Institute of Directors

Better directors for a better world

Strategy Story Positioning Brand architecture Identity Messaging Online Film Guidelines Annual Report Image library Value propositions

Making a member organisation relevant again

The Institute of Directors is the only institute in the world to offer qualifications for directors under royal charter. The charter, awarded in 1906, charged the IoD with promoting free enterprise, lobbying government, and setting standards for corporate governance.

117 years on, these objectives were as important as ever. Yet they were struggling to attract new members – younger, more female, more diverse. They were also transforming every aspect of their organisation to become fit-for-purpose and future-facing.

We worked with the IoD to refresh their story, highlighting the importance of professional directors to a successful economy. The project has since won Gold at the DBA Awards in March 2026, for its significant role in turning around a business on the brink of closure.

We helped the IoD articulate their purpose – better directors for a better world – and created a dynamic brand expression to bring it to life, built around three personas – authority, movement and community.

The challenge was educating users about the value of IoD membership and continuing professional development and making it easy to buy both. We designed and built a new website that fulfilled several functions – member community, information hub and e-commerce.

Enhanced UI improved the user experience, streamlined user journeys and boosted site performance. We worked closely with their CRM specialists to improve site integration.

We designed two annual reports showcasing the IoD’s journey to becoming more inclusive and diverse. A cross section of members were profiled, reflecting how the organisation is changing. We continue to create content for the IoD’s role model series – a programme of inspiring stories about IoD members from all walks of life.

Outcome

Since launch, the impact has been immediate and measurable, winning Gold at the DBA Awards in March 2026 for creating impact markers that include:

One in three new joiners is now female

The average age of new members dropped from 57 to 43

Overall memberships increased by 6% since launch in 2022

Revenue from professional development programmes has grown by 156%

Annual revenue has increased by 41% since launch in 2022

And more results published on the DBA website

“Five years ago, this organisation was struggling. Today it’s growing again – in membership, revenue and relevance. The only thing that changed was the brand, developed in close partnership with Manasian&Co.”

~ Jon Geldart, Director General, Institute of Directors

This is what the DBA recognised. Not just a rebrand – but a measurably effective one. A freshly framed story that saved an institution on the verge of closure. With no advertising budget to spend, or initiatives across separate departments, it’s one of those rare instances where we can draw a clear line between the brand work and the outcomes – something that’s unheard of in our industry, especially for those of us who specialise in corporate branding.

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