During Show Up, powerful insights on local impact and outstanding entertainment followed one another in rapid succession
In the digital noise that dominates the industry today, DPG Media Advertising made a clear and powerful case for branding and memory brands on Thursday evening, June 11. This year’s edition was aptly titled 'Voice against Noise'. CCO Wim Jansen and keynote speakers Simon Peel (former Head of Global Media at Adidas) and Prof. Dr. Augustine Fou (expert in ad fraud) delivered a strong message: there is an urgent need to refocus on branding through local, premium media brands. Years of prioritizing short-term performance metrics have significantly eroded brand awareness.
Hundreds of advertisers, media agencies, creative agencies, and partners gathered on Thursday evening at Medialaan in Vilvoorde, where entertainment has been broadcast live every day for many years. DPG Media Advertising explicitly positions itself as an honest, transparent, and local alternative to big tech companies that approach the market in a disruptive way. Ad Manager, as an exceptionally high-performing local advertising platform, is the ultimate proof of this.
Keynote speakers Simon Peel (brand strategist and former Head of Global Media at Adidas), Prof. Dr. Augustine Fou (expert in ad fraud), Tim Van Doorslaer, Head of Research at DPG Media Advertising, and Toon Coppens, Director Advertising Data & AI BENE at DPG Media, opened the evening with a series of insights and forward-looking perspectives. One message stood out clearly: real growth begins and ends with 'bothism' — a balanced allocation of budgets between branding and performance within an advertising campaign.
"Resist the temptation to optimise only for short-term activation. and combine demand capture with demand building, what is referred to as 'bothism'. Most consumers are simply not in-market at any given time: only around 5% of consumers are actively looking to buy, while the remaining 95% represent future demand", says Tim Van Doorslaer.
While decision-makers and marketing teams have fallen into the trap of short-term metrics, driven by Big Tech, extensive research shows that the prolonged use of these short-term indicators erodes brand awareness. Today’s digital ecosystem is flooded with algorithms and superficial stimuli. That is why it is crucial to invest in quality, through Belgian entertainment.
Ad Manager: transparent with AI
Ad Manager supports this vision. DPG Media offers a broad local network of news media, connected TV, and now also audio platforms, combined with data-driven optimization and measurable results. No high tech fees, no broken promises. Every euro invested in Ad Manager is invested directly in media. This is the ultimate USP with which the local Ad Manager platform positions itself against Big Tech.
“We are building the ‘Voice against Noise’ at DPG Media every single day,” says CCO Wim Jansen. “Through strong brands, powerful stories, and entertainment that truly resonates with Belgians. And by developing our own independent platforms with transparent metrics and top-level built-in AI tools, which we make available to the market. This is the ultimate example of local impact, made easy."