Axeptio and Consigo Work with Brandweer, the Dutch Public Firefighters Organization, to Manage User Consent

At the Axeptio Connect Amsterdam event, which brings together key AdTech and MarTech players in the Netherlands, we had the opportunity to gather insights from Jurjen Bersee (Online Coordinator at Brandweer) and William van den Berg (Team Lead at Consigo agency).

In this video interview, they discuss the specific requirements of the Dutch regulatory framework, the challenges faced by a public organization like Brandweer, and the transition from CookieCode to Axeptio.

Using Digital Ecosystems to Serve a Public Interest Mission

Brandweer is the organization responsible for coordinating fire services across the Netherlands. As a public entity, its online mission is to inform, prevent, and support citizens in order to reduce fire risks, minimise casualties, and limit material damage.

This mission is structured around two distinct platforms:

• brandweer.nl, aimed at the general public, centralising educational content (installing smoke detectors, how to act in case of an incident, identifying emergency exits, etc.)

• brandweernederland.nl, dedicated to professional firefighters, featuring specialised content on industry developments and best practices

In this context, digital plays a key role in reaching the entire Dutch population effectively.

This is precisely where Consigo Online Marketing comes in. The agency supports Brandweer in managing its online performance, particularly by improving content visibility to ensure it is easily accessible and maximising its reach.

To drive this strategy, data is essential. This is why the organization has placed strong emphasis on its CMP (Consent Management Platform), a critical component for collecting user consent in compliance with regulations.

“As a public organization, Brandweer has a duty to lead by example. This means strictly complying with data protection authority requirements, while ensuring an accessible user experience for everyone. That’s why choosing the right CMP is so important.” — Jurjen Bersee, Online Coordinator at Brandweer

Operating under a Strict Dutch Regulatory Framework Led by the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens

As across the European Union, the GDPR forms the regulatory foundation in the Netherlands. However, its local interpretation, led by the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP), introduces specific requirements structured around nine key principles.

Among the main points of attention is the requirement to display, from the very first step of the CMP, the number of partners and the associated purpose categories, as illustrated in the infographic below.

In recent months, the AP has intensified its enforcement actions, issuing warnings to many publishers to encourage rapid compliance. You can find our complete guide to Dutch-specific requirements in our special edition of Compliance Check-Up available here.

Transitioning from CookieCode to Axeptio with Consigo’s Support

For several years, Consigo had relied on CookieCode to manage consent for its clients. Following the acquisition of the solution by Axeptio last July, organizations already using CookieCode have been able to upgrade to a more premium solution.

This transition provides access to additional features, such as support for Google Consent Mode v2, compatibility with the IAB Europe TCF for publishers, and the ability to integrate visual formats like images and videos within the CMP, turning compliance into a marketing lever.

“The transition to Axeptio was very smooth. We received daily support from the Customer Success team, as well as from Gordon Plomp, Sales Director Benelux at Axeptio. This allowed us to move quickly and ensure a fast rollout of the new banner without any service disruption.” — William van den Berg, Team Lead at Consigo

Designing a CMP for Clarity, Customisation, and Transparency

In daily use, several elements set Axeptio apart from other solutions on the market, according to the Brandweer and Consigo teams.

First, ease of implementation. The solution can be deployed quickly via Google Tag Manager (or any tag manager), through a CMS (WordPress, Shopify, Prestashop, Drupal, etc.), or via a hardcoded script.

Customisation is another key aspect highlighted by Jurjen and William. Teams can adapt texts, colours, and banner layout to align with the websites’ visual identity. In Brandweer’s case, this made it possible to adopt the minimalist style typical of Dutch public institutions. For users, this makes the official nature of the site immediately recognisable from the first mobile screen.

Another important aspect is transparency. Axeptio provides instant visibility into the cookies and vendors present on the site, meeting the specific expectations of the Dutch authority.

Finally, human support is mentioned as a strong advantage. Being able to interact directly with Axeptio teams and benefit from responsive support when needed makes day-to-day management easier.