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Meet Kate

Genuine Professional Sparkling
Kate Maat in a suit standing at a table

Welcome,

One of my first lessons in the power of Brand was simple, yet powerful: people don’t need a luxury Montblanc pen to write, or a complicated watch to tell the time. A smartphone or  a simple ballpoint will do just fine. What matters is not the product or the service itself, it is the emotional connection with the brand and the benefits the user perceives. That’s when I realized: Brands live in people’s hearts even more than in their minds. Hence my vision: A strong brand is personal.

Strong brands all have one thing in common; a well thought through and relevant strategic platform. Strategy is the foundation of success, without it, professionals become a drifting ship, vulnerable to countless opinions, conflicting insights, personal preferences, and constantly changing circumstances.

A clear strategy acts as a compass, providing direction, alignment, and purpose. It helps teams and individuals focus their energy on what truly matters, make consistent decisions, and avoid costly distractions, like starting with branding without a brand positioning. With the right strategy in place, you can save significant time, money, and effort while moving confidently toward their goals.

With over 25 years of solid experience in leadership, marketing, sales and brand communication I work at the intersection of strategy, positioning and communication, mentoring brands and people articulate what sets them apart in a clear, credible and compelling way and to achieve the success they desire.

Others say my energy is contagious, my approach resourceful and realistic and that my sense of humor often keeps everyone grounded, even in tricky situations.

Looking forward to meet you LIVE. Because a strong brand is personal.

 

Schedule your free 30-minute introduction call

Brand Strategy

Reveal your brand power Your brand can be a business generator and a connector. Our mission is simple; help you unleash the power of your brand and create added value on all levels through genuine insight, empathetic guidance, energetic drive and a clear direction. We start with developing a solid, yet pragmatic strategy. Let's start building.

Brand Mentor

You are your brand, make it work You know what you stand for, but how do you shape your brand position and communicate it with clarity and impact? With a tailor-made Brand Mentor program, I’ll help you build a personal brand that resonates; authentic and aligned with where you’re heading. Whether it's a new career, a total shift or a sharpened business direction. You are very welcome.

Brand Communication

Communication is your brand’s engine.
 Effective brand communication builds the right associations in the minds of your audiences and stimulates action. Every interaction, whether posting on social media, updating your website, or engaging with employees, colleagues and customers reinforces your brand. Consistency does it. Start the connection.

“Thank you for the fresh and challenging approach you bring and your ability to always find a positive way forward.”

Marcus Jordan

CEO IMCD N.V.

“What’s good about Kate she’s never afraid to make tough choices, and equally important, stand behind them.”

Bas Korsten

CCO Nothing

“Kate is a one-of-a-kind expert in brand experience, she asks critical questions, involves the right people, and collaborates to create something exceptional.”

Liesbeth Pruijs

Chair UN Woman

“Kate has a sixth sense for sensing people and situations this allows her to anticipate on wishes and needs and act decisively.”

Dominique Borggreve

Communications Director Rosewood Amsterdam

“Highly recommended to anyone looking to elevate their personal brand with purpose and professionalism!”

Nina Perpinia

Global capabilities &Process important lead Heineken N.V

“Keetje, you are leaving, too bad! You haven’t just changed our growing brand; you also write some tasty design pieces. Thanks.”

Piet Boon

Founder Studio Piet Boon

“Kate asks the right questions that make you reflect, guide you to the right choices, and help distill all possibilities into the one clear proposition that perfectly reflects who I am."

Marlies Mohr

Director Dutch Thyroid Organisation

“Kate is your rebellious auntie, always coming up with solutions. She softens the edges in tricky situations and gives you a firm push when you need it."

Cris Bartels

Creative Director Studio Piet Boon

“Her insights and strategic approach have helped us make our communication clear and consistent.”

Annemarie Kruijer

Head of Marketing Briqwise

“I truly enjoy working with you, the solid advice you bring, combined with your personality makes it a joy to work with you".

HRH Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme

Founder De Parme Design

"Kate is a fantastic coach, thanks to her I have found a wonderful new job".

Janine de Laat

Communications Manager Advisory Board on Impact Investment

"Jij mag niet meer op cursus, jij kan al schrijven!!"

Eva Hoeke

Columnist

"Contagious energy, Kate helps brands and people uncover what makes them truly memorable".

Erik Hiep

Managing Director The Next Level

More interesting projects

Trasegro logo

How to activate your website

A website is so much more than your business card or shop window, you have to make it work. I see it often, after the new brand-positioning is nailed, the brand communication developed and the invoice is paid, the project is done. I have news for ...

Read this work
Briqwise logo with dark blue text

How to get your team to use the brandguide?

Briqwise is a successful facilitator and service provider in real-estate financing. They match entrepreneurs with private investors and provide knowledge and security to all parties. Different targe...

Read this work

If you let your Brand drive you, you can't go wrong.

Behind the scenes and valuable insights

More stories from Kate

Hibernation

Mid november 2020 Maarten Baas called it a day and wished everyone ‘Happy New Year!’ When the pandemic reached another high, Baas concluded he had enough of adapting to changing rules. The boss simply re-scheduled deadlines and sent the tam hom...

Read this work

SOUR Weekend

Change is not always for the better Sometime in 2024, the editor-in-chief of Volkskrant Magazine decided that Eva Hoeke was no longer relevant. I was outraged and to this very day still miss her Saturday silliness. Here’s the column I wrote back then...

Read this work

Harry Nuriev

Harry Nuriev, born in Stravopol, Russia, founder and creator of Crosby Studios, moves fluidly between people and moods. After graduating in Moscow, he made the move to the United States, where he debuted during New York Design Week. He worked from a ...

Read this work

Milano Moods 2025

Stylist! The magazine for the the network for interior professionals  IN is the leading Dutch network for interior professionals, dedicated to safeguarding the position and recognition of professional interior designers and stylists. For their magazi...

Read this work

Is your brandstory still fresh?

Is your brandstory still fresh? I have yet to come across an entrepreneur without a firm belief or conviction about the product or service they offer. Without it, what is the reason to exist? The road to success is bumpy and full of decisions. Some o...

Read this work

Brands are just like people

Think of it like building a house. You start by asking how many people will live there, how many rooms are needed, how you want to live together, what feeling and atmosphere you want to create. Is it realistic and affordable? Once the house is built ...

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Frequently Asked Questions

Brandsparkle says: People value truthfulness. Buying decisions are based for the greater part, 80%, on emotions and 20% on logic. How can a digital tool, I would argue this is 100% rational, create something that is distinctive and taps into the emotional associations a human makes?

ChatGPT says: AI works from patterns in existing data. A human consultant brings judgment, context, and commercial intuition. AI can absolutely help generate ideas, analyze competitors, summarize customer feedback, and even draft positioning statements. But brand positioning is not just a writing exercise, it’s a strategic decision about how a company wants to be perceived, what market space it can credibly own, and what emotional associations it wants customers to carry.

Brandsparkle says: Your brand is what others says about you when you are not the room, or if people don’t know what you bring to the table, they won’t invite you to sit at it. You have the possibility to define your own brand, based upon your core beliefs and values. By doing so you will attract the opportunities that fit and avoid the ones that ultimately will make you unhappy.

ChatGPT says: Defining the need for personal branding means identifying the problems it solves and the consequences of its absence.  You get overlooked; your contributions go unnoticed. Others with a stronger voice are seen and maybe not for the right reasons. Employers, clients may not see your strengths.

Brandsparkle says: When you are stuck in a situation, could be job, a business or if you are facing challenging situations, it is best to go back to your own invaluable source. Figure out what your identity is. What do you stand for, and what are you striving for? Personal branding is your compass. It shapes your decisions, clarifies your direction, and acts as a beacon that attracts the right people and opportunities.

ChatGPT says: The need for it arises when there’s a gap between your value and how that value is perceived. Personal branding isn’t about self-promotion, it’s about clarity, visibility, and intentional reputation.

Brandsparkle says: If you just need some help defining your target audience and how to reach them with generic content, remember AI is not a search engine it works on associations and content uploaded by others, AI is a good source. If you provide the right prompts and data AI can certainly help you in a cost-effective way. If, however you are looking to stand out in the crowd, reveal your unique story to identify what makes you the best solution for your clients’ needs then you need a human professional.

ChatGPT says: If your goal is building visibility online → AI is usually enough. If your goal is becoming a category-defining public figure or premium brand → human expertise still matters. Most successful personal brands in 2026 are actually hybrid: Human authenticity + AI execution speed. AI is very good at creating content, optimizing for SEO and social algorithms and testing different brandangles fas.

Brandsparkle says: The best way to explain is to use the SuperGLUE metaphor. A good story, or narrative ties everything and everybody together and it sticks over time. It allows people to connect with you and your mission. It is the one and only overarching story that combines your identity with your purpose. It is created from within and influenced from outside. A good narrative is created and told by human. Instead of a factual summary it’s a story with emotions, flaws and may change over time.

Brandsparkle says: A person is a brand and a strong brand personal. Good storytelling, which is rooted in solid brand positioning allows you and your product or service to stand out in the crowd. Customers base their decisions on trust, expertise and added value. Your bran distinction is something intangible that a good strategist can bring to the service and a good writer can transform into words. So, for content that matters contact the professionals but for generic standard text use a LLM. (Gemini, ChatGPT , Claude)

ChatGPT says:  The strongest approach for most websites is: AI for speed and scale and humans for strategy, editing, factchecking, storytelling, and differentiation. AI can absolutely reduce content production costs and speed up publishing. But replacing humans entirely usually creates problems over time:

AI can sound convincing while being inaccurate or generic.
Brand voice and emotional nuance often become inconsistent.
Search engines increasingly reward originality, expertise, and trust signals.
Legal, medical, financial, and technical content often needs expert review.
Audiences can usually tell when content lacks real experience or insight.

Brandsparkle says:  The why is the easy part. You don’t want to drown in the sea of sameness. To get noticed and consequently create business you must be seen and valued for the right reasons. Develop your own brand positioning. It will allow your potential clients to engage and connect with you. Focus on the exceptions rather than on generics. Don’t say I listen to my clients, or I deliver quality but do say: if you are seeking a (mention your specific characteristic) lets talk. Start your argumentation from the problem the customer has and ask yourself truthfully can I solve this and how.

ChatGPT says:  Differentiation matters because people rarely buy “a coach,” “a designer,” or “a creative.” They buy a specific transformation, feeling, perspective, or identity they can’t easily get elsewhere. If you don’t differentiate, you compete on: Price speed, availability, aesthetics that look interchangeable

Brandsparkle says:  On the services section of my website, you can download the product sheet. For solopreneurs or professionals in employment please look at the product sheet Brand Mentor.

ChatGPT says:

€500–€2,000
Lightweight entry level strategy

€2,000–€10,000
Mid-level strategic work

€10,000–€30,000+
High-end independent strategists

Brandsparkle says:  I can’t say it often enough: branding is not positioning. So, before you start playing around with your visual identity, your house style, logo, signage, and marketing materials make sure your foundation is solid. It saves huge amounts of time, money, and hassle. Strategy rules.

ChatGPT says:

Not necessarily — but it depends on what you want the logo to accomplish.
If you just need something functional to launch quickly, a simple logo can be enough.
But if you want the logo to attract a specific type of customer, communicate trust or premium value,
stand out from competitors, scale with your business, or avoid needing a redesign later,
then some level of brand strategy helps a lot. A logo without strategy is often just decoration. A logo with strategy becomes a business tool.

Please share your questions and I will add them to the FAQ list

kate.maat@brandsparkle.nl