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

We’re proud to announce that DVJ Insights has been named a Finalist at the British Data Awards 2026. The British Data Awards celebrate organisations that are making a meaningful impact through data and analytics across the UK. This year’s edition saw a record 462 entries, spanning start-ups, scale-ups, government bodies, and global organisations. Being recognised in this diverse and competitive field is a significant achievement for our team. The awards highlight excellence a

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

In banking, growth is never just about campaigns. It is shaped by reputation, regulation, trust and public opinions. For Tanja Bom, Head of Marketing Communications at ABN AMRO, brand growth starts with one clear metric, brand consideration, but achieving it requires much more than communication. It demands emotional creativity, disciplined data use, organisational alignment and, above all, living up to what you promise. In this conversation, she reflects on the realities of

With over 25 years of experience in commercial and marketing roles at companies such as Unilever, Grolsch, and now Asahi, Ard Bossema, General Manager EMEA & Latin America, has seen the marketing landscape evolve dramatically. Yet despite the changing tools and technologies, the fundamental drivers of growth remain remarkably consistent. In this conversation, he shares how Asahi approaches brand growth through a clear framework, how the beer category is adapting to shifting c

Brand is one of the few assets that touches every part of our business. It influences pricing power, shapes media effectiveness, determines whether distribution drives sales, and even impacts talent and investor confidence. Brand is not a department. It is a multiplier. In our Brand Growth (BG) study, where we interview around 2,000 marketers each year, one theme keeps resurfacing: the increasing need to demonstrate marketing efficiency and profitability. Marketing is no long

In retail, the moment of truth is often described as the instant a consumer decides whether or not to buy. In pharmacy, however, that moment is fundamentally different — and more complex. According to Alba Labarca León, Head of Pharmacy Division at Avizor and former Colgate-Palmolive leader with more than 22 years of experience, brands do not win or lose at the shelf alone. They win, or disappear, through recommendation, availability and focus. A Dual Moment of Truth in Pharm

Many organisations now operate with multiple software development models. One model follows a traditional engineering structure focused on stability, formal validation, and controlled releases. Another model uses AI-native workflows integrated into development environments, where generative systems assist or even lead coding tasks. Both models use the term done  to describe completion, but the meaning varies significantly. The difference arises from when uncertainty is absorb

Too Many Excuses - The Uncomfortable Truth About Human Behaviour How many New Year’s resolutions — exercising more, drinking less, socialising more — actually survive beyond the first few weeks? How often do we genuinely follow through on what we confidently promise ourselves or others, such as “I’ll sort out the tax return next week”? More often than we care to admit, well-intended or rationally necessary actions are postponed, diluted or abandoned altogether. Distractions a

Signify is the world leader in lighting, shaping the way people, cities and businesses experience light. María López, Global Brand Marketing and Audience Manager at Signify, sits at the crossroads of brand strategy, consumer understanding and cross-functional collaboration. In this interview, she discusses the accelerating pace of innovation, the growing influence of AI, and the integration of sustainability into every stage of development. Innovation as a Value Driver, and a

Blog post based on the master's thesis of Giulia Cini

Blog post based on the master's thesis of Martina Sabba

After more than two decades working in media, Alberto Morente has seen the advertising industry evolve from a world dominated by GRPs and fixed media plans into a fragmented, fast-moving ecosystem where attention is scarce, and certainty is rare. His experience spans traditional TV advertising, interactive formats, connected TV and experimental brand initiatives, giving him a unique vantage point on what really drives brand growth today. Engineer Memory, Not Just Impressions

This week, we received our fourth FD Gazellen International, recognising our continued international growth. The award is given to companies that not only qualify as a regular FD Gazellen, but also demonstrate strong growth outside their home market. Each year, around 700 companies receive an FD Gazelle, recognising the fastest-growing businesses in the Netherlands. Of these, only about 10% are awarded the FD Gazellen International. We are proud to once again be part of this

For many organisations, brand growth is still closely linked to visibility, differentiation and creative impact. But what if growth does not start with what brands say, but with what people actually do? For Willemijn Sterk, Adjunct Director at Behaviour Club, that distinction is crucial. From road safety to waste reduction and public space behaviour, her work focuses on one fundamental question: how do you design interventions that genuinely change behaviour – and what can br

For a brief moment, chat felt like the natural endpoint of human–AI interaction. It was intuitive, flexible, and forgiving. You asked a question, the system responded, and you decided what to do with the answer. As long as AI remained an instrument for producing text, chat worked remarkably well. That logic breaks down the moment AI stops responding and starts acting. Once an AI system is capable of changing records, triggering workflows, deploying code, or modifying producti

When Advertising Consistency Kills Curiosity Distinctive Brand Assets (DBAs) have become the go-to tactic for many marketers. And rightly so. The theory is sound: use consistent, recognisable cues like colours, logos, sounds and characters to help people quickly identify your brand in a cluttered media world. The Ehrenberg-Bass Institute has made a strong case, and brands have listened. Recognition drives recall, and recall is a prerequisite for effectiveness.

For three decades, Línea Directa has stood out in Spain as a brand that dares to do things differently. Founded as the country’s first direct-to-consumer insurance company, it built its reputation on disruption, clarity and an unshakeable belief in the power of marketing. Today, under the leadership of Antonio Valor, Global Marketing Director, this spirit remains very much alive. During our conversation, one theme consistently emerged: Línea Directa grows because it never sto

The Advantages Of Survey Data — Why ''More Data'' Is Not The Answer We live in an age of data abundance. Sales figures, loyalty data, clickstreams, social media metrics, and behavioural tracking are available in unprecedented volume and speed. Against this backdrop, a seemingly reasonable question arises: why capture yet more data through surveys to guide marketing decisions?