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Amnesty International calls attention to human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo
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That’s what we could call ‘the spark’ - that one moment in which you - as a critical consumer - feel the connection with a brand. Every day, thousands of campaigns aim to make such a lasting impact. Such a profound, emotional connection draws strength from (self-)knowledge, insight into the target group, creativity and the right, professional execution.
In this whitepaper:
‘The spark’ explained
How emotions give colour to experiences
Creativity as main ingredient
The spark by iO: our inspiring cases
Know yourself, know your customer
Fleeting, quick ideas rarely suffice to create emotional impact. Our own recipe for emotional success? Sufficient (brand) knowledge, a creative team, a rock-solid concept and professional execution. The 'spark' is a powerful thing, a unique element that transcends advertising and that you can use to appeal to your target group on a higher level. When will yours light?
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The ultimate end-of-year guide (with checklist)
With cyber week (starting Friday, Nov. 29) and the end-of-year period upon us, there are some great opportunities ahead to give sales another boost, whether you're in B2C or B2B. With this guide and checklist of no less than 61 pages (!), we help you fine-tune your marketing, communication and advertising strategy so that you catch the eye of your target audience. With this guide & checklist, compiled by our +2000 experts from different departments, you'll roll out the digital red carpet for your customers in the year-end period. Download it now.Read more
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Don't write what you want to say, but what your target audience wants to hear
Texts on your website or social media are your way to convince your target group about your service or product. Are you using the same language as your target audience? If you’re not, your message will miss, and you run the risk that your text will be ignored. A waste of your time and effort, isn't it? Here’s our 6 tips to get your content the attention it deserves.Read more
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Many companies have carefully considered design standards and guidelines. Do's-and-don'ts for design language, colour codes, logos, and positioning are clear on paper. But what about your brand voice: does your way of speaking fit your brand? All too often, this turns out to be a mismatch when it’s just as important. Do you want to know how to make a success of your brand voice? Following our seven tips will help you on your way.Read more
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Your (company) podcast in the charts? Read on.
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Our customers don't have a choice, so we take that obligation seriously
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How do you spread the sustainable message of a European market leader?
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How do you promote the local furniture industry with a creative spin?
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How does a creative brand campaign support ambitious recruitment goals?
iO created two creative and multifaceted communication campaigns to strengthen the ACLVB’s image and recruitment. Click the link to find out more.Look at this client story
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How do you generate attention for the silent engine behind the World Cup?
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How can you turn a government instance into one of the country’s star employers?
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How do you launch a new brand in the mobility industry?
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How do you digitise 133.000 years of history?
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how do you enhance the impact of the newsletter for a telecom giant?
Optimizing Content and Presentation: How iO Transformed Proximus' Newsletter Engagement. Read the case here.Look at this client story
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How to combine rebranding and site redesign for a better user experience?
Creating a Cohesive Platform: Assuralia's Rebranding and Site Redesign for Enhanced User Experience Read the story here.Look at this client story
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How do you make port jobs more appealing?
For Port of Antwerp-Bruges, we brought a brand-new job platform to the market with a creative, multimedia campaign. Read more.Look at this client story
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How to present a unified brand story for multiple companies within the same group?
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Finding and offering the right location to turn a special event into a favourite memory
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Realising growth through marketing
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How do you accelerate getting innovative lighting into the living rooms of 47 countries?
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Service design for quality services and products
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Webinar
Webinar: #tiktokmademebuyit? Meet Generation Z
Generation Z is one of the first generations to grow up in the digital world – have they already found their way to your brand? Flash forward to April 21st: iO Creative Director Clarck Masschelein’s webinar will take you on a tour of the world of Generation Z. Prepare to meet an entire generation of digital natives – we’ll teach you how to reach them through meaningful connections.Read more
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Webinar: the future of data-driven content strategy
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What is the impact of AI on SEO?
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Webinar
Webinar: elevate your brand: mastering the art of content strategy
How can you effectively utilize content to promote your brand? How can you ensure that your brand stands out with persuasive creations across the appropriate platforms? These questions will be answered in our complimentary webinar, where you'll gain insights on developing a content strategy that seamlessly aligns with your marketing channels and target audiences. Watch the recording below.Read more
White paper
Rebranding showcase
A rebranding is a powerful tool to (re)showcase the mission, vision, and values of your brand. We translate the strengths of your brand into a clever brand strategy, an expressive tone of voice, and a recognisable visual identity.Read more
White paper
Radio advertising - turbo charging your success
An easy way to increase the impact of your advertising is to advertise on the radio. Radio advertising stimulates online search behaviour and has a greater reach than through other media.Read more
White paper
Boost your conversion rate with UX research
Do you know when UX research can be useful? Here's a hint: it's not just when you're developing a new platform. Investing in UX research is also a good idea for existing websites and apps. After all, it gives you a better picture of your users and can lead to higher conversion.Read more
White paper
How do you target the untargetable? Approaching Gen Z
Gen Z is known as the most inaccessible generation ever. For brands and their commercial messages, at least. Gen Z grew up in the digital world, and the average member of Gen Z has a strong radar for brands with misleading messages or brands that communicate inauthentically.Read more
White paper
Video content in your marketing mix: the definitive guide
Spoiler alert: video is at home in your marketing mix,ideally with its own unique approach – video marketing. Video stands out, you can do a lot with it and the information it carries sticks better. It doesn’t just grab your target group’s attention, it also has an inherent credibility. For these reasons and more, video offers endless possibilities and should be more than 'just' an element in your content marketing strategy.Read more
White paper
The significance of data in digital marketing
Data help the marketeer implement digital marketing techniques in customer communication. But how do you use that data, exactly? And how can you enjoy the full force of data? In this whitepaper, we will show you how to optimise your customer and prospect communication through segmentation and personalisation. Moreover, we’ll show you how AI supports these processes.Read more
White paper
The complete SEO guide
SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is omnipresent and indispensable to the modern marketer. Because paid ads are fleeting, because you always want to findable, or because up to 80% of internet users don’t look beyond the first page of search results. This includes a wide range of factors, from your website structure to the content and links.Read more
White paper
How to develop a first-party data strategy?
But how do you get started with a first-party data strategy? What do you pay attention to? Can you still rely on third-party data? And which stakeholders do you best involve in this 'new' phase? In this whitepaper, we help you out.Read more
White paper
Why you should use video and visual storytelling in your content approach
Visual storytelling and video hit the right notes with your target audience – using words, images, and sounds. With an approach of 'less selling, more telling' you transcend the product level and tell your audience a story. This makes visual storytelling an intuitive and attractive format to create authentic bonds with your customers, employees, or prospects.Read more
White paper
The 2024 iO content calendar
“Create ridiculously good content”, an undeniably strong mantra for everyone in the business of content creation. After all, content is a unique way to share relevant and interesting stories with others and therefore forms a bridge between the company and the audience.Read more
White paper
Why email marketing still works
Whether you’re a small business or a large multinational, it’s worth considering email marketing.Read more
White paper
Creativity – how to stand out in B2B communication
Creativity in B2B communication is an important way to engage and connect with your audience. The era of the pure sales pitch is long gone, and today B2B communication is also looking for new ways to add value in the long term. Creativity builds the bridge between story, feeling and individuality. And this translates into positive business results.Read more
White paper
How do you find and motivate talent in Belgium?
The battle for talent – in other words, valuable, talented, and motivated employees – is raging harder than ever before. And that's not surprising. For every organisation, the key to success lies with the right talent. Young and old, highly educated, and self-taught, native and immigrant. How do you get them on board? And how do you stop them from looking elsewhere? Instead of using recruitment as a means to attract talent that’s based on financial promises and incentives, in the long term it’s wise to have a sustainable approach that starts from within your own organisation. In this whitepaper we will analyse the importance of your employer value proposition and take you through the recruitment do's and don'ts. Peppered with facts, figures and statistics that are relevant to the Belgian jobs market, and concrete tips, tricks, and trends.Read more
White paper
Score on socials with the Social Benchmark Report 2023
When setting goals for social content campaigns, it's crucial to ensure they are achievable and have a tangible foundation. The iO Social Benchmark Report provides you with valuable insights into the world of social content performance, so that you can make data-driven choices to optimise your social content strategy.Read more
White paper
Flawless content migrations
Do you want to rebrand your organisation? Is an acquisition or merger imminent? Or do you want to improve your customer experience, and does this require an organisational change? For these types of digital transformations, changing technology is often a challenging and crucial part for organisations of all sizes. Whether you need to upgrade the CMS system to a newer version, or you want to increase your innovation speed with a headless CMS, there is often one element that receives little attention: the content migration. Far too often, a content migration is nothing more than the last thing on the list, because it’s the technology that requires a lot of attention and budget, isn’t it? How complex can it be to lift and shift the content from the old system to the new?Read more
White paper
Make ecommerce more personal and tangible using online configurators
Consumers are increasingly used to communication that is tailored to them. An ad for 30% discount on cat food after you searched for the best kibble is an example. But so is the online purchase process of those kibbles. After all, today we want an online purchase to feel just like its physical counterpart. Online configurators are a great way to replace the eager shop assistant.Read more
White paper
5 insights from leaders in public communication
Effective communication between government and citizens is crucial in these rapidly-changing times. This whitepaper reveals five essential insights from some leading public communication professionals. Get inspired by these top leaders in the field and learn how to use branding techniques to powerfully communicate your story as a public organisation. After reading this whitepaper, you will knowRead moreWhite paper
The 2025 iO content calendar
“Create ridiculously good content”, an undeniably strong mantra for everyone in the business of content creation. After all, content is a unique way to share relevant and interesting stories with others and therefore forms a bridge between the company and the audience.Read more
White paper
16 tips to make your marketing and digitisation budget for 2025 smarter
The 2024 summer holidays are behind us and it's time for organisations to set their budgets for 2025. And that is often a more difficult task than we would like to admit. We wouldn't be iO if we hadn't come up with anything to help you with that tedious task... Get 16 tips to make your marketing and digitisation budget for 2025 smarterRead more
Blog
Do your followers know you? Keep it real on social media with User Generated Content
Social media is a high-velocity train that is met with an increasing number of obstacles. Although social media is finally included in the marketing basics, there’s no simple manual for companies. Still, not unlike a complete marketing strategy, a robust social media strategy offers your brand or organisation many opportunities.Read more
Blog
Time to add TikTok to your marketing strategy?
When it comes to the history of platforms, none have become as popular as quickly as TikTok. What started as a dance app for teens is now a global phenomenon with an undeniable cultural impact. TikTok has revived the concept of brand love — but is TikTok a safe bet for organisations? And how does TikTok fit into a marketing strategy in 2023?Read more
Blog
How behavioural science can help marketers understand (and influence) their customers' behaviour
Humans are not as rational as we think. To protect our brain from structural overload, we make a large part of our daily decisions 'on autopilot'. And by a large part I mean: more than 95%. Believe me, no matter how blue (DISC personality type) you are, this applies to everyone.Read more
Blog
Anchor your brand in your target group's culture with social media
The added value of social media is sometimes difficult for marketers to determine, apart from the results it has to offer the sales team. As a result, some tend to consider a 'must do', while it actually offers a wonderful way to gain a place in people's lives. The key is to identify your brand with the culture of your target audience, and for that, social works best. However, this requires a certain amount of courage from your brand.Read more
Blog
Content repurposing: get more out of your content
Content that performs well and generates lots of leads — every marketer's dream. But creating that kind of content is not easy. Not everything you put out is hit. And it doesn't have to be. As long as you know how to optimally use and reuse your best content. By relying on content repurposing, for instance.Read more
Blog
Discover TikTok’s innovative advertising opportunities
iO's social advertising team visited TikTok HQ for the first Benelux agency workshop. TikTok is Gen-Z's search engine, and an exciting platform that’s constantly developing new features. We’ll be highlighting the most interesting insights and opportunities we learned from TikTok in this article.Read more
Blog
5 reasons your branded podcast won’t succeed
Two microphones, a recording device, a little jingle to top it off. Your branded podcast is ready to go viral, right? Not quite. Let’s discuss several pitfalls that come with creating a branded podcast, along with tips on how to avoid them.Read more
Blog
Get the latest updates from iO through our WhatsApp Channel
Yay! There's a new way to get bite-sized content and insights from iO. In the fall of 2023, Meta launched WhatsApp Channels in more than 150 countries - including ours.Read more
Blog
2024: the next step for analytics and tracking in a 'privacy first' world
You may not have noticed, but a lot has changed in terms of analytics and tracking over the past five years. This is partly because we've already grown accustomed to many changes, and partly because their impact has come very gradually. Half a decade ago, no one knew of the existence of a cookie banner, a year later everyone thought they could never get used to it, and today we don't know any better. We've made serious strides in terms of data regulation, and perhaps the biggest steps are yet to come in 2024.Read more
Blog
2023: a year in an era of change
Does the name Leonhard Huizinga still ring a bell for anyone? Once a popular Dutch writer, now forgotten. He made his debut in 1936 with the book 'De Gestroomlijnde Wereld'. Already a wanderer at a young age, Huizinga's book opened an unknown world to many readers. An exotic world, which seemed to be getting smaller and smaller, because it was more accessible by car, train, boat, and airplane. Faster, more comfortable and with more and more streamlining — quite literally. Curious, boundless, full of wonder. Not realising, as early as 1936, that over that same world lay the shadows of tomorrow.Read more
Blog
15 Reading, listening, and viewing tips for the holiday season (and Beyond)
The end of December is list time. My colleagues at iO invited me to fill the last square of 24till24 with an inspiring list. December 24 is the last day of work before the Christmas holidays for many. That magical time of the year when the professional merry-go-round comes to a complete standstill. It isn’t just the time for family celebrations, it’s also the perfect moment to curl up on the sofa with a good book, a podcast, or a film. So, get into my personal list of the very best viewing, reading, and listening tips. Slide into the holiday season and keep the boredom at bay. Enjoy!Read more
Blog
E-inclusion: how to leave no one behind digitally
There is a digital divide between the personas we use in marketing and the population. In Belgium, this gap is large: almost 50% of the population are considered to be digitally vulnerable. How do you deal with this as an organisation? And how do you ensure that your products and services do not exclude anyone digitally? This blog contains nine practical tips to help you on your way to digital inclusion.Read more
Blog
How Camp Amersfoort National Monument attracted 30% more visitors with a podcast campaign
With the podcast campaign The Missing SS Commander, iO and National Monument Camp Amersfoort succeeded in creating the branded podcast of 2023. Staggering download figures, rave reviews from listeners, an important contribution to Dutch war history and a 30% increase in visitors. Here are the important lessons we learned making the most celebrated Dutch branded podcast of 2023 in a long read.Read moreBlog
3 trends in content marketing for 2024
Users are becoming increasingly mobile: they're freely moving from channel to channel, looking for the content they want to consume. So keeping an eye on trends and taking full advantage of them is more important than ever. After all, trends offer a perfect opportunity to be creative. But what can we expect in 2024? In this blog, you'll discover three trends you can address to increase your impact with your target groups.Read more
Blog
Content marketing has become communication (and that’s bad news)
Does content marketing still serve a purpose in 2024? Patrick Severein (Head of Content and Strategist) raises some questions.Read more
Blog
Here’s how to write better with AI
As a writer, should you embrace or fear generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini? The former for sure, the latter perhaps too. In any case, they make you an offer you can't refuse. So, hoist these rambunctious AI sailors on board and put them to work, but above all remain the captain of your ship.Read more
Blog
Discover conversational AI search
Conversational search in the form of an AI chatbot lets your website visitors interact with your content, resulting in a better customer experience.Read more
Blog
iOS 18 and RCS: a gamechanger for brands and marketers
With the recent launch of iOS 18, the messaging service Rich Communication Services, or RCS, is finally widely available. This can have a huge impact on how brands and marketers reach their customers. In this article, we dive deeper into the ins and outs of RCS and why at iO, we believe that it will provide better experiences.Read more
Blog
Microcopy: small statements, huge impact
Did you know that the copy on a single button in your online shop can determine your conversion rate, even if it only contains one word? Few people think about this kind of microcopy, even though it can hugely impact the performance of your online platform or app. In this first blog post of our microcopy series, you will learn what microcopy is and why it matters.Read more
Blog
Give your brand an identity with your tone of voice
Your brand’s story may be great, but if you tell it in a way that puts everyone to sleep, you won’t leave a lasting impression. That’s why your brand needs an appealing and fitting tone of voice. In this blog post, you’ll learn why a tone of voice is important and how to outline one for your brand.Read more
Blog
Putting your brand on the map with an effective content strategy
There is a lot to consider when creating a content strategy. From determining your goals, and researching your target groups, to spotting content opportunities and measuring your results. How do you get started? And what should you consider? You'll find out in this blog.Read more
Dossier
Dossier: Personalisation
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Dossier
Dossier: SEO strategy
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Dossier
Dossier: Challenger Stories
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Dossier
Dossier: B2B - Turning B2B challenges into solutions
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Dossier
Dossier: Successful marketing budgets and plans
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Dossier: Holiday marketing: how to score as a brand with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas
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Dossier
Dossier: Discover the power of branded podcasts
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Dossier
Dossier: The Opportunity Report
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Video
Infinite opportunities: Steven De Deyne (Proximus)
"With digital transformation, you can deliver added value to your customers," says Steven De Deyne, Head of Media and Production Competence Center Proximus), it in this video.Read more
Video
Belgian Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs website, more accessible than ever before
How do we make our content accessible, so that every Belgian can find the information they need quickly and easily? The question came from the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs and the answer? That came from iO. The result: a website that focuses on accessibility and presents the most important information in a crystal clear way.Read more
Video
Challenger Stories: BenBits wants to change the entire chewing gum market
BenBits is ambitious, and that's not a secret. The brand stands for plant-based chewing gum without plastic — the first in the Netherlands. But the ambitions don't stop there.Read more
Video
Challenger Stories: Tiny Library makes the baby market sustainable
Circular economy: it's not just a matter of using shared cars and collecting batteries. There is room for sustainable initiatives in the baby market too, and Tiny Library is here to prove it. The team works every day on the mission to make the baby market more sustainable — that's better for the world and for parents' wallets.Read moreVideo
Are you fed up with boring marketing too?
Our attention spans are shorter, we skip commercials, and we click from video to video all the time. When consumers are bombarded with an avalanche of content every day, how can your brand stand out? Ruth Nys explains how to do creative content marketing without falling into the same old boring marketing tactics trap. Expert:Ruth Nys, Strategy Director ContentRead more
Video
Challenger Stories: We Are Eves helps put an end to fake beauty reviews
On average, people buy five products before they find the right beauty product for them. That's a problem. A problem that We Are Eves wants to eliminate from the world. It's a cosmetics platform with hundreds of thousands of honest product reviews, written by real people. In this video, Esther Leloux, Founder & CEO, tells you all about the platform.Read more
Video
Challenger Stories: plant-based pioneer The Dutch Weed Burger
It's time to harness the primal power of Mother Ocean to end animal suffering and offer delicious food that regenerates itself — at least, if it's up to The Dutch Weed Burger. They stand for delicious, plant-based burgers made from seaweed, and in this video, Mark Kulsdom, Co-Founder & Managing Director, tells you all about it.Read more&w=1920&q=75)
Video
Steven Van Belleghem: The cost of poor 'Customer Experience' is frequently underestimated.
Companies are unaware of the enormous the cost of bad customer experiences. Out-of-pocket costs such as customer service are being pushed up, at a time when it’s becoming more difficult and expensive to find new customers.And this is happening while the brand credibility is declining and there is erosion in terms of new business development. In the video below, Steven Van Belleghem calls for more investment in customer focus, as a driver for a successful 2025.Read more
Video
AI - The future is not what it used to be
Do you remember when ... the invention of the computer caused a seismic shift in the job market? People unwilling to work with computers were quickly replaced by people who were; and today everyone carries a laptop. Today the same thing is happening with AI. In this webinar, Rodger Werkhoven will share his passion for Artificial Intelligence and introduce you to OpenAI as a love brand.Read moreVideo
The Canon of Flanders: from Van Eyck’s brothers' Ghent Altarpiece to Rock Werchter.
From Van Eyck’s brothers' Ghent Altarpiece to Rock Werchter: the Canon of Flanders is finally here. The much-discussed list resulted in a bulky book of more than 300 pages and includes an overview of the Flemish language, culture, and history from the end of the last ice age to today. But there is also an online version: www.canonvanvlaanderen.be . iO developed this on behalf of the Commission Canon of Flanders, which received a mandate from the Flemish Government, Department of Education & Training.Read more
Video
Primagaz & iO: a shared journey of growth and success
Discover the fruitful collaboration between Primagaz and iO in this 'Walk and Talk' video. In this video, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at the collaborative dynamics between Primagaz and iO. We discuss how we dealt with challenges, how we exploited opportunities and what strategies we developed. We'll take you through our shared journey of growth and success, where trust and a commitment to excellence are central. This Walk and Talk is more than just a conversation - it is a celebration of a collaboration that has stood the test of time. It is a story of mutual growth, of learning and evolving, and of creating value for both organizations.Read more
Video
Challenger Stories: How Wakuli is turning the coffee chain upside down
When Yorick Bruins lived in Tanzania, he saw a problem: there are too many unnecessary links in the coffee supply chain, preventing coffee farmers from getting a fair price for their beans. He founded Wakuli: an organisation that brings quality coffee from the farmer to the consumer — in the shortest possible chain.Read more
Video
Challenger Stories: Wild 'n Zilt targets a shortened North Sea chain
Hendrik Kramer is an Amsterdam-based fisherman and entrepreneur who wants to show that sustainable fishing pays off in the Netherlands. He does this by selling his fish directly to consumers with Wild 'n Zilt.Read more
Video
Challenger Stories: Willicroft makes ‘cheese’ from beans and pulses
Research shows that not many people have a positive perception of plant-based cheese. Brad Vanstone wants to change that with his brand Willicroft on Amsterdam's Spiegelgracht.Read more
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Challenger Stories: BayaBaya guarantees sustainability without compromise
With BayaBaya, founders Dirk Taselaar and Leon Daggenvoorde aim to take the plastic bottle out of the bathroom. Founded in 2021, the brand sells powdered concentrate for body wash with natural, vegan ingredients. Combine that concentrate with tap water and pour it into the aluminium refill bottle, and you've done your part, too.Read more
Video
Challenger Stories: Hands Off wants to make plant-based chocolate the norm
Hands Off was founded in 2013 to turn the chocolate industry upside down. For example, founder Kitty Smeeten achieved a 42% CO2 reduction by replacing cow's milk with hazelnut praline.Read more
Case
How to ease the workload of your customer service using a chatbot?
Find out how iO supported MediaMarkt’s customer service and brought it to life with four different chatbots in 2022.Look at this client story
Case
How do you build a global B2B platform tailored to foodservice professionals?
How to build a multi-site, multi-language, global B2B platform for lead generation and online branding - iOLook at this client story
Case
How can you teach children about the dangers of social media?
The tool will help children learn about the impact of high screen time on their mental and physical health.Look at this client story
Case
How does De Kindertelefoon enhance online reach through clever and creative utilization of TikTok?
For De Kindertelefoon we developed a channel and content strategy to reach kids and young people on TikTok.Look at this client story
Case
How to manage a range of websites while meeting client expectations?
Enhancing Digital Content Management for D'Ieteren Automotive's Websites? Read the full story here;Look at this client story
Case
How do you craft a captivating podcast journey for young train travelers?
Embark on a thrilling train adventure across the Netherlands with ‘Het Spoor Bijster’, a fuction podcast by the NS and iO.Look at this client story
Case
How to deliver a consistent brand experience across 35 countries
How do you develop a digital and internationally deployable retailer concept that takes your customer experience to the next level?Look at this client story
Case
How do you ensure a flawless guest experience at a renowned holiday park?
iO helped Landal Greenparks create a hospitality experience that seamlessly integrates top personal service with digital convenience. Discover the case.Look at this client story
Case
How do you double your mobile conversion within 4 years?
What it takes to make booking as easy as possible for you? Discover the power of a strong management vision, a streamlined work process, and long-term, open, and transparent collaboration between Landal GreenParks and iO.Look at this client story
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