Jörg Dietzel: From Audi's Global Creative Head to Teaching Brands How to Win | Branding, Strategy & Ambition

In this episode of the Executives, I sit down with Jörg Dietzel, former global head of creative at Audi, four-time author, and award-winning brand strategist who has spent over 25 years shaping brands and minds across continents from Berlin to Singapore. Today, he's teaching the next generation how to build brands that matter.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

• The origin of Jörg's unique personal brand (and his signature cocktail in Seoul)
• What it really takes to build a brand that stands out
• How AI is fundamentally changing the branding landscape
• The difference between authentic brands and fake ones
• Why personal branding matters more than ever
• How to pivot when your brand goes off track
• The unwritten expectations that separate good employees from great ones
• Why Germany (and the world) needs more ambition right now
• Jörg's unpopular opinions on branding and authenticity
• How to measure if your brand is actually working

⏱️ Chapters:

• 01:17 Who is Jörg Dietzel?
• 02:18 The Cocktail Question: If Your Brand Were a Drink
• 03:58 The Story Behind the "Jörg Dietzel" Cocktail in Seoul
• 05:27 From Advertising to Teaching: Finding His True Calling
• 15:40 Balancing Introversion with Teaching and Public Speaking
• 08:52 Then vs Now: Evolution of Creative Tools
• 13:00 Teaching Gen Z: Struggling with Their Vocabulary?
• 16:48 Why is it important to build a personal brand?
• 19:32 Aspiring to Success: Does Surrounding Yourself Work?
• 21:11 Growing Apart: When Ambition Divides Friendships
• 23:01 Living Across Continents: How Culture Shapes Storytelling
• 27:21 Defining Your Target: The First Rule of Personal Branding
• 32:43 Brand Story vs Ambition: Perception vs Goals
• 38:32 Beyond Advertising: What Experience Branding Looks Like
• 47:56 Biggest Misconceptions Business Leaders Have About Branding
• 58:38 Breaking Down Hierarchy: Why Leaders Need to Be Contradicted
• 01:01:33 Traditional Advertising vs Everyone Being Their Own Brand Manager
• 01:08:47 Behind the Scenes: Unusual Moments Giving Brand Advice
• 01:13:43 The Big Reset
• 01:19:43 Your Funniest Career Moment
• 01:27:40 Final Advice: Challenge Yourself and Find Reasons Why It CAN Work

About Jörg Dietzel

Jörg Dietzel is the former Global Head of Creative at Audi, a four-time published author, and an award-winning brand strategist with over 25 years of experience shaping iconic brands across four continents. From running advertising agencies in London, Berlin, and Beijing to leading Audi Korea's marketing department and teaching at Singapore Management University for 20 years, Jörg has built a career at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and education. Today, he runs his own brand consultancies in Singapore and Germany, mentoring startups and teaching the next generation of brand leaders at top business schools, including Stellenbosch University.

📢 Connect with Jörg Dietzel:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jorgdietzel
• Website: https://jorgdietzel.com/

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