About
We guide brands on how to be relevant and meaningful in the lives of people.
People expect more and more of brands
Besides offering the best service for the best price, they expect brands to make impact, to be an extension of their identity or help them navigate this complex world.
In a time of constant change and constantly increasing customer expectations, the biggest fear for most brands today is the loss of brand relevance. People are connected through a huge network and share everything – good and bad. Markets are constantly shifting. New trends are emerging. Competitors enter the market unexpectedly and change the game right in front of your face. And customers expect brands to make a contribution to society. As a result, many companies struggle to stay relevant – they try to stay ahead of the competition, adapt quickly enough and maintain their position in the market. But there are simply too many variables. What gives you something to hold on to of? What gives you the right guidance? What should you focus on as a brand?
We believe brands should start by adapting to the changing human needs and behaviors. As a brand, you are only of value when people appreciate you and remain loyal to you. This is achieved by connecting with the changing needs and values of people. That way, you are truly relevant. And you take your place in a world where no one knows exactly what the future holds. To be relevant, brands are not required to be certain about abstract future visions or new technologies. Relevance lies within the human context.
The key to stay relevant
This calls for brands to deepen their understanding of peoples needs and their changing behavior. To enrich their customer data and product-market related insights, often focused on the short term, with a thorough understanding of the underlying needs and drivers of the people.
Because If you understand people’s deepest needs, then you know exactly how to be relevant. Today, tomorrow and the day after that.
But where do you start? How do you separate hypes from structural insights? And how do you do the right things to meet those needs? By looking at the way people relate to brands and to each other. And to the broader context in which they live.
We do this by researching sociocultural trends. Not volatile hypes, but well-founded academic research into the changing behavior and the changing needs of people.
Who we are
We’re an independent, boutique consultancy firm, founded almost 20 years ago. With the initial mission to improve marketing and communication by integrating research, trends and creativity. Over the years we’ve evolved into the trend consultancy we are today. We are a team with diverse background and areas of expertise – from social science and psychology majors to creative designers and management consultants. Together we have a wealth of knowledge about human sciences, branding, marketing and organizational issues. We share the conviction that a human centric mindset is key. We are a sincere, no-nonsense team that likes to create impact by being smart and relevant for our customers.
Facts & Figures
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Location
Utrecht
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Founded
just after the millennium, in 2003
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Fact
Our insights are relevant for all cultures - we applied our model in: USA, Brazil, Zweden, Egypt, Austria, Turkey, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Russia, China, Belgium, Japan, Thailand, Germany, Finland, Iran, Malaysia, Spain, Singapore, Taiwan and Mexico.
Kees Elands
Founder & Strategist
Aljan de Boer
Keynote speaker
Nicola Baxter
Head of Finance
Kim Pillen
Consultant
Douwe Knijff
Researcher
Marion Endres
Board Member
