the delegates themselves, importantly) as “the MBA of brands”. Ten years in which the Excellence Diploma has become a gold standard for both brand learning and, as a happy by-product, original brand thinking. Much has changed over ten years, but the final “I believe…” essays that have featured in these Campaign supplements have anticipated and explored much of it. The rise of behavioural and neuroscience learning, the rise of data. New definitions of “what is a brand?” – the brand as a game, as a religion, as engaged community or as something literally owned by the people (long before Kickstarter, this one). Explorations of what a modern creative idea is – meta-ideas in a networked world,long ideas in a world of small fires, or “spectacular” ideas in a crowded over-content-full world. The “I believe…” pieces have touched on all of these and more. So it is fitting that in this celebratory year that we have seven distinction papers worth celebrating – more than ever before. Reflective of what the judges (many of whom have been part of the ten-year journey, so a special thanks also to you all) felt was a vintage year. The papers continue the tradition of original –but, equally – critical, applied thinking… “I believe… and therefore…”. The variety of these papers is what is inspiring, as well as the depth. Like those before them, they tackle the one big “uber” question of
the decade – how brands, ideas and organisations need to adapt in a fecund, democratised, connected, transparent, digital world, but each come at it from fresh perspectives. Their answers range from “going supergnova” and grasping the role of brands as knowledge centres, to a controversial piece to drive behind luck rather than strategy; a call for brands and ideas to be superhuman (not merely “real” and human) and a piece of gravitas advocating we shape ourselves and our processes around creating value to clients. These sit alongside a piece rooted in original research on where that value might lie and how to exploit it (and the answer, for all those “Sharpites” out there, is loyalists). And, finally, a wonderfully illustrated exploration of that simplest yet hardest of questions: how does creativity actually engage? However, the President’s Prize was awarded to a beautifully written and compelling answer which spoke to the challenge for simplicity in world of complexity: “When we simplify the complicated we make it better. But when we simplify the complex we make it wrong.” So where will we be after the next ten years? What will be celebrating in 2024? In Spring next year our intention is to publish a book of “the best of” these “I believe…” papers from the past ten years. But this will not be just a sentimental journey. The book will act as the launch vehicle for this “MBA of brands” globally, building on the global interest in the IPA Foundation Certificate and Eff test. Our objective will be to become the gold standard in brand learning and R&D thinking, not just for UK industry but for the industry worldwide. And, in so doing, cementing our role in the UK as a centre of brand-building excellence. Ten years: that does not feel like a long time for such an ambition. I had better get my skates on and leave you to read these pieces that inspired the judges so much. These pieces certainly encourage me to believe that, with talent and commitment like this, it is certainly worth it. Nick Kendall IPA Excellence Diploma chair of judges; founding partner, Bro-Ken
PResidenT’s PRize i believe in confronting complexity by Gethin James, head of planning, Lowe Profero
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AwARd foR ouTsTAnding body of woRk 16 i believe the future of brands must be superhuman by Emily Fairhead-Keen, business director, MEC Thriving in uncertainty: 24 i believe it’s time for brand managers to get lucky by Erik Arnell, global communications strategist, Carat Global Management i believe that the future 32 of brands lies in making loving fun by James Boardman, director, client and communications, MEC Sydney i believe brands should go supergnova by James Borrodell Brown, senior strategist, Zone
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i believe that in the future 48 brands will have to earn the right to communicate by Richard Bradford, group strategy director, MEC i believe in moving from 56 vanity to value by Matthew Philip, strategy director, Manning Gottlieb OMD
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