interview
Bart Bronnenberg en Ronald de Jong
“Everyone is susceptible to brands” One drives a Volvo and is considered a leading academic. The other rides a Harley-Davidson and won his spurs high up at Philips. Under the flag of TiSEM, marketing titans Bart Bronnenberg and Ronald de Jong bring together their unique insights and experiences.
Text: Sebastiaan van de Water Image: Bram Belloni
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ogether, they have one goal: to ensure that students recognize the difference between outdated paradigms, new laws, temporary trends, and eternal truths in the wilderness of the marketing world. Ronald and Bart, you are both marketing experts, does that make you immune to the power of marketing and branding?
RdJ: “Certainly not. The fact that I ride a Harley when it’s objectively not the best bike says it all.” BB: “Brands offer a ready-made story you can easily step into. I like to play guitar. Preferably a Fender. That preference is also partly irrational. That brand was founded by
Leo Fender himself, the inventor of the electric guitar.” RdJ: “Anyone who claims to be impervious to the perception of a brand is not being honest with themselves. When it comes to cars, I drive a BMW. Why? Probably because my uncle used to be passionate about BMWs. The best car manufacturer in the world. That feeling will stay with you for the rest of your life.” BB: “American research has shown that brand preferences are partly hereditary. It’s no coincidence that I always drive a Volvo, just like my father. There are studies that show that if someone moves from Twente to Brabant, there is a good chance that, decades later, their children will drink beer by Twente brand Grolsch more often than the average Brabander.” RdJ: “You can rationalize all these preferences, but that’s nonsense. Usually it’s about emotion. And that not only plays a role with consumers – although many academics think so – but also with business-to-business transactions.”
24 | New Scientist | Tilburg School of Economics and Management
You give lectures to students together. Aren’t you in constant danger of clashing because of your different backgrounds?
RdJ: “No. We rectify each other’s deficiencies. I cannot rival Bart’s deep academic knowledge. But at the same time: in theory, there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is.” BB: “I have been lecturing for 25 years, but the course we are now teaching together – Pricing and Monetization – stands out. It’s very attractive to students and lecturers when, after a tense theoretical explanation, someone like Ronald stands up to tell them: and this is how you can apply it all in practice.” RdJ: “There is little more practical than a well-developed theory. But students also need to understand the limitations of frameworks and models. Sometimes perfectly rational decisions in the market turn out to be disastrous.” Have you experienced marketing disasters like that at Philips?
RdJ: “Sure. A few years ago, Philips launched a medical-grade smartwatch. It could measure all kinds of vital functions. The idea was that specialists in the hospital would prescribe this smartwatch to patients. After thorough market research, it was decided to sell the product via Amazon as well, for a relatively low price. All models predicted this to be very sensible, because it would allow you to reach a larger market segment. That turned out to be a huge mistake. In one fell swoop, the product lost its credibility and high-quality image, especially in medical circles. It was a flop. Purely for marketing
