Generative AI gives advertisers something they have always wanted: more creative output, produced faster and at lower cost. But a new question is emerging. What happens when consumers know that AI was involved? That question is becoming increasingly relevant as European transparency requirements around certain forms of AI-generated and manipulated content come into effect. The discussion therefore moves beyond whether marketers can use AI. The more interesting question is how

For Antonia Dedekind, innovation is not about launching the next exciting product for the sake of technical feasibility or novelty. Based on her experience across consumer insights and innovation, sustainable brand growth starts much earlier: with a deep understanding of consumers, culture and the human truths a brand can credibly own. When Antonia joined Pandora seven years ago, she started in Consumer Insights before moving into Innovation, where she now leads the company’s

One in four Dutch people do not invest despite having the financial means to do so. So, what is stopping them? Research by DVJ Insights for DUFAS reveals that the biggest barriers go beyond money – from lack of knowledge and fear of making mistakes to information overload and the feeling that investing is simply “not my world”. The challenge: Why do financially capable consumers not invest? As financial security becomes increasingly important, DUFAS, the Dutch Fund and Asse

Stockholm, 9 september 2026 – DVJ Insights har vunnit det globala ESOMAR-priset för Best Social Impact Research för NIVEA CONNECT. Utmärkelsen uppmärksammar arbetet med att skapa en djupare förståelse för ensamhet och omsätta forskningsresultaten i konkreta samhällsinsatser. I centrum för det prisbelönta arbetet står NIVEA CONNECT COMPASS, ett globalt forskningsprogram som omfattar fler än 30 000 personer i 13 länder. Syftet med studien var att öka förståelsen för en av sam

When Kellanova separated from Kellogg Company in 2023, it sharpened its ambition to become a global snacking leader. For Carmel Balala, Senior European Away From Home Channel Strategy Manager, that ambition is particularly visible in the Away From Home (AFH) channel. From convenience stores and cinemas to pubs, hospitals and leisure venues, growth is no longer simply about increasing distribution. It is about understanding consumer occasions, tailoring propositions to differe

The Myth of the Second Purchase One of the most persistent beliefs in concept testing is that repeat purchase lies beyond its reach. A concept test may indicate whether consumers are interested in an innovation. It may help predict whether they will notice it, consider it or perhaps try it for the first time. But whether they subsequently buy it again is commonly assumed to depend almost entirely on the actual product experience.

Marketers have more data, technology and tools than ever, but Dan White believes that does not necessarily make marketing better. The real challenge is knowing what evidence matters, turning it into action and retaining the human judgement needed to make good decisions. As a marketing consultant, author and founder of SmartMarketing.me, Dan is known for translating complex marketing concepts into simple visual frameworks. Having spent much of his career studying advertising e

After nearly two decades working across media, strategy, creativity and business, Fernando López-Quero has developed a broad perspective on what truly drives brand growth. Having worked with brands across sectors ranging from banking and energy to luxury and entertainment, he believes growth is rarely the result of a single discipline or KPI. Instead, it comes from connecting brand, culture, media, data and creativity into one coherent strategy. In this conversation, Fernando

Utrecht, 1 September 2026 - DVJ Insights, the global market research agency that has achieved consistent organic growth for more than a decade, announces the appointment of Jolique Weelink as Global Commercial Director. In this role, Jolique will be responsible for shaping and executing DVJ’s global commercial strategy and driving the company’s continued growth. Jolique brings extensive experience in commercial leadership within the international market research industry. Dur

In categories where consumers rarely spend much time thinking about brands, building growth requires a different kind of discipline. Laundry detergent, floor cleaners, soap and shampoo are often low-involvement purchases, yet competition is intense, private labels are strong, and the retail landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented. For Nina Holen, Media & Communication Director at Orkla Home & Personal Care (OHPC), brand growth starts with a simple principle: know your

Why artificial intelligence has become one of the hardest things in enterprise technology to budget AI is not one stable product with one stable price. It is a stack of models, reasoning settings, tokens, routing, service tiers and credits. Each layer can change independently, turning annual procurement into management of a moving computational market. For decades, enterprise software procurement rested on a stable unit: the licence. Products evolved, but a seat still bought

Growing a destination brand is fundamentally different from growing a conventional product brand. There is no single product or consumer experience to control. Instead, Visit North Zealand must bring together hundreds of attractions, hotels, restaurants and local businesses under one clear and compelling destination story. For Allan Askov Christoffersen, Head of Marketing & Partnerships at Visit North Zealand, growth depends on creating awareness of the region, helping peop

Marginal Gains: Why Tiny Improvements Create Extraordinary Success In elite sport, winning rarely comes from one revolutionary breakthrough. More often, it is the result of relentlessly improving hundreds of small details. This philosophy became famous through the transformation of British Cycling under Sir Dave Brailsford. Ahead of the London Olympics, his ambition was not simply to train harder than everyone else. Instead, he looked for countless opportunities to improve pe

In a world where artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, international mobility is becoming more complex, and prospective students have more educational options than ever before, business schools face a growing challenge: how do you stay relevant and continue to grow? For Lucy McCulloch, Director of Digital Experience at Hult International Business School, the answer lies in combining a clear brand proposition with constant adaptation. As a globally focused instituti

For Rabobank, brand growth is not about becoming louder or simply more visible. It is about making the bank’s cooperative identity relevant in today’s world. For Chris Kersbergen, Head of Global Brand, and Esther Vernhout, Brand Strategist, that means building from Rabobank’s distinctive DNA: not just being a bank, but a cooperative bank with a role in society. With “Onze Bank” (Our Bank), Rabobank has found a platform that makes this idea simple, recognisable and flexible en

Customer Journey and Path-to-Purchase studies have become a staple of modern marketing. They offer an intuitive way to understand how consumers move from awareness to consideration, purchase, and beyond. Often, the findings are visualised as a journey map or funnel: a sequence of touchpoints arranged in neat order, suggesting a structured progression from one stage to the next. The appeal is obvious. These frameworks are easy to understand, easy to communicate, and visually c

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 s

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 prod

Why AI Agents Make Deterministic Code More Important