It’s more than a motto for Dimitri De Lauw — it’s the mindset that drives everything he does. For over 20 years, he has helped shape brands and communications at leading agencies like BBDO, Wunderman Thompson, Accenture Song, and now VML, with a valuable intermezzo at Kantar along the way.

Armed with a master’s degree in psychology, Dimitri is passionate about understanding what truly moves people — their needs, their hopes, their expectations. He believes that real marketing impact starts with deep human insights and that experience design only matters when it connects meaningfully with people's lives.

Today, at VML Belgium, where he leads the strategy team, Dimitri brings the "Connected Brands" philosophy to life. His mission is to help brands stay connected — connected with consumers through relevance, connected with culture through resonance, and connected across marketing and communications disciplines through collaboration. Because in a world where everything is connected, brands must be too.

Dimitri has also been a proud jury member for the Belgian Effie Awards for three years and for the Euro Effies in 2023. Over the years, he has helped bring home seven Effie Awards — proof that when brands connect the right way, results follow.