In a category as complex and high-stakes as higher education, brand growth is no longer just about filling seats. It is about building trust, authority, and long-term relevance in a market where decision-making is increasingly fragmented, emotional, and influenced by a multitude of touchpoints. Ana Marín, Marketing Manager at Universidad Europea, sits at the centre of this transformation. Responsible for driving growth across strategic verticals within one of Spain’s larges

In a category where products are largely interchangeable and differentiation is difficult to sustain, brand becomes the primary growth lever. In this conversation, Teresa Hedlund, Head of Marketing at Telenor Sweden, shares how the company is navigating growth in a highly competitive telecom market. From driving consideration in a low-interest category to sharpening brand distinctiveness and adapting to changing consumer behaviour, she explains why consistency, reach, and str

Over the past two decades, few marketers have had the opportunity to build brands entirely from scratch, let alone do it twice in highly competitive categories. Oscar Santamaria, former CMO of Vueling and Iryo and now a board member of the Spanish Marketing Association, has done exactly that. In this conversation, he reflects on what it truly takes to grow a brand from zero, why marketing must be seen as a business investment, and how experience, data, and AI are reshaping th

What does it take to grow brands in a category where science, regulation and consumer behaviour intersect? For Jen Whyte, Front End Innovation Insights Director, and Shafik Saba, Global Lead for Innovation Capability at Haleon, the answer lies in a careful balance: combining FMCG-style brand building with scientific rigour, while building innovation capability through a more structured and consistent way of working. In this conversation, Jen and Shafik share how Haleon appr

At Achmea, brand growth is not just about standing out. For Madelon van Dijck-Scholte, Senior Manager Brand & Communication, it starts with being genuinely relevant in people’s lives. That means connecting brand purpose to customer relevance, building trust through meaningful themes, and making sure that societal impact also supports business growth. Brand Growth Starts with Relevance For Madelon, brand growth begins with a simple but demanding question: how do you stay truly

In a marketing world shaped by fragmented media, growing pressure on short-term results and an endless stream of new tools, it can be tempting to believe that brand growth has become more complicated than ever. For Rik Keessen, Brand Tailor at Mountain, the opposite is often true. While the context has changed, the foundations of growth remain strikingly consistent. Brands still grow by reaching more people, being easy to recognise, and showing up consistently over time. From

In an increasingly competitive and digital-first insurance landscape, growth requires more than just strong branding or sharp performance marketing alone. In this conversation, Ron Adams, Tribe Lead Marketing & Sales at Allianz Direct, shares how the company approaches brand growth through a combination of data, agility, and customer-centric innovation. From building visibility in a crowded online environment to redefining the role of brand in an AI-driven world, Ron explains

In an industry shaped by uncertainty and rapid transformation, the role of brand building in insurance is being redefined. In this conversation, Rubén Gallardo, Marketing Director at Mapfre, shares his perspective on driving brand growth within Spain’s leading insurance company. With over eight years at Mapfre and recently stepping into a role that unifies digital and traditional marketing, Rubén reflects on how the organisation is evolving its positioning, capabilities, and

As DVJ Insights celebrates its tenth anniversary of Brand Growth, this special edition takes a step beyond the practitioner perspective and into academia. In conversation with Dennis Herhausen, Professor of Marketing and Head of the Marketing Department at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, one thing becomes clear: while marketing tools and technologies evolve rapidly, the fundamentals of growth remain strikingly consistent, yet increasingly complex. Dennis brings a strategic an

“What we sell is only a good feeling.” That is how Saskia Divendal, Manager Brand & Marketing at the Netherlands Red Cross, describes the challenge of driving growth in a category where trust, emotion and reputation matter at least as much as visibility or conversion. In this Brand Growth Interview, she explains what that means in practice, from positioning and KPI management to creative choices that help the brand stay both credible and effective. When Your Brand Is The Pr

In an era where retail is increasingly defined by omnichannel complexity, the instinct is often to expand: more channels, more touchpoints, more innovation. Yet according to Els Breugelmans, Full Professor at KU Leuven and expert in retail and consumer behaviour, this is not where true growth is found. Instead, the real driver of success is much more fundamental. Retailers grow not by doing more, but by doing what matters most for the customer. Reflecting on her research, Els

When Maaike Maagdenberg joined Go-Tan as Marketing Director, she stepped into a business already enjoying remarkable momentum. The Dutch family-owned brand had achieved strong double-digit growth in recent years, not through heavy marketing investment or sophisticated data systems, but through instinct, speed, and a deep connection to emerging food trends. Now, as Go-Tan sets its sights on further European expansion, Maaike’s challenge is clear: to build on that entrepreneuri

Ferrero is one of the world’s largest sweet packaged food companies, with iconic brands such as Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tac and Ferrero Rocher enjoyed in more than 170 countries. Fabrizio Testa, Senior Insights Manager at Ferrero UK & Ireland, has spent over eleven years working across different markets and roles within the company, from testing new products directly in-market to leading consumer and shopper insights. In this conversation, he shares his perspective on what truly

Fernando Cobos leads Consumer Insights, Growth Planning and Digital Insights at Essity, a global hygiene and health company operating across both consumer and professional markets. In this conversation, he shares how Essity approaches brand growth through a structured global framework that combines data, investment discipline, and local market flexibility. From managing penetration and product mix to navigating growth in commoditised categories, Fernando explains why consiste

Brand growth is one of marketing’s most talked-about ambitions, and one of its least clearly defined concepts. Ask ten marketers how to achieve it, and you will likely hear ten different answers. Ask academia, and the answer becomes even more nuanced. In a conversation with Tammo Bijmolt, Professor of Marketing Research at the University of Groningen, one thing becomes clear: brand growth is not a single lever to pull, but a system of interconnected forces that must be carefu

Lantmännen is an agricultural cooperative and Northern Europe’s leader in agriculture, machinery, bioenergy and food. The group is owned by 17,000 Swedish farmers and is operating across the whole value chain, “from field to fork”, with a portfolio of well-known product brands within food such as Scan, AXA, Vaasan and Kungsörnen. Yet the Lantmännen brand itself does not sell products directly to consumers. Instead, the brand functions as a powerful endorser brand; a guarantor

In this conversation, Fiona Naughton, Chief Marketing Officer at CoinZoom, reflects on how brand growth has evolved across her career in technology-led businesses including PayPal and Robinhood. At CoinZoom, a regulated digital currency exchange and fintech platform operating across nearly 169 countries, Fiona focuses on bridging the gap between crypto and everyday financial behaviour. Drawing on decades of experience across mobile technology, gaming and financial services, F

BUUT is a newly launched Dutch neobank focused on teenagers and, soon, young adults. Built from scratch by the makers of Tikkie and backed by ABN AMRO, the brand has a bold ambition: to build the strongest financial generation ever. We spoke to Sanne van Kuijk-Evertse, Head of Growth at BUUT, about purpose-driven brand building, native content, and why financial brands need 13 touchpoints before conversion. Purpose Embedded in the DNA For Sanne, brand growth begins long befor

Valerie van Schaick, Chief Marketing Officer at Alpine Hearing Protection, leads the global brand strategy for one of Europe’s fastest-growing companies in the hearing protection category. From sleeping better at night to protecting hearing at festivals or on motorcycles, Alpine develops solutions for moments when sound becomes a challenge. In this conversation, Valerie shares how the company drives rapid international growth through a combination of problem awareness, fast e

With more than seven million customers per week and 125,000 employees across its stores, Albert Heijn operates at a scale few retailers can match. But scale alone does not guarantee growth. In a category where consumers can switch supermarkets every single week, growth must be earned continuously. For Johan van der Zanden, Chief Marketing Officer and member of the executive board at Albert Heijn, brand growth is not about a single lever. It is about orchestrating a system and