Employee blog – Research Expert Mike van Zweeden

Mike van Zweeden is a Research Expert who joined DVJ Insights in February 2023. Being his first full-time job, Mike shares what attracted him to DVJ to be his first employer; deep-dives into the projects he is working on; and introduces company culture from the Researcher´s point of view.

Mike, could you tell us how you first heard about DVJ Insights?

While studying Marketing Management at Tilburg University, Jori, DVJ’s Global Commercial Director, gave a guest lecture about using research in marketing. That’s where I was introduced to DVJ.

At one point Jori was talking about the gap between academia and practice and how DVJ tried to bridge this gap by using academic insights in their research. That really spoke to me, because during my studies I always thought it was very interesting to think about how to apply the theories that we were learning in real-world cases.

After being introduced to the academic side of research during my master’s and hearing Jori talk, I was convinced that the field of research would be a great opportunity for me to continue learning more about research but also consumer behaviour and marketing in general. So that is when I decided to apply for a research position at DVJ Insights.

Do you have any previous work experience in marketing or marketing research?

I have done brand management and marketing communication internships for which I had to write theses. That’s where I first got introduced to marketing and research in the ‘real world’. However, to me marketing research was still a bit of a grey area. For example, I could never quite figure out how companies could truly measure the effectiveness of their campaigns. And that got me thinking; since I don’t know these things yet, maybe the field of marketing research is the best place for me to start my career.

Right now I still feel the same way about it. Another nice thing about working in this field is that you can experience how different companies operate and that you get to have a bit of a look into „the marketing kitchen“ of all those big brands. I think that’s a very nice combination.

What do you think about DVJ´s way of working? And what do you like about it? Is it also the responsibility that you are given to be directly in touch with the companies from the get-go?

Yeah, that was one of the reasons for me to join DVJ. I want to use this first step after graduating to learn as much as possible and I think that at DVJ you get the opportunity to do this, by taking on the research project as a whole while you get guidance from more experienced researchers and a consultant. Still, you are the one who is in charge of the whole research process, which is great for learning opportunities.

What clients are you working with right now?

I have done a lot of projects for Dutch media companies such as DPG Media, Talpa Network and FD Mediagroup. Right now my main client is Samsung Benelux. Together with another researcher, I am responsible for their brand tracking. In addition, I am currently evaluating some of their new campaigns.

And do you like working with Samsung?

I do! Last week, I visited their office for the first time and that was really cool. I very much enjoyed experiencing their company culture and seeing what it is like to work at such a big brand. Recently, I finished one of the projects that I actually just saw on TV.

I assume one of the great things about your work is that you can point at the results and see it in real life, on the street, on TV, radio and say „Yes, this is the poster that we were testing.“

Exactly. Recently, I was watching a football match and during the commercial break, there was an ad we tested. We proposed some readjustments to the ad but were not sure if the brand actually applied them. Then during that commercial break, it was shown with our applied feedback so it was really cool to see that clients take our advice to heart.

What do you think about the company culture? Is there something you would like to highlight?

What kind of stuck with me when I first started, is that you can just approach anyone, even the CEO, and everyone is open to help or talk about projects. Everybody is very passionate, almost nerdy, about marketing and trying to understand why certain brands do well with their advertising and some do not.

Another aspect I like is the composition of people, especially within the research team. We are all in a similar phase of life. For many people, this is a first step after graduating and they are also trying to learn everything that comes to them. And of course, spending time together, for example, during Friday drinks, brings us all closer and makes it more fun to work together.

Do you have any message for those who are thinking about joining research?

To me, research is all about learning. When it comes to marketing research, this involves learning about research techniques, consumer behaviour and what makes campaigns successful. But it’s not limited to just that; you get to work with a lot of different companies and help them create impactful marketing strategies. In the end, I think it provides you with a deeper understanding of the marketing world and that’s what makes it so interesting to me. So if that resonates with you, I would surely recommend it!

Does this spark your interest?

Then learn more about the job role of the Research Expert and apply.