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We are proud to announce that DVJ Insights has been selected as a finalist for the Client/Supplier Collaboration Award at the Quirks Marketing Research and Insight Excellence Awards 2025. This recognition celebrates our unique partnership with DPG Media , Nielsen , and the University of Groningen , which has combined academic rigour, industry expertise, and innovative AI technologies to unlock what truly makes advertising effective. Together, we analysed nearly two decades of automotive advertising using advanced AI methods to uncover groundbreaking insights into the state of advertising creativity, including a decline in distinctiveness and the surprising strength of neutral emotional expressions. Being named a finalist underscores the impact and ongoing relevance of this collaboration, which continues to evolve and set new benchmarks for research excellence in the marketing industry. We thank our partners DPG Media, Nielsen, and the University of Groningen for their collaboration and shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of what research can achieve.   *The Marketing Research and Insight Excellence Awards, powered by Quirk’s Media, recognise the researchers, suppliers and products and services that are adding value and impact to marketing research. Finalists are selected by a panel of judges made up of a combination of end-client researchers, supplier partners and Quirk’s editorial staff.    The award winners will be announced at The Marketing Research and Insight Excellence Awards Virtual Celebration on November 19, 2025. Please visit quirksawards.com for more details.

Why Predictability Matters As human beings, we naturally contemplate the future and often wish we could foresee it - whether to meet a life partner, invest in a high-performing stock, or avoid a catastrophic event. In the realm of innovation management, the value of predictability is equally evident. It would allow teams to focus efforts and investments on initiatives with genuine market potential, while avoiding the substantial costs, both financial and organisational, of failed product launches. Given the high proportion of such failures cited across multiple sources, it is unsurprising that the appetite for predictive insight into market success is so widespread within organisations.

Utrecht, 4 September 2025 - DVJ Insights is proud to announce the appointment of Stefan Bliekendaal as Global Director of Research and Excellence. With more than 15 years of experience in research, data, and insights leadership, Stefan brings a strong track record in marketing effectiveness, innovation, and team leadership. His arrival marks an important step in further strengthening DVJ’s international research excellence and commitment to delivering actionable insights for brand growth. Stefan has built his career on a deep curiosity about consumer behaviour. He began at GfK before moving to research agency Epiphany RBC, where he spent almost a decade leading multiple research and innovation teams and contributed to the company’s growth as part of the management team. Most recently, Stefan was Head of Data, Tech & Insights at IPG Mediabrands, where he bridged research excellence with the rapidly evolving media landscape. Alongside his professional work, he currently chairs the Consumer Insights Taskforce at VIA Nederland. “Research is invaluable when it delivers stories that guide brands and accelerate decisions,” says Stefan. “DVJ Insights has been doing this for years with a talented team that brings insights to life through curiosity and a relentless focus on quality. As Global Director Research & Excellence, I look forward to creating even more impact for our clients on an international scale – driven by innovation, relevance, and passion.” Marieke van Echtelt, Global Managing Director at DVJ Insights, comments, “We are delighted to welcome Stefan to DVJ. With Stefan joining, we are not only strengthening our leadership team with a highly driven insights professional but also positioning ourselves for future growth and industry developments. We are confident that his addition will help accelerate our ambitions in supporting our clients in achieving growth.”

In today’s fiercely competitive grocery retail landscape, packaging is more than just a wrapper — it’s a shopper communication tool at the crucial moment of truth. For brand and shopper marketeers, one of the most fascinating dynamics lies in the evolving design philosophy of private labels. Compared to A-brands, private labels have charted their own distinct design paths — and in doing so, they're quietly reshaping shopper expectations and retail experiences.   The Private Label Advantage Where A-brands are tightly bound to brand guidelines, heritage, and a need to maintain consistency in their visual identities, private labels apply different standards — with an even more focus on category shoppers. A-brand packaging must reflect carefully crafted positioning. Logos, brand colours, and typographic treatments must remain consistent across SKUs, ranges a/o categories. This often restricts how flexibly a brand can show the product or cater to context-specific needs (e.g., at-shelf clarity, easy navigation). Private labels, on the other hand, are primarily tasked with function over form. Their primary mission? Helping the shopper navigate the shelf quickly and confidently. That means: Category-first design logic  — the visual makes the category (and segment) instantly recognizable. Product name prominence  — clear, bold, often centrally placed to reduce cognitive demand. Neutral or simplified branding  — allowing imagery and product cues to do the heavy lifting. Visual storytelling  — appetizing product photography - or pure in-pack product - is prioritized over abstract brand messages.     A graphic design needs to bring this to live. Take, for instance, these ones from various leading retail formulas across Europe – ICA, Edeka, Tesco, REMA 1000, Mercadona and Albert Heijn – across the board, product visibility and legibility win. They might seem simple, even plain compared to   'flashy'   A-brands (excusez le mot!), but that’s their strength — they are designed for intuitive and effortless shopping: clearly category coded, product name is prominent, appealing visualization.   What This Means For A-Brands For brand owners, this shift presents a challenge: how to compete when shoppers are drawn to clarity and speed? The Clarity Gap –  A-brands risk losing out in environments where speed trumps loyalty. Private labels, with their clean layouts, win the “shelf-readability” game. If your packaging is cluttered or overbranded, you might be harder to find — even if you're well known. Asset Overload –  The temptation to showcase multiple assets (logo, color, heritage design) can be overwhelming. Private labels show restraint — and in doing so, improve shopability. Context Adaptation –  For obvious reasons A-brands may fear diluting equity by adapting too much, risking ‘decision fatigue’ at shelf with drop-offs too much. What A-Brands Can Learn Despite the constraints, A-brands can elevate their presence by adopting some private label strategies — without sacrificing brand identity: Semiotic codings  – Conduct semiotic desk research prior to designing your packaging to determine category codes and consumer meanings, guiding packaging design to ensure relevance, clarity, and standout pack communication; Balance of information –  Find the right balance between the product name and brand logo. Determining the right distinctive brand assets at point-of-purchase may help to prioritize what needs to be shown on pack; Segment branding –  Develop simple and clear sub-brand systems which are intuitively understood and reflect category needs; Clarity in communication –  Simplify language on-pack and use photography strategically — literal images can still be premium when executed with taste. Design for the digital shelf –  Clear packaging isn't just a physical shelf strategy — it's essential for e-commerce thumbnails and mobile shopping, where legibility is king. Closing Thoughts: The North Star Private labels remind us that shopper-first design is hyperfocused. To many, they are the real benchmark as they lead the way at-shelf on search & find, clarity and conversion to brand pick-up. So, A-brands not only can’t afford to design in isolation but also can’t just rest on their laurels when private labels have upgraded any of their designs in a category: Basic, Mid-range, Premium, Organic. Only in-context pack design testing reveals if your pack cuts through or gets lost. It’s the most effective way to ensure your design wins where it really counts: on the shelf.

Blog by Bart van de Mortel Nowadays, online video-based advertising is often provided in a setting where the viewer gets to decide whether they want to watch the ad in full, or skip it prematurely. However, just like for more traditional ways of advertising, this means that skippable video ads remain prone to ad avoidance or at least ‘full ad’ avoidance. Since viewers are actively viewing their screens for a specific purpose in online video settings (e.g., when they want to watch specific YouTube videos), they are more likely to be irritated by ad interruptions, and thus will be more likely to skip these ads (Campbell et al., 2017). If viewers indeed choose to skip ads early on, advertisers have little time to get their message across and pitch their product or service – making it vital that the brand and key takeaways are communicated clearly and as soon as possible. However, this may by itself form a “catch-22”, with several  academic   as well as   practical  marketing studies showing that brand and message cues themselves may accelerate skipping behaviour even further. Still, these findings apply mainly to TV – a channel on which ads are typically longer and more “story-like” than the bite-sized video’s that are typically used in online environments. Therefore, this research explores what impact brand and message cues have on skipping behaviour specifically for online  video-based ads, and whether specific types of cues work better in this regard than others. This provides new insights to creators of future online video-based ads, which can be used to optimise the effectiveness of such ads. Data The datasets used for the study contain data on consumer skipping behaviour for TikTok (in-reel) and YouTube (pre-roll) ads, obtained through two different survey-based experiments. In each experiment, participants were asked to scroll through several online  environments at their own pace. For the experiment on YouTube pre-roll ads (conducted among respondents in 7 different countries), two of the online environments were mockups of sites with video content, preceded by an ad. To get to the actual content faster, participants could skip the ads after 5 seconds had passed. In the experiment on TikTok reel ads (conducted among respondents in 4 different countries), two of the environments were reels of six videos each, with one of them being an ad. All of these videos, including the ads, could be skipped by participants at any point in time. In both experiments, the two ad environments were randomly intertwined with four news/sports websites, to emulate a typical browsing session for the participant. Data was collected on the total time participants viewed each video ad, whether they could subsequently recall the brand(s) in them and whether they understood their message. In total, the datasets cover 216 YouTube pre-roll ads 128 TikTok social reel ads. Any ad that was skipped before the participant of the experiment had viewed 6 seconds, was considered “skipped”. Conversely, any ad that was viewed for at least 6 seconds was deemed “not skipped”. This threshold of 6 seconds was chosen because pre-roll ads could only be skipped after five seconds, and the extra second was necessary to account for the time between the option of skipping appearing and the time at which a participant could feasibly press the skip button. Then, all ads in the study were coded based on whether they contain various brand and/or message cues (as discussed below) within the first 5 seconds of the ad. So, combining the skipping behaviour of viewers in response to an ad with the cues it contains, enables the possibility to investigate what impact these cues have on the probability of an online video ad being skipped. Features This study analyses the effects of both brand and message cues on the probability that a person skips an online video ad. Specifically, the brand cues investigated in this study are: whether the brand name appeared on screen at least once (visual cues) and whether the brand name was spoken out loud at least once (audio cues). Turning to the message cues, the study classifies ads based on whether (part of) the message is conveyed through on-screen text, and/or through a voice-over. The study then uses the ad’s platform (TikTok or YouTube) as a moderator to further look into differences between the effects of the various brand and message cues on the odds of skipping for each platform. The conceptual framework of the study is displayed in Figure 1, and the different relationships included in this framework are tested through logistic regression analysis. Figure 1 Key findings Starting with the effects of message cues, the study finds that displaying text on a viewer’s screen in an online video ad (in order to (partly) communicate the ad’s main message) actually decreases the likelihood of skipping. The appearance of on-screen text can draw attention, and when the viewer decides to actually read this text, they will be much less likely to press the skip button. Communication of this message through a voice-over instead has no significant impact on skipping behaviour. Even though the finding that any  message cues in online video do not accelerate skipping behaviour is a positive outcome, using written text still edges out here, as it actually contributes to retaining the viewer’s attention. Turning to the impact of brand  cues, the analysis results reveal that the presence of visual  cues (i.e. the brand name appearing on screen) does not significantly affect skipping behaviour. This is a striking result, given that prior studies found that for TV advertising, showing your brand may actively drive viewers away from your ad. An explanation may be that brand cues are perceived as more disruptive in advertisements that are more “story-like” – such as TV commercials – while they fit better with the shorter, “to-the-point” nature of online video advertisements. Alternatively, the online environments themselves, in which users can be exposed to a multitude of ads within a short timeframe (e.g., banner ads, homepage takeovers, in-app advertising), may make viewers more tolerant of any branding efforts they encounter. However, the picture changes slightly when it comes to brand cues that are spoken instead of shown (audio cues). While such cues still do not significantly impact viewer retention when they appear in YouTube pre-rolls, they do lead to more skipping for TikTok reel ads.  A reason for this finding may lie in sound being especially central to the user experience on the TikTok platform, with many videos including music, singing voices and/or speech. A brand name that is spoken out loud may then “stick out” and pull viewers out of the native feel of the video, leading to increased ad avoidance. Figure 2 below summarises the main findings of the study. Managerial implications An important conclusion that can be taken from the results of this study is that the effect of branding cues on viewing behaviour for video-based ads may heavily differ between platforms and their associated ad formats. While the appearance of brand cues tends to lead to increased skipping of TV commercials, their impact is way less pronounced for video-based advertising on online platforms. Only audio-based cues were found to accelerate consumer skipping, and then only for TikTok (and not YouTube) ads. This means that branding proves less of a “balancing act” on online platforms. Especially, visual cues are effective ways for advertisers to convey their brand to the viewer, without the risk of alienating them. When it comes to the (less previously-studied) message cues in an ad, the study also paints a positive picture, with neither text-based nor voiceover-based cues being associated with an increased likelihood of skipping. Advertisers on online platforms thus do not have to convey their message through abstract imaging and/or storylines, but can be pretty “upfront” about it. Still, when a choice between on-screen text and voiceovers is presented, the former wins out, as it manages to both draw attention and keep viewers occupied while reading the text. This, in the end, can even prevent viewers from skipping. Selected references Allan, D. (2006). Effects of popular music in advertising on attention and memory. Journal of Advertising Research , 46 (4), 434–444. https://doi.org/10.2501/s0021849906060491 Becker, M., Scholdra, T. P., Berkmann, M., & Reinartz, W. J. (2022). The effect of content on zapping in TV advertising. Journal of Marketing , 87 (2), 275–297. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429221105818 Belanche, D., Flavián, C., & Pérez-Rueda, A. (2017). User adaptation to interactive advertising formats: The effect of previous exposure, habit and time urgency on ad skipping behaviors. Telematics and Informatics , 34 (7), 961–972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2017.04.006 Belanche, D., Flavián, C., & Pérez-Rueda, A. (2020). Brand recall of skippable vs non-skippable ads in YouTube. Online Information Review , 44 (3), 545–562. https://doi.org/10.1108/oir-01-2019-0035 Campbell, C., Thompson, F. M., Grimm, P. E., & Robson, K. (2017). Understanding why consumers don’t skip Pre-Roll video ads. Journal of Advertising , 46 (3), 411–423. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2017.1334249 Choi, Y. K., Yoon, S., Kim, K., & Kim, Y. (2019). Text versus pictures in advertising: effects of psychological distance and product type. International Journal of Advertising , 38 (4), 528–543. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2019.1607649 Fleck, N., Michel, G., & Zeitoun, V. (2013). Brand Personification through the Use of Spokespeople: An Exploratory Study of Ordinary Employees, CEOs, and Celebrities Featured in Advertising. Psychology and Marketing , 31 (1), 84–92. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20677 Gerber, C., Terblanche-Smit, M., & Crommelin, T. (2014). Brand recognition in television advertising: The influence of brand presence and brand introduction. Acta Commercii , 14 (1). https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v14i1.182 Joa, C. Y., Kim, K., & Ha, L. (2018). What makes people watch online In-Stream video advertisements? Journal of Interactive Advertising , 18 (1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2018.1437853 Teixeira, T., Wedel, M., & Pieters, R. (2010). Moment-to-Moment Optimal Branding in TV Commercials: Preventing Avoidance by Pulsing. Marketing Science , 29 (5), 783-804. Teixeira, T., Wedel, M., & Pieters, R. (2011). Emotion-Induced engagement in internet video advertisements. Journal of Marketing Research , 49 (2), 144–159. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.10.0207 Tom, G., Clark, R., Elmer, L., Grech, E., Masetti, J., & Sandhar, H. (1992). The use of created versus celebrity spokespersons in advertisements. Journal of Consumer Marketing , 9 (4), 45–51. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363769210037088 Vroegrijk, M. (2023). How brand mentions in television advertising affect consumer attention, recall and evaluation. Applied Marketing Analytics , 8 (4), 353–366. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/hsp/ama/2023/00000008/00000004/art00004

DVJ Insights is pleased to announce the appointment of Cathelijn te Koppele as Client Consultant in the Netherlands. With a background in neuroscience and nearly seven years of experience at research agency Validators, Cathelijn brings both research expertise and a strong commercial perspective to DVJ’s growing Dutch team. Throughout her career, Cathelijn has been driven by curiosity about (un)conscious behaviour and psychology, interests that have shaped her professional journey in market research. At Validators, she successfully combined research-based work with client-facing responsibilities, translating insights into strategies that supported brand growth. Winning the Young Talent Award at the DIN in 2023 showcased her innovative and client-centred approach. "As a curious generalist with a sharp eye for detail, I thrive on turning insights into concrete tools that make a difference,” says Cathelijn. “This new role allows me to further grow in consulting, while connecting with DVJ’s inspiring international network and talented, open-hearted professionals. I am excited to contribute across brand, communication, shopper and innovation research - helping brands move forward with impact and enthusiasm.” Léonie Koning, Global Commercial Director at DVJ Insights, comments: “We are very excited to welcome Cathelijn to the DVJ-team! Her appointment reinforces DVJ’s commitment to combining local expertise with global knowledge to help brands grow. With her unique mix of research skills, curiosity, and personal drive, Cathelijn is set to make a valuable contribution to DVJ Insights’ clients in the Netherlands and globally."

Utrecht, June 27th – DVJ Insights proudly announces that a member of its global team, Mark Vroegrijk, has been recognised with a prestigious award from the Dutch Data & Insights Awards, highlighting his exceptional contribution to the Marketing Research field at a Global level. DVJ’s two extraordinarily talented colleagues were nominated for the Dutch Data & Insights Awards 2024. Mark Vroegrijk, Senior Specialist in Data, Science, and Analytics, was nominated for and won the Data Professional of the Year Award. Lisette Kruizinga-de Vries, Thought Leader in Science & Analytics, was nominated as one of three finalists for the title ‘Insights Professional of the Year – Agency Side’. Even though she did not win, this is an accomplishment in and of itself. Data Professional of the Year – Mark Vroegdijk Mark Vroegrijk’s innovative approach to market research earned him the title of ‘Data Professional of the Year’. He developed a tool that optimises media spending and enhances advertising campaign effectiveness, making a significant impact on data science. Mark’s work includes global benchmarks for TV and radio advertising breakthroughs and various meta-analyses. “ I am very grateful for winning this award! Through my analyses of multi-study datasets, I aim for an even more profound understanding of ’how marketing works’. This allows for a better interpretation of research results and helps me to develop new and innovative analyses – both leading to richer insights for all the international and local brands we work for. It’s wonderful to hear that my work in this area is not only appreciated by our clients, but by the professional jury as well,” says Mark. Jelle Quak, Global Director Strategy & Solutions and Manager of Mark and Lisette expresses his pride: “Both this prestigious award and the nominations recognize extraordinary achievements in market research and their contributions to the field’s advancement.” “At DVJ Insights, we are very committed to delivering high-quality work and discovering innovative ways to support our clients. Mark and Lisette play a crucial role in this mission, with their strong academic backgrounds, innovative approaches, and advanced creative analyses. I am very proud of their accomplishments, nominations, and, of course, Mark’s award win, which is well-deserved!” More info? Contact the author if you like to know more about this (or related) article(s). Mark Vroegwijk LinkedIn Email

The fast-growing international market research agency DVJ Insights has expanded its European presence with the opening of a new office in Spain. Known for their innovative approach and close collaboration with the academic world, DVJ recently received their seventh Gazelle award, recognising their sustained growth and commitment to excellence. The reason for opening an office in Spain is to support the local clients better and strengthen the overall global presence. This expansion marks a significant milestone in DVJ’s strategy of working through local lenses within a global setting. Where the world of market research is moving towards automation and efficiency, DVJ believes that quality and added value are what clients truly need. That is why DVJ always starts with generating a better understanding of the local needs. Lucas Hulsebos, CEO of DVJ Insights, comments: "Our decision to open an office in Spain underscores our dedication to strengthening our global presence. Our global clients increasingly seek local relevance alongside our global perspective. That’s why we’ve invested in understanding the marketing professional better to support our local consultants in each of our markets. It’s not just about having a pin on the map, it’s about being truly present and understanding the unique dynamics of each market.” To enhance this local presence, DVJ Insights has welcomed two experienced consultants to its Madrid team: Jorge López and María Sánchez Raposo. Both bring extensive experience in brand and communication research and will lead DVJ’s consultancy offering in the Spanish market. Jorge López joins DVJ as the first Client Consultant based in Madrid, Spain. With a background at Millward Brown, Kantar, and BBVA Creative, he brings a wealth of knowledge in brand research and communications. “For more than 10 years, DVJ Insights has demonstrated that the market needs a service and consultancy offering that delivers consistent growth over time,” says Jorge. “I’m impressed by DVJ’s agility and determination to implement different methodological innovations in order to provide the best service to the client, and by their versatility to combine the local and the global and to make each learning more useful.” María Sánchez Raposo  joins as Client Consultant alongside Jorge in Madrid. Having held senior positions at Millward Brown, Kantar, and YouGov, and with extensive experience in global and Latin American markets, she brings additional value to DVJ's regional and global offering. She was recently elected as a board member of Insight+Analytics España, Spain’s main association of market research and data analytics professionals and companies, further underlining her leadership in the industry. “DVJ Insights is an innovative and fast-growing company with both a global and local vision, and a collaborative environment where knowledge is shared to foster professional development. I’m excited to be part of a team of experts with extensive experience and a clear strategic vision,” María notes. “This opportunity allows me to continue learning and deepening my understanding of communication, innovation, and shopper behaviour, helping brands connect more effectively with their audiences. From this holistic perspective, I take on the role of a “brand doctor”: assessing brand health, identifying opportunities for improvement, and guiding them on their path to sustainable success.” With this latest expansion, DVJ reaffirms their mission to strengthen their position as a trusted partner for clients, both strategically and geographically. The agency’s annual Brand Growth Study, surveying over 3,000 professionals, has been boosted in Spain over the past three years, culminating in the first dedicated Spanish edition to be released this year. It will help in understanding the Spanish marketing professional better and allow DVJ to tailor their solutions to the local demands. This combination of country-specific understanding, the drive for real innovation and making research better, strong academic partnerships and dedicated local support, has made DVJ one of the fastest growing agencies in Europe.