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Marketing has gained more tools, more data and more channels than ever before. Yet for Hanna Riberdahl, CEO of Brand Marketing Sweden, the central challenge is not whether marketers can do more, but whether they are creating more value. As the independent trade organisation for Sweden’s marketers, Brand Marketing Sweden works to strengthen the role of marketing, improve effectiveness and support companies in building long-term, profitable growth. In a landscape increasingly shaped by AI, performance metrics and short-term pressure, Hanna believes marketers need to reclaim their strategic role: not as a production unit, but as a business function that understands markets, customers and future growth. FROM SVERIGES ANNONSÖRER TO BRAND MARKETING SWEDEN For many years, Brand Marketing Sweden was known as Sveriges Annonsörer (‘Sweden’s advertisers’). It was a well-established name with strong recognition in the Swedish marketing industry, but over time it also became a limitation. As Hanna explains, the word “annonsörer” increasingly gave the impression that the organisation mainly represented media buyers or companies that purchased advertising space. In reality, its work had become much broader. Changing the name was therefore not just a cosmetic decision, but a strategic one. Brand Marketing Sweden wanted to be relevant not only to large media buyers, but to the full spectrum of marketers, including B2B companies and organisations where marketing is about much more than paid media. That made the rebrand both necessary and difficult. “It is a challenge in itself to dare to change,” Hanna says. “You can hold on to a name because there is a lot of history and value in it, which is usually the normal thing to do. But when the name becomes a barrier, you have to listen to that.” Today, Brand Marketing Sweden represents nearly 400 member companies and a network of more than 5,000 marketers across 26 industries. Growth remains important, not as an end in itself, but because more members allow the organisation to reinvest in knowledge, tools and industry-wide initiatives. From effectiveness frameworks and handbooks to transparent media measurement and AI recommendations, the organisation’s work is designed to help marketers navigate a more complex reality. “You can hold on to a name because there is a lot of history and value in it, which is usually the normal thing to do. But when the name becomes a barrier, you have to listen to that.” THE PROBLEM WITH LETTING TECHNOLOGY LEAD For Hanna, one of the biggest challenges facing marketing today is that the function has become too technology-led. Digital tools, data and AI all have value, but efficiency is not the same as effectiveness. The risk is that technology starts defining the purpose of marketing, rather than supporting it. “We have become very technology-focused in what we do,” Hanna says. “When we let technology, or the possibilities that technology gives us, define how we work, it makes me nervous.” Over the past years, many marketing departments have been pushed into a more tactical role: producing campaigns, managing channels and reporting efficiency metrics. Instead of contributing the market dimension to business strategy, marketing risks becoming a production unit. This also makes it harder to prove the true business value of marketing. Digital platform data may look positive, but it is not always transparent or independently validated. “There is no real transparency in the data we get from Google, Meta or TikTok,” Hanna says. “Often the data looks good, but it does not match the reality in the company’s own business systems.” For Hanna, this is where the value of marketing and brand becomes most important. Short-term activation may protect immediate sales, but it does not necessarily build future demand, pricing power or profitable growth. When brands train consumers to wait for discounts and promotions, they may secure volume today while weakening the brand’s ability to command value tomorrow. “When we let technology, or the possibilities that technology gives us, define how we work, it makes me nervous.” FROM DATA-DRIVEN TO INSIGHT-DRIVEN One of the clearest shifts Hanna calls for is a return to insight-driven marketing. In her view, many organisations have become good at collecting data on what people do, but much less good at understanding why they do it. “We have data on what people do, but not why,” she says. “Working insight-driven is something completely different from working data-driven.” That distinction matters. Data can show clicks, searches, purchases or exposure, but it rarely captures the full context of people’s lives, needs and decision-making. A person may click on something, watch something or search for something, but that does not fully explain who they are or what they need in different situations. For Hanna, this loss of market orientation is one reason marketing has lost some of its strategic influence. Instead of being rooted in customer understanding, category dynamics and market opportunities, too many decisions are driven by dashboards and advanced analytics. “We get more and more data, but become more and more uncertain about what value it actually contributes,” she says. MARKETING NEEDS TO SPEAK FOR THE 95% A recurring theme in Hanna’s view of brand growth is the distinction between the small group of customers who are in-market today and the much larger group who may buy in the future. Sales teams naturally focus on those already close to purchase. But marketing has a broader responsibility. “Sales meet the 5% who are in the market,” Hanna says. “They define customer needs based on those who already know us and are interested in us. But marketing has to define the other 95% that sales have not met yet.” This is why Hanna believes marketing cannot simply be a support function for sales. Supporting sales is important, but it is not enough. If marketing only responds to existing demand, it fails to create future demand. The work of marketing is also to understand people who are not currently buying, identify the situations in which a brand could become relevant, and build the memory structures that make the brand come to mind when the need arises. That makes salience, consistency and emotional communication central to growth. When a need appears, the brand needs to come to mind. This does not happen through rational product messages alone. “You need to be persistent, consistent and create memory structures, and you do that best through emotional, entertaining communication.” “Sales meet the 5% who are in the market, but marketing has to define the other 95% that sales have not met yet.” AI, JOMO AND THE NEED TO CHOOSE AI is high on the agenda for almost every marketing organisation, and Hanna does not dismiss its potential. She sees clear value in using AI to analyse large amounts of data, support insight work, explore price elasticity or accelerate innovation. But she is concerned about the amount of attention given to the technology itself, rather than to the questions it should help answer. She believes many marketing departments have fallen into FOMO: the fear of missing out on the next tool, platform or trend. Her preference is almost the opposite. “I would like them to talk more about JOMO, the joy of missing out, because you have to be able to choose things away as well.” The challenge is to know what not to do. “The trick is to dare to choose things away,” Hanna says. “Dare to focus, hold a line, be persistent and be able to explain internally why those choices are smart.” AI can support this if it is used with purpose. But using AI simply to produce more content, for more channels, at a lower cost, risks reinforcing the very problems marketing already has. “Dare to focus, hold a line, be persistent and be able to explain internally why those choices are smart.” RECLAIMING MARKETING’S STRATEGIC ROLE Looking ahead, Hanna sees three connected priorities for marketing. The first is to handle technology and AI with more strategic discipline. The second is to strengthen marketing’s position as a business function. The third is to rebuild the strategic work inside marketing itself. “How do we move from being a tactical production unit to becoming a strategic partner for the business?” she asks. Marketing does not need to own every part of the business. But it does need to influence decisions around product development, distribution, communication and pricing. The function must bring the market and customer perspective into the decisions that shape growth. This also requires better alignment across organisations. Shared KPIs can help different functions understand how they contribute to the same business goals. But those KPIs need to reflect what marketing can actually influence, not only external factors or short-term volume swings. Hanna points to brand penetration, new customer acquisition and situational relevance as examples of metrics that can help marketers make a stronger internal case. For Hanna, the future of marketing depends on restoring that direction. The answer is not to reject technology, data or AI. It is to put them back in service of strategy, insight and growth. Marketing needs to understand the market, create value for customers, build memory structures before people are ready to buy, and prove its contribution to profitable growth.

Understanding Shopper Journeys Remains a Strategic Imperative Every purchase is the result of a journey. Consumers enter that journey with pre-existing needs, preferences, habits, and brand predispositions. Along the way, they encounter a variety of touchpoints that shape their decisions – from online information and recommendations to product displays, packaging, pricing, and in-store experiences. Understanding these journeys is critical for two reasons.

For Pernella Geluk, innovation only drives brand growth when it starts with relevance and is followed through with discipline, adequate timing and entrepreneurship. As an independent marketing and innovation consultant, she helps food companies turn consumer and customer insight into concrete concepts, successful launches and long-term growth. Working mainly in FMCG food, both on the consumer side and increasingly in B2B, Pernella sees innovation not as a pipeline of new products, flavours or formats, but as a way to solve meaningful problems for consumers, customers and businesses. Brand Growth Starts with Relevance For Pernella, brand growth starts with understanding what people actually need. “Brand growth really starts with relevance. You have to understand what end users need, but also what customers in the value chain, such as retailers, foodservice partners or B2B clients, are looking for. Those needs are not always the same, but they can reinforce each other. And in combination with a clear vision and strategy, and consistent execution, you can realise sustainable growth.” That also shapes how she looks at success. Business results matter, but so do penetration, repeat purchase and brand preference. A launch that creates trial is not enough if people do not come back. “If you are really talking about brand preference, then for me it is about people coming back,” she says. “One or two purchases is more like a hype or trial. It is no repeat.” This is why product quality remains central. Communication can create attention, but it cannot compensate for a product that does not deliver. Especially in food, the experience itself determines whether people return. As Pernella puts it simply: “If the taste is not good, there is no reason to launch it.” “Brand growth really starts with relevance. You have to understand what end users need, but also what customers in the value chain, such as retailers, foodservice partners or B2B clients, are looking for. Those needs are not always the same, but they can reinforce each other. And in combination with a clear vision and strategy, and consistent execution, you can realise sustainable growth.” Innovation is about Solutions that Matter Innovation can be a breakthrough product or service, but it can also be a better format, recipe, proposition or process. What matters is whether it creates value. “For me, innovation is translating insights into solutions that truly matter. Solutions for a consumer, a customer or the company itself. You can also innovate internally. Ultimately, innovation is about making an improvement that connects to an underlying need.” As markets move faster and product life cycles become shorter, companies feel pressure to keep renewing. But more innovation does not automatically mean better innovation. “The market is changing quickly, and that continuously asks for renewal,” she says. “But it is important to bring focus and direction to that, so that we do not keep filling shelves and foodservice with wild new ideas, but with concepts that are future-proof.” One area where she sees opportunity is crossing traditional category boundaries. The shift towards eating less meat and more vegetables, for example, is not just a product challenge but also a retail and behaviour challenge. Supermarkets often separate meat, meat substitutes and vegetables, while consumers shop from routines. “Everyone has their routines,” Pernella says. “You want to consciously seduce people to try something else. But if that option is not next to it, you are asking consumers to walk three displays further.” So the future shelf could be where meat (substitutes) and vegetables come together, an overarching category aligned with current customer relevance. ‘’Ultimately, innovation is about making an improvement that connects to an underlying need.” Timing Makes the Difference Even a relevant idea can fail if the timing is wrong. Pernella has seen innovations that were not bad ideas, but simply arrived before the market was ready. While working with a food innovator, she saw how an idea around traybakes was identified years before the format became familiar to the wider market. The trend was there, but consumers did not yet understand the concept or recognise the need. “You can not only be too late, but also be too early in order to achieve success,” she explains. “Timing is crucial.” Being an early innovator requires more investment. A brand then needs to educate the market, build understanding and work with trade partners to create rotation. “You can have a good idea, but can you realise it? Not just getting the product on shelf, but also making sure rotation starts.” That makes innovation an entrepreneurial process. Research can reduce uncertainty, but it cannot remove it completely. At some point, companies need to decide whether they believe in an opportunity enough to back it. “You cannot wait until it is big, because then you are already too late,” Pernella says. “That is where you have to use your business sense.” Different Consumers need Different Innovations The food transition shows why one solution rarely works for everyone. In the shift towards eating less meat, some consumers are ready for fully vegetarian or vegan products. Others need smaller steps. Pernella says: “If we want to make this transition successful, we really need to create change and innovation on all fronts. Hybrid meat, replacing meat with tasty vegetables, more vegetarian dishes. We need to develop, inspire and move on all fronts.” The key is to segment without polarising. Trendsetters may embrace radical change, but the mass market often needs reassurance and familiarity. “You have to be careful not to make it so drastic that it starts to polarise against the large mass,” she explains. “Then they do not become frontrunners, but opposites.” “You have to be careful not to make it so drastic that it starts to polarise against the large mass.” Better Preparation Reduces Failure Many innovations do not survive for long. Pernella refers to the often-cited idea that around 80 percent of innovations are no longer on shelf after a year, while noting that this includes many flavours, variants, formats and packaging updates. That makes the quality of the preparation essential. “You can reduce failure costs by doing the preparation better. By making sure you have better insights into the real needs, by understanding the timing well, by testing properly beforehand and by involving your customer.” The biggest opportunity lies at the front of the process. Too often, companies move quickly into brainstorming, creating many ideas without enough direction. Pernella therefore works with innovation platforms: overarching themes based on market, consumer and customer insights, combined with the company’s own capabilities. Without that direction, innovation risks becoming a scattergun approach: lots of ideas, but without a structured, consumer-based foundation or a clear understanding of the target audience. That also lowers the chance that new concepts will truly land. This also requires ownership. In many companies, marketers are busy managing day-to-day priorities, and innovation is easily pushed aside. Pernella believes companies need a dedicated innovation role, or at least someone with the time and space to step away from daily pressure. “When innovation becomes urgent, you are already too late.” “When innovation becomes urgent, you are already too late.” AI can Help, but only with Direction AI can support innovation by speeding up analysis, clustering information and helping teams explore possibilities faster. But for Pernella, that speed only becomes useful when companies already know what they are trying to achieve. “AI can bring a lot of confusion if you do not have a sharp idea of the direction you want to move in,” she says. “Then suddenly everything becomes possible.” Used only as an idea generator, AI may make the existing problem worse: more ideas, but not necessarily better ones. “The problem is not generating ideas,” Pernella says. “The problem is knowing your target and what you are aiming for.” For Pernella, successful innovation is therefore not about more ideas, but about sharper choices. It is the combination of consumer understanding, timing, entrepreneurship, creativity and disciplined execution that turns innovation from a new product on the shelf into a real driver of brand growth.

Discover DVJ Insights, a leading market research agency driving brand growth through data-driven strategies. THE MARKETING RESEARCH AND ANALYTICS AGENCY FOR BRAND GROWTH The essence of DVJ Insights DVJ originates from the ambition of being the best research agency in combination with the best place to work. Becoming the best research agency means integrating academic and practitioner insights via our Brand Growth Platform. The best place to work means choosing positive relations with clients and creating a learning environment where everyone can grow. Expertise and solutions At DVJ Insights we offer a wide arrangement of services to our clients Brand & Communication DVJ Insights leverages strategic brand research and a storytelling-based "Mass Qual" methodology to identify brand growth potential and link findings to market volumes. Learn more Learn more Innovation Innovation fuels most company growth, but its frequent failure from inadequate consumer insight is countered by our integrated research solutions. Learn more Learn more Shopper Our research reveals consumer motivations and purchase triggers, providing a deep understanding of the diverse Customer Journey to optimise touchpoints. Learn more Learn more All solutions What’s New The Latest Stories, Cases, and Innovations Combining Scale and Realism in Shopper Research - Approximating The Reality Of Shopper Journeys Shopper Martin Hellich 1 day ago 4 min read Pernella Geluk - Geluk Marketing Brand Growth Interview DVJ Research Group 6 days ago 5 min read The Cost Of Thinking AI Dennis Hulsebos Jul 20 5 min read More news Our offices THE NETHERLANDS Herculesplein 52 3584 AA Utrecht Contact UNITED KINGDOM GG.410 Metal Box Factory, 30 Great Guildford Street, Borough, London, SE1 0HS Contact GERMANY Lerchenstrasse 28 22767 Hamburg Contact SWEDEN Östermalmstorg 1, 114 42 Stockholm Contact DENMARK Ørestads Blvd. 73, 2300 Copenhagen Contact NORWAY C.J. Hambros Plass 2C, 0164 Oslo City Ibsen Contact SPAIN Paseo De La Castellana 81, 28046 Madrid Contact

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