In 2003, the Chartered Institute of Marketing named Drayton Bird one of 50 living individuals who have shaped today’s marketing. Other names included Philip Kotler, Tom Peters and Theodore Levitt.
Advertising immortal David Ogilvy stated that “Drayton Bird knows more about direct marketing than anyone else in the world”. Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO and founder of WPP, the world’s largest advertising and marketing services group said: “People all over the world have been lucky enough to learn from him.”
Starting as a journalist Drayton became a copywriter, and after becoming creative director of a leading London ad agency at the age of 26 quit to go into business on his own. During his career he has also worked in PR, research, telemarketing and franchising and run exhibitions. Over the years he has helped sell everything from Airbus planes to Peppa Pig.
With two partners he set up what became Britain’s largest direct marketing agency which he sold to Ogilvy and Mather, where he became Vice Chairman and worldwide creative director of what is now OgilvyOne and was elected to the main Ogilvy Group Board.
His book, Commonsense Direct and Digital Marketing, out in 17 languages, has been the UK’s best seller on the subject every year since 1982. Drayton has written 4 other marketing books, including How to write a sales letter that sells, now in its 3rd edition, and well over 1,000 columns for publications around the world. In 2007 he founded the European Academy of Direct and Interactive Marketing.
Drayton was a founding member of the Superbrands Council, having worked with many of the world’s greatest brands. These include American Express, for whom he created a special course for senior executives, Audi, Bentley, British Airways, Cisco, Deutsche Post, Ford, IBM, McKinsey, Mercedes, Microsoft, Nestle, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Prudential Insurance, The Royal Mint Toyota, Unilever, Visa, Virgin and Volkswagen. He has also worked with major advertising agencies including Y & R, JWT, FCB and Leo Burnett.
Drayton has lectured in 54 countries for many organisations including Columbia University Business School, New York, Antai School of Management, Shanghai, The Financial Services Authority, INSEAD, The London Business School, ESIC (Madrid), IPADE (Mexico City), IPM (Lima), Mahan Business School, Tehran, Cap Gemini, and A. T. Kearney.
Drayton still writes copy and his firm Drayton Bird Associates advises, trains and creates marketing material for firms large and small all over the world.
Drayton was one of the first eight Honorary Fellows of the Institute of Direct Marketing, was given a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 at the Caples in New York and in that year was one of the first three people named to the Hall of Fame of the Direct Marketing Association of India.
