5th edition Brand Growth Study: Data-Driven Decision Making and brand growth

Column Ronald Jansen – Consulting Partner

2021 has been well underway, so it is time for the new edition of DVJ’s Brand Growth Study. And it is a special year; it is the fifth edition of the initiative where we question marketer’s vision on brand growth, with a different subtheme each year. For 2021, we landed on Data-Driven Decision Making. I would like to explain how we arrived at this theme, but before I do, let’s take a moment to look back on Brand Growth in 2020.

It was a chilly autumn day, that first of October last year. Covid was also the reason why the Brand Growth Event could not be organised on a large scale physically, as we were so used to in recent years. But the reception at Kingcanary was warm. Proud of the speakers Trix van der Vleuten and Willem-Albert Bol who came to the studio, and with live, online presentations from none other than Les Binet and Mark Ritson. More than 600 people from 16 countries saw an hour and a half of research and discussion about brand growth and the role of creative development. An unprecedented number of participants experienced the event as very inspiring, which led to various follow-up workshops. Something we, as DVJ Insights, are very proud of.

Through this initiative, we of course learn more and more about marketers and how they see their profession. This knowledge about the field has led to other great partnerships in 2020, such as with NIMA, IAB, DPG, and Adformatie. From the Brand Growth Study and all these other studies, it became clear that marketing data, big data, data-driven marketing, and decision making is a topic that concerns many marketers. So, it wasn’t a difficult decision. But what is data-driven decision making in marketing? How does it lead to brand growth? And is it not at odds with the movement that brands should become increasingly human? We have many more questions, so every reason to focus on this topic in 2021.

Now that the vaccinations have started, we hope to organise a physical Brand Growth Event towards the end of the year. We will of course keep you informed via our newsletters and website. Make sure to visit the website regularly, as you can read summaries of our vision discussions throughout the year. If you have an opinion about Data-Driven Decision Making and brand growth and want to share your vision, let us know! In short, I look forward to another educational year with many interesting and fun conversations. So, who knows, I or one of our DVJ consultants may speak to you soon!