The importance of building a community while scaling a brand

Céline is Co-founder of The Dot Society, a strategic growth partner for consumer brands active in fashion, beauty & lifestyle industries. In an era where digital landscapes shift faster than the tides, Céline has not only kept pace but set the pace, propelling The Dot Society from a startup to a solid powerhouse in the digital marketing field. With a keen eye for what’s next and a relentless drive to innovate, she has helped redefine the art of scaling brands to meet the ever-changing demands of customers today. Under her leadership, The Dot Society has shattered the boundaries between performance marketing and brand building, proving that the future isn't just about selling products—it's about inviting your audience into a movement, your universe. This approach has not only scaled brands but has also sculpted them into icons of identity and belonging.

Entrepreneur Frank Boschman founded Royal Botania in 1992, growing it from a garage to a global leader in high-end outdoor furniture. In 2011, inspired by his sons’ passion for hockey, he launched Osaka World to fill a gap in the market for innovative, youth-focused sports brands. Osaka World is a premier sports brand rooted in Japanese heritage, supporting athletes on and off the field. Since 2011, it has expanded from hockey equipment to footwear, padel gear, apparel, and accessories. Renowned for minimalist design, high performance, and quality, Osaka World embodies sports heritage and lifestyle excellence.

Julie Waterplas is an enthusiastic creative with a passion for food and nearly 10 years of experience in the food sector, including 7 years in marketing. She currently works for the management holding company Harvest Hospitality, which oversees the brands BAVET and Oats Day Long. Julie describes herself as a “people person who loves to build solid bridges,” a quality that is reflected in her work for BAVET, a key player in the fast-casual dining sector with a single-dish concept.

Noëmie is a young, driven entrepreneur with a deep passion for startups, marketing, and fashion. She won gold at the prestigious Lions Young Marketers competition in Cannes in 2019 and previously served as CEO of the platform Avail. With her experience and the absence of a community-driven fashion platform in the market, Noëmie decided to launch The Room Antwerp in late 2021, a brand designed for young fashion enthusiasts seeking minimalist items with a twist. Three years ago, Noëmie founded The Room to fill a gap she noticed in the market: a brand that truly understands the next generation of customers. The Room challenges traditional ideas by engaging in genuine dialogue rather than positioning itself above its customers. At the heart of The Room is its close-knit community of “Roomies.” Through constant collaboration, customers are actively involved in decisions such as determining new product drops, restocks, and pop-up locations. Together, they are shaping the future of The Room. This approach transforms customers into true brand advocates who proudly share The Room across social media, driving the strong organic growth essential to the brand’s success.

Veerle Windels has been an enthusiastic journalist for more than twenty years. She always goes for the story behind the scenes. For the person behind the product. She launched her first book in 2001 (Young Belgian Fashion), compiled some of her best interviews with fashion designers in ‘Werken met Woorden’ (2009, Ludion) and wrote a monography on fashion designer Tim van Steenbergen (Ludion, 2010). As a freelance journalist she mainly writes for the Belgian quality daily De Standaard, but also for international publications such as Meubihome, the only B2B magazine of the Belgian Furniture Industry.