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

In this episode of “The Executives,” Majid welcomes 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. The discussion traces Jörg’s journey from advertising to discovering his true calling as a teacher, and why education has become the most fulfilling chapter of his career.

Jörg shares his philosophy on building brands that matter, explaining why “everybody” is never the right target audience and how authentic brands create experiences that online platforms simply cannot replicate. He discusses his book “Touch: Building Your Brand in the Experience Economy,” revealing why physical retail isn’t dead and how brands like Audi and artisan notebook makers are creating memorable experiences that engage all five senses rather than just eyes and screens.

The conversation explores the cultural differences Jörg encountered leading teams across Korea, Singapore, and Germany, including a powerful story about spending nearly a year breaking down the Korean workplace hierarchy so his team would feel safe contradicting him. He reflects on the unwritten expectations that separate good employees from great ones, sharing how he canceled all his Audi meetings on day four to focus on strategic thinking rather than becoming a “corporate hamster.”

As someone who has a signature cocktail named after him at a Seoul bar and who teaches Gen Z students navigating an AI-transformed landscape, Jörg also discusses why Germany is falling behind in innovation, the biggest misconceptions business leaders have about branding, and his challenge to professionals everywhere: stop finding reasons why something cannot work, and start finding reasons why it can.