MarketingReport spoke with us about the transformation into an EOT, the integration of AI and the dual role of AI as both a potential tool and as a source of concern and ethical issues, why we are happy to be independent and not part of a network with a listing on the stock exchange.

And of course our move to our new Playground on the Admiraal de Ruijterkade with lots of more space to think big and drive curiosity.

https://www.marketingreport.nl/interview-michel-van-den-houten-en-ge-key-big-group-amsterdam/

‘Everyone who works at big group is a partner, the transition from a few shareholders to an Employee Ownership Trust is a bold step’- and why does it matter, Ge Key @biggroup 

in conversation with Peter Wybenga en Bas Vlugt on New Business Radio. Other guests Patrick Krul – Global Head of Marketing Technology @Danone, Christiaan van Dijk – Development Director @Zigt, @Mark Koster- writer of the book ‘De Belg’ about Christian van Thillo, the media king reigning over @DPG.
https://newbusinessradio.nl/artikel/3409/marketing-report-61

Anissa started her design journey at the HKU with Interactive Narrative Design followed by her graduation Communication & Multimedia Design with a specialization in Immersive Design at Hogeschool Utrecht. She is also a keen illustrator, combining illustrations and graphic design to craft imaginative brand stories. Her work feels human and playful. Just as Anissa’s passion for birds and in particular the puffin! She herself has a pink cockatoo as a pet. 

Having begun his professional career at PPGH JWT Ben endeavored to stretch the definition of graphic design as far as he could. Exploring the potential of store design, the marriage between furniture design and corporate identity and the interplay between the analogue, digital and conceptual. Soon after Ben began working at Ogilvy where he found himself thrown headfirst into international advertising campaigns whilst keeping a close eye on the technical developments within design. Ben is always open for a chat about history, science or gadgets although most to the time he is glued to his screens. 

Fedustria is the Belgian non profit federation of the textile, wood and furniture industry.The organisation represents more than 60,000 people in 2,700 companies in Belgium. Belgians love to build. What are the possibilities? How do you take people, society and planet into account at the same time? There is only one correct answer to that question: Wood. The natural choice. Sustainable and renewable. With wood you remove tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. Is it strong enough? Yes, entire skyscrapers are made of wood. Are forests disappearing? No. Sustainable harvesting ensures more wood in the forests.With wood you choose the future. To inform and involve architects, builders, engineers big group ASM was asked to roll up its sleeves and update the website.

https://houtdenatuurlijkekeuze.be/

https://www.fedustria.be/projecten/hout-de-natuurlijke-keuze

What an honour to be among such big names

Ge Key and Michel van Houten from big AMS have been nominated again for the Marketing top 100! 🏆 Thanks to Marketing Report | Netherlands, Bas Vlugt, Peter Wybenga. The list of the 100 most influential people in the Dutch marketing world will be announced during the M100 Event, Thursday, December 7, 2023, in the Kromhouthal Amsterdam.

https://www.marketingreport.nl/reclamebureau100-2024-de-genomineerden/

Leander Wolters -Research Consultant Marketing Response

How do you really support the LGBTQ+ community? By actively involving that community in your initiatives. Involve organizations as equal partners in developing inclusive campaigns and products. A good example is Mastercard.

In the run-up to Pride, the company launched the podcast series The Pride Side, which focused not on Mastercard but on important stories from the queer community. The message is directly linked to a concrete action. A less good example is the rainbow bag from Albert Heijn. It was a pretty empty statement. A bag, but hardly any communication around it. A missed opportunity, because for a large part of the workforce (78% belong to Gen Z) and as a store for everyone, AH could make a more prominent statement.

Joeri Zwerts took us on a fascinating journey through the tropical forests of Central Africa. We heard all about Baka and Bantu peoples, bio diversity credits, 400 tree cameras, 1.5 million animal photos, algorithms tailored to the weight of animals, the number of kilos per camera, moped poachers, forest elephants, the collective memory of stinging bees, seed dispersal, Scientific Journal: Nature, Jane Goodall, Tool-using Chimpanzees, Angry Water Buffaloes and Timid Pangolins.

Irresponsible or illegal removal of timber from a tropical forest is a very small part of the problem; the real problem lies with the competition for land use. The increasing demand for agricultural products such as palm oil, beef, soy, and corn also leads to forest degradation and deforestation. In addition, new infrastructure, city extensions and the extraction of natural resources play their part in destroying the forest.

Timber can – if managed correctly – have very little impact on the forest ecosystem. At the same time, it can sustain the local economy.

Prohibition or boycotts of sustainably sourced tropical timber can very well be undermining the positive effects that timber export has to countries in the tropical regions. One of the incentives for the development of sustainable forestry in these areas is the substantial income that results from the international demand for timber. If this incentive is removed, the certification is often abolished, and the area becomes vulnerable to illegal logging, or to other kinds of land use at the expense of forests.

But although FSC has been claiming for 27 years that their guidelines result in more biodiverse forests, Zwerts says there is no conclusive proof of that yet. That is why Zwerts investigated whether FSC certification indeed has a positive effect on wild mammals in forests. To this end, he deployed 400 camera traps in the tropical forests of Gabon and Congo. He did so both in areas managed by companies that are FSC-certified, and in similar areas managed by companies that are not.

His analyses of the camera footage indicate that FSC certification has a very positive impact on larger mammals, such as leopards, gorillas, chimpanzees, forest antelopes and elephants. In non-FSC forest you see not only less larger mammals but also an overrepresentation of small rodent. According to Zwerts, this shows that FSC measures are successful at curbing hunting in certified areas. The results of the study are currently under review by the scientific journal Nature.

The goal of nonprofit organisation FSC is to promote responsible forestry, both regarding the effect on nature and the environment as well as the social

Didi has nearly 10 years of industry experience at a wide range of creative and media agencies. While finishing her BA in Communications (2013) she won the Marketing Pitch Award for her work on Renault Twizy. Her passion lies in bringing people together to do their best work.

Together with Karen (MT) she will be responsible for overseeing half of the client relationships and business operations. And maintain an environment where creativity can thrive and brands make tangible progress.