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

En una categoría tan compleja y de alta repercusión como la educación superior y donde la competencia aumenta año a año, la gestión de marca ya no consiste únicamente en completar las plazas. Se trata de construir confianza, autoridad y relevancia a largo plazo en un mercado donde la toma de decisiones es cada vez más fragmentada, emocional y está influida por una multitud de puntos de contacto. Ana Marín, Marketing Manager en la Universidad Europea, se sitúa en el centro de

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

En las últimas dos décadas, pocos profesionales del marketing han tenido la oportunidad de construir marcas completamente desde cero, y menos aún hacerlo dos veces seguidas en categorías altamente competitivas que han vivido la revolución de sus respectivos sectores como la aviación y la alta velocidad. Oscar Santamaria, experto en movilidad y turismo, (Vueling e iryo) y actual miembro del consejo de la Asociación de Marketing de España, lo ha conseguido. En esta conversación

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

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

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 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

En una industria marcada por la incertidumbre y una transformación acelerada, el papel de la construcción de marca en el sector asegurador está siendo redefinido. En esta conversación, Rubén Gallardo, Director de Marketing de Mapfre España, comparte su perspectiva sobre cómo impulsar el crecimiento de marca dentro de la principal compañía aseguradora de España. Con más de ocho años en Mapfre y habiendo asumido recientemente un rol que unifica el marketing digital y tradiciona

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

Copenhagen, 30 April 2026 - DVJ Insights welcomes Lars Brix Bendtsen as client consultant in Denmark, further strengthening its local consultancy team and supporting continued growth in the Nordic region. Lars brings almost 20 years of experience in insights, market research, and business development. He started his career at a GroupM media agency and has since worked as a Partner at Communication Research and as an independent consultant at Loyalty House. He also held role