Interview met Wout Withagen, Freshheads


Ontstaan
- Kende Frank al lang persoonlijk
- Zelfde periode gaan groeien, en de groei ging ook gezamenlijk.
- Freshheads beloofde in de kroeg de flyers ed te gaan doen voor ZXZW
- 1e jaar (2006) heel eenvoudig, alleen flyers ed.
- 3 volgende jaren alles
- Vooral toen Joost en Erik kwamen met ideeën over het open festival website werd het echt interessant. Het daagde Freshheads ook uit, ook dat hielp FH verder.
- Vorig jaar was vooral heel zwaar, er was een 2de groot project erbij. Dit is ook naderhand geëvalueerd en hier is ook wel wat op verbeterd qua planning. Voorheen dachten we “dit doen we er wel effe naast”, maar dat is nu echt niet meer zo.

Nu
Nu komt er ook veel terug van Incubate.

Strategic compatibiliy (1)
- Als we keuze moesten maken tussen Emerce E-day en Incubate, wat op dezelfde dag viel, dan zouden we voor Emerce E-day passen, ondanks dat daar echt de doelgroep zit. Maar Incubate vinden we veel cooler, daarmee willen we samen gezien worden. Ze zijn een innovatieve organisatie welke met hart bezig is met hu ding, wij ook. We hebben allebei innovatie als speerpunt.
- Innovation lecture past erg bij ons, maar ook bij Incubate.

Goal convergence (2)
- Wout thinks there is goal convergence, especially with Joost. Freshheads is involved where possible, for example also with the network diner.
- Freshheads just tries to fulfill the needs of Incubate, as a customer.

Commitment (3)
- Wout experiences a strong dedication, also because of the personal relationship. If not, there won’t be any synergy he thinks.
- This year the relationship and work was better managed because of increase of professionalism.
- Freshheads needs to take the sponsorship into account, as serious as any other customer.

Trust (4)
- Keep the relationship open and honest, at the same level, no underdog.
- Trust is good between Freshheads and Incubate.
- Freshheads trusts Incubate, we see how they grow, how they becore more professional and see the quality.
- Freshheads have the idea Incubate thinks the same about Freshheads
- The whole relation is based on trust; the economic interest (belang) is high.

Economic and non-economic satisfaction (5)
- The guys need to be cool.
- The economic interest (belang) is high.
- Although it is hard to measure the economical growth due to the sponsorship.
- Important for Freshheads is also the sponsorship makes recrutement of the right people easier. Because they publish about their findings at Dutch Cowboys blog.
- The sponsorship associated Freshheads with culture.
- The economic effect is not measureable, but Wout thinks its not interesting either. Maybe Incubate can once research this, Wout notes.
- Freshheads is satisfied with the association.
- Freshheads almost has the feeling as they connect with a bigger party.
- During ZXZW in the past whole Freshheads was on a hold. This is not anymore, but they got good memories.


Future
- Freshheads would like if more technical innovative program, like with Andrew Keen, would be involved to Incubate. Like at SXSW, where Twitter became big.
- Freshheads would also appreciate if more ideas and innovations from the EU would get a stage.
- More technical innovation program would make the relationship much more interesting.
- An example: A price of the best web idea, the price-winner’s idea will be developed by Freshheads.

- Freshheads thinks Incubate should focus on size and awareness, not at amount of names.
- Freshheads thinks there is especially growth possibilities on dance and film.
- How better the Incubate awareness is, the better for Freshheads

- If more technology program would be part of Incubate, Freshheads would love to be involved and think with them.
- This is high on their wish list.
- This would get Freshheads more exposure.
- Although they were very satisfied with the exposure of Incubate 2009, especially because of the involvement of the Andrew Keen program.
- Freshheads likes to be linked to a program part.
- Freshheads thinks logo exposure is not so interesting.
- We want to be present at the program has a link with Freshheads, like technical innovation program as described earlier.

- Freshheads thinks much more can be get out of the sponsor relationship, to combine benefits. They would love to talk about this some time.
- However, this gets better ever year. Every year they need to focus on some part.

Follow up interview
Follow up interview with project manager Wout Withagen of Freshheads, responsible of the Incubate relation together with the two directors Sjoerd Eikenaar and Joost Gielen.
Three main questions asked to Wout Withagen at the second interview:
- Where in the budget is the sponsordeal with Incubate?
- What strategic function does the Incubate sponsorship have with the corporate strategy?
- What were the initial objectives to start a sponsorship and why did they enhanced the deal?

Some findings:
- The sponsor deal is out of the budget, as no money goes around, only resources. Those resources have costs, as does the overhead. This is not well taken in account into the budget. However, the hours staff does work on the Incubate sponsorship deal are placed under a post "sponsorship".

- A well described business plan or strategy plan is lacking. Every year a one-year strategic investment plan is made, including sponsorship investments.
- As it started very low profile, the first reason to sponsor Incubate was out of interest and more or less philanthopic reasons. They liked Incubate.
- They like to be associated with arts and culture so they can emphasize their creativity, a little wierd character and being young and inovative.
- As most of their clients are commercial, with the Incubate sponsorship they open a new non-profit market.
- The non-profit sector also sometimes recognises the FH name because of Incubate.
- Sponsorship is managed by directors and a strategic project manager who's managing the sponsorship relationships.
- Freshheads has 27 staff members, around 12 of them are involved in the Incubate sponsorship deal in one way or another.
- All staff members are fully aware of the sponsorship, during Incubate festival the whole company is enjoying the festival.

- Very first two words with which Wout answered the question why they initially started the sponsorship were "tof" and "Tilburg". They wanted to be part f it.
- Freshheads have lots of trust in Incubate, they beleive they "gonna make it".
- Reason to enhance sponsorship is growth opportunities.
- Freshheads sees the relation also as a friendship and cooporation.

- Freshheads believes better to do work for every client with full commitment or not. Also for a sponsor. If not want to give full commitment, better not start a sponsorship.