In dit artikel leggen de leden van de DDMA Commissie Digital Marketing Transformation uit wat full funnel marketing inhoudt en lichten zij een KPI-framework dat je praktisch kunt toepassen uit. Ook vind je in dit artikel do’s en dont’s én een succesvol praktijkvoorbeeld. Het artikel is ook verschenen op Emerce.
Van one-size-fits-all naar relevantie
De afgelopen jaren heeft er een shift plaatsgevonden van ‘one-size-fits-all’-achtige push-marketing naar een meer gesegmenteerde en gerichte aanpak. Consumenten zitten niet meer te wachten om advertenties te zien van een product of dienst van een bedrijf waar ze geen gebruik van zullen maken of niet mee geassocieerd willen worden. Sterker nog, het zorgt voor een negatieve merkassociatie met bedrijven die dit wel nog op deze agressieve manier aanpakken.
Capabele marketeers begrijpen dat het belangrijk is om product in de markt te zetten op een specifieke en relevante manier en duidelijk te maken waarom dit zo goed past in het leven van hun doelgroep. Het begrijpen van de mogelijke ‘customer journeys’ die een potentiële klant af kan leggen van bewustzijn naar aankoop is hiervoor een vereiste. Deze verschilt per persoon en per product of dienst. Zo ziet het aankoopproces van een keuken er heel anders uit dan het aankoopproces van een t-shirt.
Full funnel marketing
Nadat een potentiële klant het idee krijgt dat hij mogelijk je product zou willen aanschaffen, heeft hij vaak tijd nodig om zich te oriënteren. Als je jouw marketingstrategie benadert vanuit klantperspectief, dan realiseer je je dat een klant vaak niet direct een actie onderneemt zonder dit oriëntatieproces. Je marketingstrategie moet hier goed op aansluiten. Hoe zorg je ervoor dat een potentiële klant van jouw bedrijf afweet, zich oriënteert en uiteindelijk de aankoop bij jou doet?
Het antwoord is full funnel marketing. Een strategie waarbij je in elke fase van de journey relevant bent als bedrijf en hier ook de juiste kanalen en middelen inzet om je doelgroep te bereiken. Een wereld waarbij de communicatieafdeling een branding-campagne bedenkt en de online marketeers onafhankelijk een performance-campagne optuigen is dus verleden tijd. Het één gaat niet zonder het ander.
Om per fase van de customer journey te bepalen welke middelen en welke communicatieboodschap je gebruikt, zijn er een aantal gangbare modellen die je kunt gebruiken. Van de meer traditionele modellen zoals Touch, Tell, Sell tot moderne modellen als See, Think, Do, Care.
Dergelijke modellen dwingen marketeers om na te denken vanuit de klant. De vraag die centraal dient te staan is ‘Aan welke boodschap heeft mijn (potentiële) klant behoefte in deze specifieke fase van de customer journey en hoe zorg ik ervoor dat mijn boodschap in alle fases op elkaar aansluit?’ Dit laatste onderdeel is vaak onderschat, maar een logische opvolging in communicatieberichten is cruciaal voor het succes van een full funnel marketing-strategie.
KPI-framework voor full funnel marketing
Maar hoe weet je of je boodschap de juiste is en hoe optimaliseer je hierop? Wanneer je puur optimaliseert op performance dan zijn je KPI’s vaak duidelijk. Wanneer je optimaliseert op basis van de customer journey dan zijn er meer KPI’s waar je rekening mee moet houden. Essentieel hiervoor is een KPI-framework. Met een KPI-framework ben je in staat om per fase van de customer journey te bepalen voor welke metrics je optimaliseert en of je marketing inzet succesvol is geweest. Hieronder vind je een voorbeeld van een KPI-framework.
In het KPI-framework staat de belangrijkste KPI geformuleerd – in dit voorbeeld zijn dat leads – maar ook KPI’s die hier direct en indirect aan bijdragen. Elke fase in het model heeft zijn eigen KPI’s waarop gestuurd wordt. Marketing inzet in de See-fase wordt in dit geval bijvoorbeeld niet direct afgerekend op leads, maar wel op hoe er indirect aan wordt bijgedragen. De Care-fase is in dit voorbeeld niet meegenomen.
Do’s en don’ts voor full funnel marketing
Leuk, die theorie, maar hoe realiseer je nou daadwerkelijk een succesvolle full funnel marketingstrategie? Een aantal praktische tips:
Do’s
- Stel per fase (per KPI) een meetbaar target op. Begin vanuit je hoofddoelstelling en reken vervolgens terug wat dit betekent voor de doelstellingen van de fases hoger in de funnel. Zo kun je bijvoorbeeld je salesdoelstelling terugrekenen naar traffic en views.
- Speel in op de behoefte van de (potentiële) klant, afhankelijk van de fase waarin hij of zij zit en stem de content en boodschap hierop af.
- Zorg dat de boodschappen en uitingen voor de verschillende fases goed op elkaar aansluiten
- Hou bij het bepalen van de maximale CPA (Cost Per Acquistion, in de Do-fase) rekening met de initiatieven binnen de campagne die niet direct op sales worden afgerekend (maar wel kosten met zich meebrengen)
Don’ts
- Zorg dat plannen voor full funnel-campagnes niet per fase door verschillende teams worden uitgewerkt
- Focus je bij grootschalige performance-campagnes niet alleen op kanalen die direct converteren. Zonder de juiste aandacht voor upper- en midfunnel-initiatieven zul je waarschijnlijk je hoofddoelstelling niet halen.
- Denk niet dat al je (potentiële) klanten lineair door alle fases van de customer journey lopen, zoals jij het van tevoren bedacht hebt. Hou hier rekening mee in de boodschap in mid- en lowerfunnel-uitingen.
Full funnel marketing in de praktijk
Case: NS – Treinpakkers
De Treinpakkers-campagne van NS bestaat uit voordelige uitjes in combinatie met een treinticket, zoals musea, stedentrips, beurzen, dierentuinen en pretparken. Binnen deze grootschalige campagne worden verschillende marketingdoelstellingen nagestreefd, zoals het vergroten van de bekendheid van deze producten, het creëren van overweging voor het gebruik ervan en (uiteindelijk) de aankoop van de producten. Daarbij werden voorheen al wel verschillende uitingen en kanalen ingezet voor de verschillende marketingdoelstellingen, maar deze initiatieven sloten vaak niet goed op elkaar aan.
In de nieuwe full funnel marketing-aanpak is ervoor gezorgd dat dit veel meer op elkaar is afgestemd. Zo zijn er bijvoorbeeld in de See-fase dynamische video’s ingezet met algemene informatie over Treinpakkers. Consumenten die deze video hebben uitgekeken, kregen vervolgens enkele dagen later video’s en banners te zien met informatie over specifieke Treinpakkers-deals (Think-fase). Degenen die deze video’s uitkeken of klikten op de banners werden vervolgens geretarget met meer salesgerichte banners over een specifiek product (Do-fase).
Dit heeft onder meer geresulteerd in een significante stijging van Treinpakkers-aankopen en daling van de CPA van de ads die ingezet werden, vergeleken met eerdere campagnes die op een meer traditionele manier werden ingezet.
Hoe nu verder
Met het bovengenoemde framework, de do’s & dont’s en de voorbeeldcase kun je aan de slag met full funnel marketing. Ons advies: gewoon beginnen. Start klein en ga vervolgens aan de hand van inzichten langzaam campagnes uitbouwen, budgetten anders verdelen en je interne stakeholders meenemen. Dit zorgt voor een hogere ROI uit je marketinguitgaven, intern voor een goede teamspirit en natuurlijk meer relevantie richting jouw doelgroep. Want dat is wat je uiteindelijk wil bereiken: de klant altijd in de juiste context én op het juiste moment raken.
Op donderdag 5 maart organiseert de commissie Digital Marketing Transformation een Afternoon Update over de impact van marketplaces. Er zijn nog maar een paar plekken beschikbaar!
Writing for the agent: when your customer’s AI reads your email first
In this article we look at what is actually changing in the inbox, what the parallel to search means in practice for marketing teams in the Netherlands, and how to write an email that holds up under both human and machine reading. We close with five principles and a note on where rich, themed campaigns still belong.
The agent layer is here
The change has happened quickly. Apple Intelligence email summaries have been available since iOS 18.1 and now run automatically on supported devices. Gmail’s Gemini-powered summary cards appear above messages the algorithm decides are long or complex enough to compress, and Google is adding AI to more parts of Gmail, from prioritization to reply drafting. Outlook Copilot is mainstream in enterprise. Third-party clients like Superhuman AI, Shortwave, Notion Mail and Arc Mail go further: the agent ranks, archives, replies and escalates without the user reading the original at all.
The dentsu 2026 CMO Navigator captures the broader picture. Nine in ten CMOs report that emerging AI capabilities are already reshaping their strategy, and the report calls this the “Algorithmic Era” (source). Email is one of the next places where AI will become visible to consumers, and where the impact for marketers is most immediate.
What changes when the first reader is a model
When a model reads first, three things change. Each has direct implications for how marketing email is briefed and written.
Subject line and preheader become decisive (again). In the early days of email marketing, subject line and preheader were treated as the most important 100 characters in a campaign. Dynamic preview rendering and image-led emails reduced their relative weight. Today, AI summarizers use the subject and preheader as primary signals for what to highlight, and how to summarize. Witty subject lines can still drive opens with human readers, but if they obscure the key message they will hurt summarization accuracy.
Structure beats flowing text. Hierarchical, scannable content gives AI summarizers more reliable signals. According to Attentive’s analysis of Gmail’s Gemini behavior, the first 100 to 200 characters of body copy drive the summary (source). The implication: place the value at the top and structure the rest. Long-form storytelling will be compressed to its core claim. If the core claim is buried, the model identifies a different one.
The proposition has to be extractable. If your offer cannot be stated in one sentence, the model will produce its own version. That version may not match your intended takeaway. Preheaders that contradict subject lines, headlines that compete with each other, and relevant info sitting in the bottom half all fail this test. Write the one-line summary you want first, then check that the email actually leads with it.
Lessons from search, lessons from commerce
Search has already been through this transition. SEO became GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) once LLMs entered search. dentsu has commercialized GEO as a service and has published on the Algorithmic Era of search, with new KPIs like True AI Share of Voice and a GenAI Visibility Index (source).
Email is going through the same transition. AI summarizes rather than ranks, but the marketer’s job is the same as in search: write content that is readable for the human recipient and for the AI that prepares what the recipient sees. Some practitioners call this Email Engine Optimization or agent-readable email. The label matters less than the underlying change.
Commerce shows what this looks like when it goes further. When Merkle tested AI shopping agents, the agents recommended products without visiting any brand websites. The agent chose where to source from, and brand sites were only one option; the recommendation came from what the LLM already knew (source). The brand had little role in the decision. Email works differently: the AI is given one specific email and asked to summarize it, so the brand’s words are the only input. But the principle is the same. Content not written for both readers will be summarized in ways the brand cannot predict.
What good looks like: five principles
These five principles apply to almost any campaign and are part of our standard processes.
- Lead with the substance, not the warm-up. The first 100 to 200 characters of body copy now decide how the model summarizes the email. “Hi, we hope you are well. We have something exciting to share…” trains the AI to produce a summary about pleasantries. Open with the value, the offer, the deadline, or the news. Approach the opening line as the input to a summary, not as the introduction to a letter.
- Structure first, flowing stories second. Use clear sections, descriptive headings, short paragraphs and explicit markers (“Offer ends Friday at 23:59”, “What’s included:” followed by a bulleted list). AI systems parse structured content well and extract meaning from long paragraphs less reliably. The closer your email looks to a well-marked-up document, the more reliably the model surfaces what you intended.
- Make the proposition extractable. If a model could only return one sentence about your campaign, what would you want it to say? If you cannot answer that question quickly, neither your readers nor their AI assistants will. Test extractability before sending: write the desired one-line summary first, then check that the email actually leads with it. Or use your LLM to do so.
- Subject and preheader are content, not packaging. Brief them as carefully as the body. Avoid treating the subject as a teaser and the preheader as the punchline. AI summaries are more accurate when subject, preheader and opening line align. What feels repetitive to a human reader can help the model identify the correct takeaway.
- Test the summary before you send. Before approving any campaign, run it through Apple Intelligence, Gmail’s summary card and Outlook Copilot. If the summary the model generates is not the takeaway you intended, the email is not ready to send, regardless of the visuals. It is a quick step that few email marketeers have built into their workflow. We have built it into ours: agent-readability checks are part of the standard QA we now apply across client campaigns.
We apply this thinking to our own work for clients, where AI-readability is no longer a side experiment but a core part of how we build campaigns. These principles describe what Merkle calls content optimized for human engagement and machine comprehension. The wording comes from a different channel (commerce), but the underlying logic applies to email as well.
Where rich, themed campaigns still belong
These principles do not call for every email to become a plain-text functional message. Brand storytelling, re-engagement, visual product discovery and loyalty narratives still benefit from rich design, dynamic content and creativity. These formats still work, provided the principles above are applied to them.
The constraint is that visual richness needs to be balanced with a textual and structural layer the AI can read. A visually heavy email that lacks a clear textual lead-in, descriptive alt text and a single extractable message will summarize badly. A heavily visual email with those elements in place can still summarize well, and still serve the human reader who scrolls.
Some email types are more exposed to AI summarization than others. Long, narrative-led brand emails are most affected, because the elements that AI removes are often the ones that carry the message. Transactional confirmations are largely unaffected. Promotional emails sit between the two: they perform worse when the offer is buried under creative, and better when the offer is clearly visible alongside the visuals. For each campaign type, decide whether the AI summary is decisive or supporting, and brief accordingly.
Two short cases
1: What the public market shows
Two patterns are visible in the public newsletter market.
The first is the daily-brief format used by senders like Morning Brew: a tight summary at the top, deep links below. This format works well for AI summarization, since the summary card and the email’s own intro tend to say the same thing.
The second is visible in the major Dutch news brands. NRC, de Volkskrant and FD have all moved towards plain, factual subject lines and preheaders that summarize the story directly rather than tease it. Compared to two years ago, the visual density of these emails is lower, and the textual hierarchy is sharper. These programs are adapting in advance of broader AI summarization in mainstream consumer mail clients.
2: A small experiment any team can run this week
Take ten of your most recent campaigns and do three things with each:
- Forward each to a Gmail address running Gemini summaries and screenshot the summary card.
- Open each on an iOS device with Apple Intelligence enabled and screenshot the summary.
- Paste the HTML into Outlook Copilot and ask for a one-sentence summary.
Then compare the summaries to your campaign brief. Count how many of the ten match the intended takeaway. In a first test, most teams find that fewer than half of their emails produce the summary they intended. Seeing your own emails summarized by three different models makes the principles above concrete. The gap between intended and actual summary tells you whether a campaign is optimized for the agent layer in email.
What this means for our processes
For marketing teams, the implications are structural rather than only stylistic. Email has joined search and product content as a channel that must serve two readers at once: the human recipient and the agent that determines what the recipient sees. Treating this purely as a copywriting question would underestimate the change. This way of writing needs to be built into briefing templates, QA checklists and approval steps, not left to individual copywriters.
Key takeaways
- The first reader of a marketing email is increasingly a model, not a human.
- Subject line, preheader and the first 100 to 200 characters of body copy drive the summary.
- Structure, an extractable core message, and alignment between subject, preheader and opening line support both human and machine reading.
- Rich, themed campaigns still work, provided they include a clear textual layer the AI can parse.
- Add a step to test the AI summary before sending.
When the first reader is a model, write for both.
This is an article by EMAS 2026 Gold Sponsor Merkle.
Curious how to put this into practice? Visit EMAS 2026 on June 11 at Circa Amsterdam. Be inspired by international speakers and discover how to take your email marketing to the next level. Tickets and programme: shop.emas.nu
Joost van Dam
Senior Strategist | Merkle Nederland.
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Kempinski Hotels provides new subscribers with a refined introduction, achieving an 84% satisfaction rate
New focus on email welcome campaign
Previously, individuals who subscribed to the Kempinski newsletter were immediately incorporated into the hotel’s regular communication stream. However, Kempinski places great importance on engaging its audience in the distinctive world of the brand. For this reason, a dedicated welcome campaign was developed to offer new subscribers an introduction to what makes Kempinski Hotels truly exceptional.
In this article, we demonstrate how, through the strategic use of well-crafted emails, delivered in the appropriate sequence and with carefully considered content, organisations like Kempinski Hotels can present themselves effectively and achieve high levels of audience satisfaction.
Why Kempinski transitioned to a branded welcome experience
By implementing a structured welcome journey, Kempinski Hotels was able to present the diverse facets of its brand in a clear and accessible way, while offering a preview of the content subscribers can expect in future communications.
How Kempinski implemented the welcome journey
Kempinski had a clear vision of the messaging but required support to ensure effective execution. An initial campaign flow and a series of templates were therefore developed, which the internal team subsequently enriched with visuals and brand-aligned copy. Once the English-language version was finalised, conditional logic was applied to incorporate German-language variants, maintaining a streamlined user experience without adding unnecessary complexity to the setup.
Following the double opt-in, subscribers receive the first welcome email immediately. The subsequent four emails are delivered at three-day intervals, providing a structured and consistent introduction to the brand. This approach gradually highlights key experiences and sets clear expectations for future communications. By the end of the journey, subscribers are more informed, engaged, and well-prepared to transition seamlessly into the primary mailing program.
Clearly defined topics in every email
Each email within the flow addresses a distinct theme:
- A general introduction
- Preferences: identifying the types of hotels and destinations of interest to the recipient
- Member benefits: building on initial engagement from the outset
- Boutique and vouchers: extending the Kempinski experience beyond the stay
- What’s next: providing an “instant destination match” and inviting new subscribers to share feedback on the welcome series
The welcome journey can be visualised as a structured sequence of emails, each contributing to a cohesive introduction to the Kempinski brand.
At every stage of the journey, recipients are given the option to bypass the remaining emails and transition directly into the main subscriber group. This process is fully automated and operates seamlessly in the background, requiring no manual intervention aside from periodic reviews to update and refresh content. For Kempinski, this results in a flexible, low-maintenance system that adapts to individual subscriber preferences without introducing additional operational complexity.
Email 1 – Introduction
The opening email in the welcome journey begins with a concise introduction to Kempinski’s longstanding heritage in delivering luxury hospitality experiences. It also introduces the “Lady in Red” as the distinctive sending persona.
The subsequent paragraph clarifies that the message forms part of a broader email series and emphasises the wide range of destinations within the Kempinski portfolio. At this early stage of the welcome journey, limited information is typically available about the recipient, making a broad approach particularly effective.
The “Inspire Me” call to action directs recipients to the “Our Stories” section of the website, which features curated content such as “Berlin’s Hidden Gems” and “The Best Things to Do with 2 Hours in Singapore.”
Finally, recipients are given the option to opt out of the welcome series with a single click. This functionality provides a user-friendly experience and ensures that subscribers retain full control over the communications they receive.
The inbox fields are as follows:
- Sender: Kempinski | Lady in Red
- Subject: Welcome to the world of Kempinski
- Preheader: Welcome email 1 of 5
Email 2 – Getting to Know the Subscriber
While a broad approach is effective for the initial introduction, it is important to refine the understanding of subscriber preferences as early and seamlessly as possible in the journey.
The second email in the Kempinski flow addresses this directly: “Click the link below to share your preferences and ensure that we bring the most relevant offers and content to your inbox.” This messaging clearly emphasises the value for the recipient, rather than focusing on the benefit of data collection for the brand.
The inbox fields are as follows:
- Sender: Kempinski | Lady in Red
- Subject: What’s your travel style?
- Preheader: Welcome email 2 of 5
The corresponding landing page is thoughtfully structured, beginning with a brief introduction before presenting ten categories designed to capture the subscriber’s travel preferences.
This approach provides a strong example of effectively narrowing down interests without overwhelming the recipient. While it would have been possible to include an extensive range of options, such as specific destinations, cuisines, or climates. Kempinski has intentionally kept the selection concise and manageable.
Balancing the “getting to know you” element with an opportunity for recipients to further explore the Kempinski brand creates a well-rounded experience. Brands often place significant emphasis on communicating their own story, sometimes at the expense of user relevance. In this case, Kempinski successfully maintains that balance, ensuring the content remains both engaging and customer-centric.
Email 3 & 4 – Loyalty Programme and “Bring Kempinski Home”
In some cases, a direct and focused approach is the most effective. Kempinski applies this principle in the third email by placing the “Join Now / Log in” call to action prominently at the top of the message, followed by a clear overview of the associated benefits to encourage further engagement.
The inbox details for the third email are as follows:
- Sender: Kempinski | Lady in Red
- Subject: Have you unlocked member benefits?
- Preheader: Welcome email 3 of 5
The subsequent content highlights ways to extend the Kempinski experience beyond the hotel stay. For example, the familiar comfort of a hotel bed is translated into an at-home experience through Kempinski-approved bed linen. Similarly, the appeal of hotel dressing gowns is leveraged by offering these items for purchase.
These initiatives represent classic examples of brand extension extending beyond the core service into complementary products. This approach effectively addresses a common limitation of hospitality experiences -their temporary nature- by creating opportunities to sustain engagement and strengthen brand affinity beyond the stay itself.
For completeness, the inbox details for the fourth email are as follows:
- Sender: Kempinski | Lady in Red
- Subject: Have you unlocked member benefits?
- Preheader: Welcome email 4 of 5
Email 5 – What’s Next
The fifth and final email in the series serves to consolidate the journey, summarising key themes from the previous messages and reinforcing expectations for future communications, including news and travel inspiration from Kempinski.
The email concludes with an interactive, card-based feature that presents personalised destination suggestions, helping subscribers identify locations aligned with their interests.
The inbox details for the fifth email are as follows:
- Sender: Kempinski | Lady in Red
- Subject: Which Kempinski will you visit next?
- Preheader: Welcome email 5 of 5
Results and Impact
The results of the welcome journey have been highly encouraging. To date, 43,000 subscribers have completed the journey, with 84% of feedback collected through the fifth email being positive. By explicitly inviting recipients to evaluate the series, Kempinski gains valuable insights that can be used to further optimise the experience.
The introduction of the welcome journey has also strengthened confidence in marketing automation and encouraged the exploration of additional use cases for this technology. In particular, the feedback component has proven to be a valuable mechanism for deepening engagement and understanding subscriber preferences.
Welcome journeys represent a powerful tool for organisations across industries. By capitalising on initial interest, they help maintain brand visibility and relevance during the early stages of the customer relationship. This is particularly impactful for considered purchases, such as travel, where customers typically invest time in exploring options and comparing offers.
For those interested in experiencing the journey firsthand, it is possible to subscribe to the Kempinski newsletter via their website.
This is an article by EMAS 2026 Gold Sponsor Spotler.
Curious how to put this into practice? Visit EMAS 2026 on June 11 at Circa Amsterdam. Be inspired by international speakers and discover how to take your email marketing to the next level. Tickets and programme: emas.nu
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DDMA lanceert vernieuwd marketingevent: DDMA NEXT | The New Marketing Reality
Volgens DDMA verandert het marketingvak momenteel fundamenteel. Kunstmatige intelligentie automatiseert steeds meer uitvoerende taken, consumentendata wordt breder toegankelijk en technologische toepassingen zijn steeds minder onderscheidend vermogen op zichzelf. Tegelijkertijd groeit de druk op organisaties om aantoonbare impact, vertrouwen en relevantie te realiseren.
“De discussie over AI gaat nog vaak over tools en experimenten, terwijl de echte vraag inmiddels veel groter is,” zegt Judith Oude Sogtoen, directeur van DDMA. “Hoe organiseer je marketing wanneer technologie niet langer het onderscheid maakt, maar de basisvoorwaarde wordt? Welke rol spelen strategie, governance, creativiteit en klantvertrouwen dan nog? Met DDMA NEXT brengen we daarom niet alleen nieuwe technologie in beeld, maar vooral de impact daarvan op marketingstrategie, organisatie en concurrentiekracht aan de hand van visie, praktijkcases en organisaties die laten zien hoe je ook in die nieuwe werkelijkheid relevant en onderscheidend blijft.”
DDMA, de grootste branchevereniging voor datagedreven marketing, privacy en sales in Nederland, zegt dat de vernieuwing voortkomt uit gesprekken met leden en professionals uit het vakgebied. Daaruit bleek volgens de vereniging behoefte aan meer verdieping, praktijkervaring en strategische reflectie op de toekomst van marketing, als vak en als bedrijfsfunctie.
Beyond the AI-driven organisation
Het centrale thema van DDMA NEXT 2026 is Beyond the AI-driven organisation. Daarbij ligt de nadruk niet op de vraag óf organisaties AI gebruiken, maar hoe zij concurrentievoordeel behouden in een markt waarin AI gemeengoed wordt.
Het programma bestaat uit drie inhoudelijke tracks:
- Build – met praktijkcases, frameworks en toepassingen rond AI-governance, first-party data, marketing automation, personalisatie en measurement.
- Rethink – met strategische sessies over merkbouw, creativiteit, vertrouwen en concurrentievoordeel in een AI-tijdperk.
- Exchange – interactieve workshops, roundtables en discussies over onder meer ethiek, organisatieverandering en de toekomst van marketingteams.
Daarnaast krijgen de Customer Data Awards een nieuwe plek binnen het event. Genomineerde organisaties presenteren hun cases live op het podium, waarna de winnaars tijdens DDMA NEXT bekend worden gemaakt.
Jaarlijks ijkpunt voor het marketingvak
Met het vernieuwde event wil DDMA uitgroeien tot een jaarlijks inhoudelijk ijkpunt voor professionals die werken op het snijvlak van marketing, data, technologie en klantstrategie.
“De komende jaren verschuift marketing steeds sterker van executie naar besluitvorming,” zegt Oude Sogtoen. “Juist daarom ontstaat behoefte aan een sectorbreed gesprek over hoe organisaties zich structureel aanpassen aan die nieuwe realiteit.”
DDMA NEXT vindt plaats op 26 november 2026 in Capital C in Amsterdam. De ticketverkoop start op 15 juni 2026.
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