My book ‘Van Massamerk naar Mensmerk’ (From Mass Brand to Personal Brand, Dutch) describes how our media context will change over the coming ten years, how marketing and brands will adapt to this, and how today’s professionals can anticipate. Every day we work on making the world a better place, on a worldwide basis. Every day the future gets one small step closer. As we can take these small steps ourselves today, I closely follow the evolution of media, marketing and brands in the tab ‘day to day’ on this website, and give my forecasts for the future. This way small steps of others can inspire you and me.

The book is based on personal insights, lots of literature research among which many books reviewed on this website, and interviews with experts. After the publication on August 12, 2005 it received many positive reviews. Among others the preface, written by Dutch marketing gurus Giep Franzen and Rik Riezebos, received a lot of attention in the reviews.

Then in December 2005 the book was nominated for the Dutch Marketing Literature Award 2005. In 2006 the second print of the book was made, and in 2007 it was integrated in the NIMA loyalty program.

In the mean time I have been writing down thoughts about my new book, which I gave the work title ‘Pamper Planet’. In this book I will describe how the world changes until 2050, how our society changes, how political relationships will change, and how people will behave. It will have more Science Fiction content than the first book, but again I will put the long term changes into today’s perspective. After all, these changes will go step by step.

Brands grew up in the era of mass communication. As the media context now changes, brands are changing too. The biggest brands of the next century are not as good at shouting hard: instead, they can especially listen very well. Coaching brands develop, which provide ready-to-use information, products and services to the individual consumers. Coaching brand agents are the intelligent software representatives of these brands. These agents are visible on every possible display and they look like living creatures, and in the long term even like human beings. With these agents, consumers start a spoken, personal dialogue. These brands become friends who are always available, anywhere in the world. In this mature media context, the consumer finally gets a real relationship with brands.

The changing media context more and more forces brands to openness. The internal brand culture becomes more visible: brands experience a brand coming out. Brands are forced to work on themselves. These brands-new-style unite people instead of products. They will be as important for people as religion used to be in the past. With this, the visual surroundings evolve from company logos to 3D worlds full of sounds and symbols.

We have a vision of new-style brands in 2015. But what does this vision mean for today’s business? Changes seldom occur through revolution, they always start with small steps. We can take those small steps today. How can a brand manager adapt today’s strategy to tomorrow’s developments? What should a marketer do? What opportunities do the broadcasting networks have? And media, design, or advertising agencies? This book contains extensive practical tips for professionals in all different roles, giving direction for tomorrow.

Dutch marketing gurus Giep Franzen and Rik Riezebos wrote a preface for the book. This was the first book in the Netherlands with an accompanying web log. Almost instantly after publication, the book was nominated for the Dutch Marketing Literature Award of the year.

In 2005 my book ‘Van Massamerk naar Mensmerk’ (From Mass Brand to Personal Brand, Dutch) received a top-3 nomination for the Dutch Marketing Literature Award of the year. This prize is presented by the Dutch Platform for Innovation in Marketing (PIM). My book was chosen out of thirty marketing books, along with the winner waardecreatie en innovatie in business to business markten (value creation and innovation in business to business markets, Dutch), written by Belgian authors Paul Matthyssens and Coen Vandenbempt, and the book oog voor de toekomst (Eye for the future, Dutch) by Philip Idenburg. My book was praised on all sides for vision, readability and practical tips. In spite of all the compliments I still regretted the fact that I could not take the trophy home :-(. Maybe next time!

Giep Franzen
(In the preface)

a unique work, the tenor of which I haven’t seen ever before.

Rik Riezebos
(on the cover, as a summary of his preface)

an absolute must-read for anyone who wants to know how IT will change the brand scape.

Managementboek
By Mariska Fennema MBA,  manager marketing & communications for RTV Utrecht:

the book made me really think about the influence IT has on the world of the brand, and the chances this creates for the (nearby) future. Refreshing and inspiring!

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Communicatiecoach
By Martijn Hemminga, Consultant Corporate Communications with an IT company.

‘Van massamerk naar mensmerk’ is a fun book to read… Professionals who have the power to change their brand into a coaching brand can truly benefit from this book.

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Management Scope
October 2005(paper magazine)

A must for managers who think about the future of their companies.

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Roorda advertising agency

Book tip!

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EURIB Institute of Knowledge

Van Lun’s book is highly visionary. As he describes developments in a very clear and structured way, the text however offers lots of concrete leads for everybody who works in branding, communications, media, and design management.

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MarketingPulse

definitely worth the effort

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Rhinofly

our compliments for a very readable book and accompanying web log.

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Junior Strateeg

It reads easily, so I finished it in no time!

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To develop a vision you need other people’s input. Therefore I personally spoke with experts in marketing, media, branding, technology, advertising, communications, and science (in alphabetical order):

• Peter van Akkeren, Strategy Director, Proximity (part of FHV BBDO)
• Wim Andréa, Managing Partner, PPGH JWT _Colors. Now Managing Director at Saatchi direct
• Wim Bakker, Marketing Manager, Achmea (in a conversation with Patritia Pahladsingh, Account Director, DDB Amsterdam and Machteld Van Woensel Kooy, Account Manager, DDB Amsterdam)
• Eugene Bay, Partner and Brand Director of VBAT Enterprise (now VBAT)
• Igor Beuker, Director of LaComunidad and (now ex) president of IAB Netherlands
• Christine de Boer, Product Manager, Mindscape, now Product Manager at Universal Pictures
• Dennis Bruin, Account Manager, Euro RSCG 4D. Now digital consultant at Ogilvy (in a conversation with Sicco Beerda, Creative Director, (now strategy director), Euro RSCG 4D and Marco Boender, Managing Director,  Euro RSCG 4D. Now adviser with Branson & Guevara).
• Harry Dekker, Communication Channel Director, Unilever
• Jan Willem Dreteler, Director of Communications, SNS Bank. Now Director Consumer Marketing & Communications with SNS Bank.
• Joris van Heukelom, Vice President content and marketing MTV networks Benelux. Now director cross media of DAG
• José Evers, Creative Director, XXS
• Giep Franzen, Founder of SWOCC and Co-founder of FHV BBDO
• Maurice de Hond, Director of View/Ture
• Jasper Houtman, Editor of Emerce. Now journalist at FEM Business
• Will Koopman, Creative Producer and Producer of Baantjer, Endemol
• Inald Lagendijk, Professor information and communications theory, TU Delft
• Ingmar de Lange, Mountview
• Martijn Luyten, Development Manager Business Line Radio & Television, Casema
• Peter Maathuis, former Director Strategy & Marketing CMG Telecommunications (now LogicaCMG)
• Cor Molenaar, Extraordinary Professor eMarketing, Erasmus University
• Rob Molenaar, Sales Manager MSN, Microsoft
• Rik Riezebos, managing consultant Brand Capital, director EURIB/European Institute for Brand Management
• Roland van Kralingen, Director/partner, Positioneringsgroep. Now director High Value
• Michiel Sala, Little Chicken Game Company
• André Schimmel, Sales manager Internet, IP iMedia
• Dirk van der Steenhoven, Director DDMA. Now business development manager CheetahMail 
• Peter Wiegman, Director and Founder of Het Media Loket
• Heini Withagen, Director and Co-founder of Mirabeau
• Erik de Zwart, CEO Talpa Radio International and now entrepreneur / investor of, among others, mobilaria

Based on interviews with these experts, thorough literature research and my own insight and experience, I put the book together.