Research Manager Mitchell van Dun: "We really take the time to identify with the specific wishes of a customer"
8/9/22
Interview
He came to us as part of his graduation project and, since then, Mitchell van Dun has become 'part of the furniture' in the Blauw Sponsorship Impact team. His interest in market research developed while he was studying Sport Marketing and Management; that was where he first came into contact with programmes such as SPSS. The role of Research Manager, in combination with his passion for sport, could almost have been created for him. A discussion about teamwork, customised market research and PlayStation.
Where did you get your passion for sport?
My passion for sport was initially inspired by my grandpa. He was always watching sport on the TV. And we'd always watch the football together. Which is how he came to be the one who first took me to the Feyenoord stadium. That's where a seed was planted which has grown into something big. I'm really mad about Feyenoord. Passion is at the root of all sport: the desire to win and the pursuit of gold are ideals I can certainly relate to. Sport can really stir things up; that's what makes it so special.
Did you play football from an early age?
I started with chess when I was six, and continued with that until I was eleven. In the same period I also did taekwondo and swimming, so I was always doing one sport or another. Ultimately, I did want to play football. I was always involved in a kick-around at break time and after school. When I was twelve I started playing football competitively, and did so for around ten years. I had to stop because of an injury. Since the start of this season I've become a member of a club, and am trying to pick up where I left off back then.
Can you feel the pulse of sport in the work you do now?
Yes, I think that the two fields are comparable. And I also appreciate the fact that we began with a smaller-scale team in which we all have the same goal. The team is made up of about 14 people, the same as a football team. It is nice to get results together; to celebrate successes and accept your losses. That's what's great about being in a team: we're all sports fans, so we all want to fight and come out on top.
You came to Blauw while you were doing your graduation project. You are now a research manager. How do you feel about that move?
I think of myself as quite a serious person; I know the path I'm following and I know what I want to achieve. So it wasn't such a great turning point in my life when I suddenly found myself with a permanent job. It was more like: I've got the job now and I want to use it to help me develop. In other words, that step wasn't so big: it was a natural progression.
Which projects are you working on at the moment?
I'm doing market research into the sponsorship of PlayStation in the Champions League, for instance. I also keep myself occupied with evaluations of events, occasions such as the Amstel Gold Race and the International Film Festival Rotterdam. What's more, I'm working on a survey for the KNVB, the Dutch Football Association, something specifically about volunteers within the governing body. The KNVB wants to know: Do volunteers feel appreciated? And why did they become volunteers?
Which project do you, personally, find the most fun?
The Sony project (PlayStation). I'm a gamer too, in my spare time. It's fun to sit round a table with them and to hear all sorts of new plans for the Champions League season. I belong to precisely the target group that Sony wants to reach, so I can often fully support what they're doing. It's good to be able to have an exchange of views and let them know how I see the plans.
Why do sponsors use market research for their sponsorships?
We often see that businesses take on sponsorships because the people involved think, 'I've been a sports fan all my life.' However, what I've learnt since I was a boy is that if you pay for something, it's because you want something in return. In the world of sponsorship there are plenty of businesses that aren't aware of that. For example: PlayStation focuses on a young target group and they want to convey the association that they are the premium brand for all gamers. They exploit that to the full as a brand in all their campaigns. But: does the target group also understand that Sony wants to profile itself in that way? I think that market research can be a great help in that respect. And I believe that we have a role to play there because we can provide very concrete, customised insights. Which is pretty unique in the world of market research.
What does that kind of customised survey actually entail?
We really take the time to identify with the specific wishes of a customer. For instance, Sony has a different target group and is in a different 'maturity phase' to Heineken. Heineken has been a sponsor for more than twenty years and knows more about the ins and outs of sponsoring than Sony. So Heineken focuses on very different KPIs. We have a dialogue on this issue with each client, and this is a continuing process over a period of years.
And where does your expertise lie?
Stripped down to the bare basics, my expertise is with the relatively young sponsors: PlayStation, TikTok, crypto companies, etc. That's where my personal interests lie, too, and that's where I can give that little extra: I know, for example, what TikTok is and how cryptocurrencies work. I'm involved in those areas anyway because of my personal interests.
About Sponsorship Impact
We have been helping international brands optimise their sponsorship strategies for over 20 years. We not only prove the brand growth that sponsoring provides, but also identify opportunities to improve sponsorship strategies.
