in association with The Marketing Machine Wouldn’t it be nice to be in the shoes of the man who can call the shots when it comes to the KLM Open?

pplying modern market- ing principles through a A company’s association to sport is no easy task, but one that KLM is doing with stellar performance. %

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What does your role for the KLM Open. I feel In 2004 we also decided actually involve? the combination of and not to have a hospitality suite I made the initial move into marketing business is the key to mak- “I’m an original just for KLM, but rather share in 2006 as Marketing Director of KLM in ing golf an interesting tool. it with our partners (KPMG the , which involves the whole KLM guy and and ABN AMRO). We have marketing suite (product and revenue Do you see golf as approximately 6,000 VIP’s in management, communications, database a business chore? four days who are invited to marketing etc…). One of the tasks was For me it is. The effec- I represent the luxurious Swan Lounge also the start-up and exploration of busi- tiveness however of being in order to properly network ness communities. We have a few com- on a golf course, discussing and meet. munities, such as Club China, Africa, and or playing with your busi- AirFrance/KLM now our latest addition, Flying Blue Golf. ness partners is so fruitful. I Do you do the sales and products are play all my games for KLM; organization represented by KLM in the Netherlands, the value is so much higher in the Benelux, yourself in house? as KLM is the ‘A-Brand’ here, with more than having lunch or dinner We have outsourced the than 55% market share and 89 years his- with your business partners. organization of the tourna- tory, so it’s a very loaded brand. I believe in ment to This is Golf. We have Why do you think a very good relationship with Surely that must get that is? them and it works extremely confusing at times with the One of the reasons is the the future of well. various reporting lines? ability to share a very in- We currently have commit- Actually it has been working very well. tense experience. If you’re a ted to promotorship of the A key industry example here is the merger moderate golfer (handicap this company” tournament until 2009 and between Renault and Nissan; a French 15-25, and most people we carry out an analysis every and a Japanese company, in the back of- who play golf actively are in year looking not only at the fice totally integrated, but the customer that range), not every stroke is perfect and to our brand. Putting these two together results versus the investment, experiences two separate companies and can get pretty cumbersome at times and enforces the KLM brand. but the development of the product lines. you share also that. The second revolves around customer sport of Golf as a whole. Golf But likewise in every 18 holes there are hospitality. By having KLM involved is currently exploding. In the Perhaps a little off-topic, two or three drives that are going to be with this prestigious European PGA Tour United States it’s levelling out but how has it been going perfect and give you that 3 or 4 seconds event, it has become one of the few events a bit, whereas in the Nether- with the AirFrance/KLM of total happiness. 2 drives and one putt where people readily respond to invita- lands, Germany and France integration? Is it complete? of 4 meters are good enough (for me at tions. Why is that? In my view, if I invite it’s growing quite rapidly. No, far from it. I am not in the driving least) to have a good 18-hole experience. a business partner to the golf course, I can seat, but as a manager I’ve experienced You share the pros and cons of the game, also invite his wife and children to come What are you since 2004. The right steps have been in a nice environment. This creates an at- along. There is a social barrier that is eas- doing to put the taken so far, and the next years will be mosphere where you can also share other ily removed, addressing multiple issues at KLM Open on the crucial. Overall it has been working very issues, either positive or negative. once. Unlike other sports such as Tennis map even more to well. I see today that decisions are made or Formula 1, golf is a far more social and really promote with respect to each other’s cultures and What are the greatest mobile sport. the tournament brands. benefits that KLM has had The third reason is of course customer to attract top Vital Statistics loyalty. We have many Flying Blue mem- players? Full Name: from its association with Roderik Rodermond Are you a golfer yourself? golf? bers who actively opt-in to attend the This year we have Education: Only since 3 years ago. I played when In the Netherlands, it has given us three KLM Open, to come and enjoy one of the increased prize money to Chemical Engineering I was 14 for a brief period but it never main things; most beautiful golf courses (the Kennem- €1.8 million (from a previ- really caught on to me back then. Golf for When we mapped the perceived values er) in a competitive tournament. ous €1.6), in order to keep me as a teenager was too slow. I got my of the KLM brand against those of the in line with peer tourna- handicap of 26 then quit. 20 years later game golf, we found many similari- Your first involvement ments. This could also lead I ran into this game again as Marketing ties, such as high value and quality. We with the KLM Open was in next year to an additional Director of the Netherlands, responsible wanted to leverage these characteristics 2006. Prior to that had increase in prize money. you done any other sports But it’s not only about marketing? prize money. The position It was a fresh start for me. I came from of the tournament schedule at the end Would Flying Blue Golf month before, after and of course during the head office, which is always slightly of August makes for a fantastic program have been born had it not the tournament itself with regards to the “Unlike other sports remote from the marketplace. My pre- for the spouses and families as well. been for the KLM Open? levels of performance and satisfaction, as decessor had started the event in 2004, Some players’ travel 40 or 50 weeks a I guess not. What we learned since well as measuring the impact of our brand such as Tennis or and we had done the title sponsorship of year, it’s therefore important to make 2004 is that 60% of our Flying Blue equity. the Dutch Open for 10 consecutive years, them feel comfortable. Platinum members, for example, are We try and learn how to improve the ex- stopping in 1991. active golfers. Based on that fact and perience year on year, and with it touching Formula 1, golf is There were a few Dutch sponsors after- There were rumours about the ability to include this group in our the loyalty. That’s via the customer per- wards, TNT and Heineken for example. surprise guests attending activities, the idea of the community spective. We also measure the hospitality a far more social. In 2004 the opportunity came to acquire the KLM Open this year… serving golfers was born. It is now the element as well as the brand development the promotorship of the Dutch Open, I cannot say anything about this now airline industry’s largest virtual golf meaning that KLM could now deal di- actually, this is up to the tournament community and continues to grow. Do you actually see There is no better rectly with the European PGA Tour. The director (Daan Slooter), but he always return? result is that you are not only title spon- tells me that there are different time- How do you measure the Yes easily. We see so much overwhelm- sor, but you also control the entire event. frames to contact players, either really tournament’s success? ing return that we have never hesitated to hospitality sport.” This helps you create a venue completely early on the planning stage, or right Through a group of 2,000 random at- renew our investment in the tournament tailored to your needs. before the start. tendees, we carry out our measurements a every year.

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