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

London, 20 May 2026 - DVJ Insights welcomes Nicola Ball as consultant in the UK, further strengthening its shopper and innovation expertise and supporting continued growth in the region. Nicola brings more than 20 years of experience in shopper research and consultancy. She started her career at Kantar Worldpanel before moving to Australia, where she held shopper and customer insight roles at Colgate-Palmolive and Lion. Most recently, Nicola worked at IGD, where she provide

Over the past decade, brand growth has become increasingly grounded in data, evidence, and structured decision-making. In this conversation, Alexander Dedovets, responsible for Marketing Effectiveness at Cloetta, a leading confectionery company in Northern Europe and home to some of the strongest brands on the market, shares how the company approaches growth through a clear focus on penetration, product quality, and evidence-based marketing. From prioritising “superbrands” an

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

Utrecht, 5 May 2026 - DVJ Insights welcomes Jantine Cornel and Stefanie Pooyé as consultants in the Netherlands, further strengthening its local consultancy team and supporting continued growth in the region. Jantine brings over 10 years of experience in marketing research. She started her career at MetrixLab (now Toluna) as a researcher and, after around seven years, moved into a commercial role as Client Director. Throughout her career, she has developed a strong affinity f

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