De Combinatie van Factoren

What De Combinatie van Factoren does

De Combinatie van Factoren (DCVF) is an Amsterdam-based creative activation bureau founded in 2013 that combines creative intelligence with behavioral science insights to drive consumer action for enterprise and mid-market brands. The agency operates four service pillars: Campaigns & Conversion (advertising and marketing campaigns for FMCG, durables, and retailers), Travel Retail (full-service duty-free retail operations including design, activation, production, and installation at 100+ airports worldwide), Behaviour Consult (a project-based behavioral change advisory service launched in February 2023, with a productized €750 Quick Behaviour Scan), and Retail Experience Design (physical retail space design and realization, strengthened by the January 2025 acquisition of HelloHero's retail activities). The agency's stated differentiator is the deliberate integration of behavioral science frameworks — biases, nudges, and cognitive drivers — into creative campaign development, with a cross-disciplinary team structure combining creatives and behavioral scientists.

DCVF generates revenue through B2B professional services delivered on a project and retainer basis to enterprise clients. Named customers include Mars Wrigley International Travel Retail (M&M's, Snickers, Twix, Maltesers, Skittles, Extra, Celebrations at 100+ airports), Unilever (Graze, Vega Favoriten), Bosch (UK Transformers campaign, Netherlands/Belgium Professional Powertools social), Odido (full rebrand September 2023), SPAR, Sportlife (Cloetta), Nestlé, FrieslandCampina, Innocent Drinks, GVB (Amsterdam public transport), Corendon, VanWonen/BPD (De Waalhoven), and one SMB account (DEDDO). Pricing is largely quote-based for the full agency offering, with the Behaviour Consult line productized at €750 for a Quick Behaviour Scan.

The go-to-market is direct enterprise sales via the managing director (Michael van Kerkwijk) and senior team, supplemented by referrals, owned industry events (Blurring Lines Seminar with Schiphol Media), and content marketing (blog, LinkedIn, industry publications). The agency is headquartered at Danzigerkade 13e in Amsterdam's Houthavens area, with 25–30 employees as of early 2024, and has implemented a structured AI integration program (Raad van Advies under Marnix Bügel, Stuurgroep, and development team) with homegrown agents including a copytool, review-agent, and project management and DTP automations. DCVF is a privately held Dutch B.V. with no disclosed external investment or parent company.

Name

De Combinatie van Factoren

Legal name

De Combinatie van Factoren B.V.

Website

https://dcvf.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Amsterdam-based creative activation bureau combining creative intelligence with behavioral science to move consumers to action. Serves enterprise brands across FMCG, travel retail, retail, telecommunications, and public sectors through campaigns, airport activations, behavioral consulting, and retail experience design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Advertising Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer Experience (CX) & Voice of Customer (NPS/CSAT, Journey Research) (MPAAALAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Customer Experience (CX) & Voice-of-Customer Analytics (BPAHALAK)

Keywords

• Creative activation agency
• Behavioral science consulting
• Travel retail marketing
• Retail experience design
• Advertising campaign services

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Creative Agency Services: DCVF generates revenue by providing creative and activation services to brands on a project and retainer basis. Services include campaign development, retail experience design, social content, OOH, TV commercials, POS materials, and branding.
2. Behaviour Consult: DCVF Behaviour Consult provides behavioral science advisory services on a project basis with no strings attached. Offerings include Quick Behaviour Scan (€750), Behaviour Change Workshop, and co-creation sessions with target audiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

De Combinatie van Factoren (DCVF) is an Amsterdam-based creative activation bureau that combines creative intelligence with behavioral science insights to develop campaigns, retail experiences, and activation programs that move consumers to action. The agency delivers four integrated service lines: Campaigns & Conversion (advertising for FMCG and retailers), Travel Retail (full-service duty-free retail design and activation at airports worldwide), Behaviour Consult (behavioral science advisory), and Retail Experience Design (physical retail space conception and realization).

Product overview

De Combinatie van Factoren (DCVF) is an activation agency that helps brands grow through smart creativity based on behavioral science. The company operates as a unified service offering, combining four distinct service pillars: Campaigns & Conversion (advertising and marketing campaigns), Travel Retail (duty-free retail operations and airport activations worldwide), Behaviour Consult (behavioral science advisory), and Retail Experience Design (physical retail space design and realization). The agency positions itself around the concept of 'beyond growth'—moving beyond mere revenue and market share growth to improve brands fundamentally by getting people to act.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DCVF Behaviour Consult: A dedicated advisory proposition focused on behavioural change, providing science-based insights and practical tools to influence target audience behaviour on a project basis.

Products and services

• Campaigns & Conversion Creative campaign and conversion services for FMCG brands, durables, and retailers, including social content targeting Gen Z, OOH, TV commercials, POS materials, and online campaigns designed to drive measurable consumer action and in-store traffic.
• Travel Retail Full-service duty-free retail activation service including retail design, activation, custom furniture design, production, and installation at airports worldwide, with over 12 years of experience serving brands like Mars Wrigley, M&M's, and Skittles in top 100 airports globally.
• Behaviour Consult Dedicated behavioral science advisory service providing project-based behavioral change advice including Quick Behaviour Scan (€750 for a 2.5-hour behavioral analysis workshop), Behaviour Change Workshop, and co-creation sessions with target audiences led by behavioral experts and creative professionals.
• Retail Experience Design (RED) Retail space design and full realization service from concept and 3D design to complete implementation, creating authentic in-store brand experiences that connect emotionally with customers, delivered on time and within budget.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graze was named the best product introduction of 2021 by IRI, ranking #1 in the IRI Toetreders Top 30.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HelloHero (Harmen Schepers)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2025DCVF acquired the retail activities of HelloHero, bringing founder Harmen Schepers on board as Manager Retail Experience Design. Harmen brings 3D retail design expertise and experience from Nike Brand Design, Ogilvy, and PwC. This strengthens DCVF's Retail Experience Design (RED) service line with specialized 3D design capabilities.
• Schiphol MediacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 March 2024DCVF and Schiphol Media co-organized the Blurring Lines Seminar — the first Dutch Travel Retail Event — held at the A'DAM Toren in Amsterdam. The seminar brought together professionals from travel retail, digital media, and brand communications to discuss the synergy between airport retail, media, and brands.
• DEDDOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCVF is helping DEDDO strengthen its brand position and activate its target audience through creative, goal-oriented online campaigns based on a strong online strategy. DEDDO is an online tool for self-employed builders to calculate, quote, and invoice construction jobs.
• Marnix Bügel (AI Advisory)coreOthersMarnix Bügel, founder of Rewire and board member at ExquAIro, serves on DCVF's AI Raad van Advies (Advisory Board), providing guidance on AI strategy and integration direction.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ogilvy: Global advertising network (WPP) with an established travel retail practice and broad FMCG client base. Overlaps DCVF across campaign, brand activation, and travel retail — but operates at portfolio scale rather than niche specialty.
• Publicis Groupe: Global advertising holding company (Publicis, Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi) with integrated creative, media, and production capabilities. Comparable enterprise creative services; competes for global FMCG mandates at scale DCVF cannot match.
• WPP: World's largest advertising holding company (Ogilvy, VMLY&R, Grey, GroupM). Overlaps DCVF across creative, brand, retail activation, and media services — represents the global network competition for DCVF's enterprise FMCG and travel retail clients.
• Havas: Global advertising network with strong creative, media, and brand activation capabilities. Comparable enterprise creative services across campaign, retail, and brand work, though without DCVF's travel retail niche specialization.
• Dentsu Creative: Global creative network within the Dentsu group, offering advertising, brand experience, and creative services. Comparable in offering campaign and activation services to enterprise FMCG and retail clients, but at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• ACE (Action Creative Experts): Dutch activation agency focused on shopper marketing, retail activations, and behavioural change campaigns. Closely comparable activation-led positioning versus DCVF's Campaigns & Conversion and Behaviour Consult pillars.
• Dept: Amsterdam-headquartered creative and digital agency serving enterprise clients across creative, technology, and data. Most direct comparable in Dutch market — similar Amsterdam origin, B2B agency model, and enterprise client roster (FMCG, retail, travel).
• TBWA\Neboko: Amsterdam-based creative agency and TBWA Worldwide affiliate with strong FMCG, retail, and brand activation heritage. Closely comparable to DCVF in Dutch market positioning, B2B agency model, and enterprise client work.
• MediaMonks (Monks): Dutch-origin creative production and digital agency now under S4 Capital/Monks. Comparable Amsterdam heritage and enterprise creative services, though at significantly larger scale than DCVF.
• The Design Solution: UK-based retail design agency specializing in travel retail and airport commercial planning. Directly comparable to DCVF's Travel Retail and Retail Experience Design service pillars; narrower geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/de-combinatie-van-factoren

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about De Combinatie van Factoren