Marketing has never been more complex. Consumers move across countless channels, attention is fragmented, and businesses face constant pressure to deliver short-term results. Yet for Héctor Rivero, Senior Marketing Manager at McDonald's Spain, the fundamentals of brand growth remain remarkably simple: understand people, define a clear message, and stay consistent over time. In this conversation, he shares why marketing should be viewed as a company-wide capability, why shor

Utrecht, 26 June 2026 – DVJ Insights is proud to announce that Dennis Hulsebos has been named Young Talent of the Year at the Data & Insights Awards in the Netherlands. The award recognises young professionals in the research and insights industry who show courage, think beyond the obvious, and bring fresh and creative ways to move the profession forward. Dennis’ win continues a strong tradition of talent recognition at DVJ Insights. Over the years, several DVJ colleagues hav

Most comparisons between AI coding tools begin with the wrong question. They ask which model writes the best code, which assistant performs best on benchmarks, or which platform produces the cleanest pull request. Those questions matter, especially for developers who need to trust the output. But they are not enough for a business decision. Organisations rarely adopt technology because it is technically impressive. They adopt technology when it fits into how people already wo

What does it take to grow a global brand in today’s complex, fast-moving landscape? For Philip Hambach, who has spent more than 18 years at adidas working at the intersection of brand strategy, insights and data, the answer lies in balance. Balance between global and local, between product and brand, and increasingly, between human judgement and machine intelligence. In this conversation, Philip shares how adidas has evolved its approach to brand growth and how data and AI ar

In just ten years, Bizum has become a familiar part of everyday payment behaviour in Spain. What started as a shared initiative by Spanish banks to improve the digital banking experience has grown into a brand many people now use almost automatically. For Lorena Poza Díaz, responsible for communications, marketing and sustainability at Bizum, that familiarity is both a strength and a challenge. The next phase of growth is not only about being known, but about staying relevant

One of the most persistent questions in advertising is deceptively simple: when should you show the brand? For years, many advertisers were taught to make the brand visible early and clearly. And in many digital environments, that advice makes perfect sense. Platforms like Google, Meta and TikTok have invested heavily in advertising effectiveness research, building large-scale meta-learnings to help advertisers improve performance. One of the most repeated recommendations is

In a media landscape defined by fragmentation, shrinking attention spans and rapid technological change, brands face a growing challenge: how to remain visible, relevant and chosen. For Fran Ares, CEO and founder of Glocally, brand growth is not about one single lever, but about staying close to the market, understanding how consumers behave, and making it easy for people to choose you. As Glocally enters a new phase with a renewed identity and broader positioning, Fran refle

For Prasun Bose, Global Director of Insights at Essity, brand growth is no longer just a marketing question, but a systemic one. After more than eight years at the company, working on its flagship incontinence brand TENA, his role has evolved from traditional research into building a fully integrated insights ecosystem. The ambition is clear: to connect consumer understanding, market data, and business performance into a single source of truth that drives real growth. In a ca

Kneipp has been rooted in a clear philosophy for over 135 years. Built on the principles of water, plants, nutrition, movement and balance, the brand has evolved from a traditional bath product into a broader wellbeing proposition. In this conversation, Petra Oonk, Head of Marketing at Kneipp Benelux, shares how the company approaches brand growth through a combination of strong heritage, organisational alignment and continuous relevance in a competitive market. A Strong Ide

Utrecht, 11 June 2026 - DVJ Insights is pleased to welcome Fred Roodbeen to its Dutch team as Client Consultant. With 15 years of experience in market research, Fred further strengthens DVJ’s expertise in brand, communication, innovation and shopper research. Fred joins DVJ with 15 years of experience from MarketResponse, where he started as a Junior Consultant and later progressed to Principal Consultant. Over the years, Fred has worked across both B2C and B2B environment

A Cautionary Tale A recent project of ours involved a marketing manager — let’s call her Rita. Rita had just returned from an intensive AI training at one of the largest technology companies in California. She was enthusiastic, inspired, and convinced she had discovered a dramatically faster way of working. Her task was ambitious: She needed to develop a new proposition for a new category her company wanted to move into. Using GenAI, she developed: product concepts packaging

For Beatriz Faustino, brand growth starts with a simple but often overlooked principle: marketing must be at the service of the business. Drawing on her experience as Chief Marketing and Digital Officer across leading retail, restaurant and lifestyle brands including Carrefour, McDonald’s, Burger King, Swatch and Imaginarium, she sees the CMO role as a strategic bridge between customer understanding and commercial growth. In this conversation, Beatriz explains why relevance i

In a market dominated by large players and tight category conventions, standing out is no easy task—especially for a smaller, family-owned company. In this conversation, Nina Hagman, Marketing & Innovation Manager at Herrljunga Drycker, shares how the Swedish beverage company has carved out a distinct position through bold innovation, strong internal alignment, and a willingness to challenge category norms while staying true to its DNA. From Idea to Market: Owning the Full

In today’s rapidly evolving events landscape, traditional venues are being challenged to redefine their role. In this interview, we speak with Tom van Kuyk, Head of Business Innovation at Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs, one of the Netherlands’ leading exhibition and conference organisations. In our conversation, we explore what brand growth means in this context, how live experiences are being redefined, and how innovation is shaping the future of the organisation. From Venue to Desti

Infrastructure is rarely discussed in the context of brand growth. Yet for Jenny Olsson, Marketing Director at the Øresund Bridge, the fundamentals of marketing remain strikingly familiar. In this conversation, she explains how a unique, cross-border connection between Denmark and Sweden is driven not just by traffic, but by brand, behaviour, and the ability to inspire people to travel more. A Different Product, the Same Marketing Fundamentals At first glance, marketing a bri

Stockholm, 2 June 2026 - DVJ Insights is pleased to welcome Malin Larsudd to its Nordic team as Consultant, further strengthening the agency’s expertise in strategic insights, innovation, and shopper research. Malin brings more than 15 years of experience in insights, brand strategy, and consumer understanding, having previously worked with companies such as Coop, Nepa, and Ipsos. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with brands across a variety of industries, help

What makes brands grow? We spoke with Professor Koen Pauwels, who is referred to by Mark Ritson as “the best marketing professor on the planet”. In this conversation, Professor Pauwels shares a clear and practical view on the topic. From positioning and segmentation to data, differentiation and long-term effectiveness, his argument is simple: growth comes from making sharper choices, executing them consistently, and using data to improve decisions rather than just defend them

Bjørn Barfod Vestergaard is a Danish entrepreneur, marketing expert, and media profile, best known for his work within the podcast space and as the host of the business podcast Rollemodellerne (“The role models”). Alongside his podcast, he is the founder and CEO of Amp 99 which is a part of SuperSonic Collective, an AI-driven platform that connects brands with relevant podcasts. With a background spanning companies such as Danske Spil, DSV, and Ekstra Bladet, Bjørn combines s

Artificial intelligence is changing the marketing and creative industries at speed. But for Alistair Robertson, Creative AI Director, its real significance is not that it replaces creativity. It is that it could help brands get back to what has always driven growth: genuine distinctiveness, stronger ideas, and more effective brand building. With experience across FMCG, finance, healthcare and technology, Robertson has seen multiple waves of change in advertising. His perspe

The Dominant Paradigm: Business Metrics and Operational Thinking in Segmentation In segmentation, there is rarely a clear “right” or “wrong.” Instead, segmentations are more or less useful depending on how effectively they help achieve business objectives. And those objectives are typically framed in familiar, measurable terms: growth, revenue, market share, or profitability. When defining success—and even more so when proving it — organisations tend to fall back on tangible