Julian Kynaston, Founder of the award-winning Propaganda Brand Consultancy, has released his debut book, telling his story from his misspent youth as a Leeds football casual to the decades he’s spent leading Propaganda, the North’s preeminent brand consultancy firm.
Having been at the helm of Propaganda for over 30 years, Julian has spearheaded the creation and/or transformation of some of the UK’s biggest brands such as ghd, Clipper Logistics (now GXO), Illasmasqua beauty and CLOUD NINE. In Brand Warfare Julian shares not only his unique journey, but how Propaganda evolved from a fledgling branding agency, to the first Planning-led agency outside of London, to the boundary-pushing brand consultancy it is today.
Blending sharp business insight with a raw and compelling personal journey, Julian explores how the lessons of his youth in the designer-label-obsessed, high-stakes world of 1980s football casuals shaped his approach to brand strategy and success. In this book, Julian shares the stories behind some of the UK’s most recognisable consumer brands from ghd to CLOUD NINE to Illamasqua. He also takes us behind the scenes of B2B game-changers like Clipper who pioneered a new vision of logistics for the likes of John Lewis and Arcadia Group, and GenM whose innovative menopause-friendly MTick is transforming menopause retail for national chains like Boots, Morrisons and Tesco.
Crucially, Brand Warfare explores how your experiences in life (whatever they are) prime you for the world of business. For Julian, his youth in the violent world of football casuals taught him the value of brand (his description of owning his first ever Armani sweater borders on a religious experience!), the importance of perception (being seen as tough was a matter of safety as much as pride) and the power of standing your ground.
Part memoir, part brand strategy manifesto, Brand Warfare is a must-read for entrepreneurs, marketers, and anyone who wants to understand the power of brand and perception in today’s world.
Brand Warfare: From the Terraces to the Boardroom is available from all good bookshops and on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brand-Warfare-boardroom-Julian-Kynaston/dp/1781339058