Strapline and positioning statements

The client

Institute of Directors 

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The challenge

The Institute of Directors has been the voice of British business for over a century. They are the experts in what it takes to be a true business leader. In creating a new learning experience that would professionalise directing, The IoD Academy, they faced a huge challenge: convincing established senior managers and directors that they needed extra training. And there was another spanner in the works: modernising the IoD’s identity from a traditional old boys’ club to a diverse, forward-thinking learning provider, yet retaining all the authority that came with its rich history. Not easy. We were brought in to create a range Reasons to Believe/positioning statements, as well as a strapline for The IoD Academy that would persuade and inspire those business leaders that learning was the way to true leadership.

The solution

Be bold. We created challenging positioning statements that confronted the audience directly, forcing them to take stock and question whether, without formal training, they could really consider themselves directors. Yet we retained an aspirational tone to the messaging, one that matched our audience’s ambition and drive to succeed. This meant the challenging statements remained highly motivational, as well as informing readers about the different aspects of the IoD Academy.

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The writing

"WHERE DIRECTORS ARE MADE."

 

The results

"Straplines are one of the hardest things to get right as they have to convey the brand's unique offer in exactly the right tone. Barnaby Benson quickly digested a complex brief on our messaging and came up with several strong, new ideas for the IoD Academy's strapline. The IoD professional development team are delighted with the results!"

 

Kristi Bevan
Marketing Manager – Professional Development

Institute of Directors

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The credits

Copywriting agency: Barnaby Benson Copywriting London

Copywriter: Barnaby Benson and Josh Mcloughlin

Client: Institute of Directors