What's brewing at Dekkers HQ? As we approach the new year, our R&D manager, Muhammed Yilmaz, gives us a sneak peek at what to expect in trade marketing for 2025. Fresh concepts, essential trends, and upcoming projects that will shape the future. With the holiday season around the corner, it’s time to get inspired and carry that spirit into the new year.
Innovation update: Dekkers R&D manager on 2025 trade marketing
For those who don’t know Muhammed yet, here’s a quick intro to the mind behind many of Dekkers' most groundbreaking concepts. A true innovator from a young age, his design background allows him to bring his ideas vividly to life and, when possible, into a working prototype in record time.
Mo's approach is straightforward: more things can be “smart” than you might think. He identifies these opportunities, creating innovative solutions for our clients that seem to come from an endless flow of ideas. While we can't reveal all our secrets, this article gives you a peek behind the curtain into the trends that will define the coming year. Over to Mo!
Recap 2024: From brand recognition to brand experience
This year, we’ve seen more clearly than ever that our clients are looking for more than just brand recognition. Our concepts have continued to evolve, offering both enhanced functionality and purposeful design. With every request, no matter how complex, there’s a challenge and a solution that adds additional illumination to the brand, making it an integral part of the experience.
Consider our ice bucket and customized refrigerator designs: each one engages consumers through meaningful interactions that foster a deeper connection with the brand, resulting in immersive brand experiences that resonate with their audience. This is a strategic shift we expect to strengthen through 2025.
Looking for more inspiration? These 2024 trends remain relevant today.
Trend 1. Advancing data-driven strategies
When launching a marketing campaign, you want to track results and adjust accordingly. This also applies to trade marketing. For 2025, I expect to see this measurability evolve even further. At Dekkers, we've been working with these metrics for some time to keep our promise of brand illumination: making brand experiences measurable.
How do we do this? By turning the products we know into smart objects, connected to the cloud. That way, those objects become data providing sources. Take, for instance, the digital tap lens. This project perfectly combines creativity with measurability. The prototype initially used a memory card with interchangeable content, but in the near future, a version should be available that allows you to gain insights from the data. These insights feed directly into marketers' strategies, enabling them to tailor other campaigns effectively. It’s a prime example of how data-driven strategies and trade marketing will align in 2025.
Read more about data in retail marketing in our interview with Leo van de Polder.
Trend 2. Interaction with AI
Calling AI a ‘trend’ may already feel outdated, given its numerous daily applications. However, in marketing, especially for its creative potential, AI is still relatively untapped, something we’re planning to explore further in 2025. A great example of possible work with AI is enriching video content through interactivity. Imagine a display screen and camera that function like a mirror, where passing by triggers a burst of confetti or a seasonal effect. With the right prompts, we could create clear boundaries for AI to operate within, preserving the brand’s values and creating a hyper-personalized experience that builds positive associations with the brand. Looking forward to start prototyping!
Trend 3. Ethical marketing
Sustainability and circularity are becoming increasingly important in trade marketing. This is a high priority for many of our European clients, and it's gaining momentum in the U.S. as well. Take our 3rd Generation LEDNeon© brand signage, for example. It starts with the engineering: a modular, compact design that ensures all elements are recyclable and requires minimal packaging, which is plastic-free yet sturdy enough for safe shipping. Additionally, this LED variant is highly energy-efficient, which helps to reduce energy costs.
Our Innovation Lab - featured project
There’s always an exciting project running in our Innovation Lab, sometimes for clients or simply from seeing new possibilities. These two worlds often intersect. I had long wanted to develop a modern version of a filament lightbulb for brand illumination, which led us to create the branded light bulb. We’ve already refined this concept for Fritz Kola, and we expect to add more brands in 2025. It’s an incredibly accessible tool for trade marketeers and shows that brand awareness sometimes works great in small details. .The Innovative light bulb puts your brand literally in the spotlight. In offices, retail spaces, bars, at (home) parties, and during events. The key benefits are:
- Customizable: any logo, any design: your vision illuminated.
- Energy-efficient: save energy while showcasing your brand.
- Long-lasting: durable and reliable for all your lighting needs.
- Plug and play: the universal E27 fitting ensures compatibility with most light sources.
Let’s team up for remarkable brand illumination
Do you want to stand out in 2025 with something fresh and eye-catching? This is almost all the brief we need to come up with a standout concept, which we can then bring to life for you. Early on, we’ll provide you with a realistic design, so you’ll have a clear picture of the final product.
Ready to take the spotlight in 2025? Get in touch!
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