During DDMA Experimentation Heroes 2025 in the Social Hub Amsterdam, the winners were announced. Odido, ANWB, and PostNL took home the awards in the categories Conversion, Beyond Web, and Experimentation Culture, while Topbloemen received the Next Gen Heroes Award for the most promising and inspiring case of the year.
The DDMA Experimentation Heroes Awards recognise professionals and teams who successfully apply experiment-driven thinking – the structured testing and validation of assumptions – to measurably improve marketing, product development, or customer experience.
Jorden Lentze, Jury Chair and Senior Product Manager at Booking.com:
“This year’s entries show how mature and diverse the field has become. We saw organisations that not only optimise, but also learn strategically, collaborate effectively, and embrace innovation. The winners demonstrate that experimentation doesn’t stop at the web – it’s a powerful driver of organisation-wide growth and helps put the customer truly at the centre.”
Judith Oude Sogtoen, Managing Director at DDMA:
“These winners show that experimentation is not just about data or statistics, but about vision, courage, and collaboration. They exemplify how experimentation can accelerate innovation, cultural change, and customer centricity.”
Conversion Winner: Odido
Odido’s Bowers NPS Boost case impressed the jury with its combination of courage, precision, and customer focus. The case demonstrates a mature experimentation culture where learning takes precedence over scoring. Although no significant uplift was achieved, the organisation-wide impact and the scale, complexity, and collaboration behind the initiative made a lasting impression.
Beyond Web Winner: ANWB
ANWB stood out with an innovative approach in a domain where traditional A/B testing was not possible. Using a Causal Impact analysis with Prophet, the team was able to derive causal insights into the effects of temporarily pausing SEA campaigns. The project demonstrated strong analytical discipline and collaboration between marketing and data teams, resulting in a 40% cost reduction without a loss in conversions, a strong example of mature experimentation beyond the web domain.
Experimentation Culture Winner: PostNL
PostNL’s entry showcased how an organisation under pressure can become stronger in its data-driven decision-making. In a challenging market, PostNL redefined the value of experimentation, shifting from a validation tool to a strategic mechanism for value creation. By focusing on financial impact and transparency, the company built a culture where management, product, and finance all speak the same language of “value.” The case serves as a prime example of how experimentation can be embedded into strategic decision-making.
Next Gen Heroes Award: Topbloemen
The Next Gen Heroes, presented as an encouragement prize for inspiring CRO cases, went to Topbloemen. The case stood out for its curiosity, persistence, and craftsmanship. With a strong focus on qualitative user testing and real participant feedback, Topbloemen demonstrated how even a smaller player can make a big impact through experimentation.
The Independent Jury
Entries were judged by an independent panel of experts: Jorden Lentze (Booking.com, Chair), Denise Visser (InShared), Melle Moorman (Sunweb Group), Cameron van Uytrecht (Insight ProdX), and Arnout van Scherpenzeel (MyWheels).