The women’s football league has just restarted. And already Feyenoord can announce a new partner: labour market research firm Intelligence Group. What makes this a logical match?
With a 2-1 win over city rival Excelsior, Feyenoord kicked off a new women’s premier league season last Friday. And there is more news for the Rotterdam club, as today it is announced that labour market research agency Intelligence Group has signed on as an official partner for the next three years.
A logical step, according to Dorien Waasdorp (pictured centre). Not only because she herself has been a long-time supporter of the club from Rotterdam-Zuid, but also for a number of other reasons. ‘For instance, we have been watching women’s football with great interest for some time. I see that it is on the eve of something big, from semiprofs to full pros. We naturally find that professionalisation move interesting. For us, women’s football also stands for: emancipation, equal rights and opportunities, breaking the glass ceiling, moving towards a fair labour market. That also suits us very well, I think.’
In the Rotterdam club, Waasdorp recognises something that the entire Intelligence Group also wants to radiate: not words, but deeds. Moreover, with the partnership, she thinks she can make a good contribution to the visibility of the Dutch recruitment industry. It would be great if in a few years’ time we could fill the entire Kuip stadium and get the whole city moving. And that we can then say we have been a link in that.’
According to Waasdorp, women’s football in many ways compares favourably (still) with the men’s variant. ‘The players are much more approachable. They play the matches at Varkenoord, where you can really get close to the players as a supporter. You can still ask a player for an autograph here. That suits us, I think. Moreover, it suits the target group, which includes many ambitious women.’
It is the first time Intelligence Group has entered into such a partnership. The fact that the Feyenoord club colours red and white also appear in his company’s logo is a nice coincidence (although this colour combination is of course not unknown in Amsterdam and Eindhoven either). What the company mainly hopes to achieve with this? Waasdorp: “That women’s football can also become more professional. Because here, too, a fair labour market is important.’
Written by Peter Boerman.
Questions about sponsorship? Then contact Intelligence Group’s Marketing Manager Iris Lampe (iris@intelligence-group.nl).