Six years ago, Kia Netherlands stood on the verge of a major brand transformation. Since then, the brand has introduced a new global identity, strengthened its position in electric mobility and became market leader in the Netherlands. For Maaike Aarts, Manager Communications and PR at Kia Netherlands, that growth was not driven by one single factor, but by the ability to bring a global strategy to life locally supported by the right mix of products, a strong dealer network an

Introduction In recent years, DVJ Insights has done a lot of research into what marketers consider to be the most important KPI to determine the success of marketing. What most companies have in common is that success is mainly measured by a brand's sales or market share. Still, it is difficult to direct marketing based on sales. It is often preferred to use various brand KPIs that have the most influence on sales in order to achieve growth.

In just over a decade, Schysst Käk has grown from a small Swedish start-up founded by brothers Amir and Alex Kheirmand into a fast-growing food company that expects to reach close to SEK 800 million in turnover. Built around the idea of making kebab easy to prepare and enjoy at home, the brand has effectively created its own category, ”Home Kebab”, in Swedish grocery retail. For Alex Kheirmand, Founding Partner and Chief Commercial Officer, the growth has not come from inve

Customer-centricity has always been the Foundation of Great Innovation Innovation has never been about technology alone. The most successful innovations emerge when companies identify and address meaningful customer needs. Whether it is simplifying everyday tasks, removing friction from experiences, or enabling entirely new ways of solving problems, the underlying principle remains the same: consumers do not buy innovations because they are technologically sophisticated. They

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

En solo diez años, Bizum se ha convertido en una parte habitual del comportamiento de pago cotidiano en España. Lo que comenzó como una iniciativa compartida por los bancos españoles para mejorar la experiencia de la banca digital ha evolucionado hasta convertirse en una marca que muchas personas utilizan casi de forma automática. Para Lorena Poza Díaz, responsable de comunicación, marketing y sostenibilidad en Bizum, esa familiaridad es tanto una fortaleza como un desafío. L

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

En un panorama mediático definido por la fragmentación, la reducción de la capacidad de atención y el rápido cambio tecnológico, las marcas se enfrentan a un reto cada vez mayor: cómo seguir siendo visibles, relevantes y elegidas. Para Fran Ares, CEO y fundador de Glocally, el crecimiento de marca no depende de una única palanca, sino de estar cerca del mercado, entender cómo se comportan los consumidores y ponérselo fácil a la gente para que te elija. A medida que Glocally

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

Para Beatriz Faustino, el crecimiento de marca comienza con un principio sencillo pero a menudo pasado por alto: el marketing debe estar al servicio del negocio. A partir de su experiencia como Chief Marketing and Digital Officer en destacadas marcas de retail, restauración y estilo de vida como Carrefour, McDonald’s, Burger King, Swatch e Imaginarium, concibe el rol del CMO como un puente estratégico entre el conocimiento del cliente y el crecimiento de negocio. En esta conv

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