Rita Clifton has been described as the “doyenne of branding” and with 40 years of experience in the industry such praise is merited. Career highs include stints as vice chair of Saatchi & Saatchi during advertising’s heyday and chair of Interbrand, where she was at the forefront of a push to get brands valued as tangible assets on a company’s balance sheet. She is also the author of several books on branding and is a serial non-executive director with current NED positions at Nationwide and Asos. She was awarded a CBE for services to advertising in 2014. In a wide-ranging interview, Clifton discusses • The revolution in marketing in the early 80s • How agencies grew with the changes • The challenge of getting brands recognised as core assets • Why brand needs to be the organising principle in companies • The skills required to become a non-executive director