Opening up the closed world of the professional swimmers

The KNZB is a sports association. That is its essence. It brings together the characteristics, core values, motivations and behaviour of the (top) athlete and of the (association)director, such as challenge and performance, discipline and structure, pride and self-esteem, authority and power. But also: training, competitions, cups, medals, meetings, organizing, arranging, steering. A sports association is all about the sport and organizing it. A world in itself, (for a long time) closed to the outside world, the spectator.

But times are changing. And those who don’t go, stay behind. In sporting terms, lose. We often say it because it’s at the heart of our profession: moving with the times means, among other things, adapting the image of your company or organisation to the new situation, in other words, updating it. But, and we can’t stress this enough either: without changing the core, you lose your credibility. Unless you change everything and start looking for a new identity, for example after a merger or reorganisation.

The problem of the KNZB was a declining membership and therefore less income. Swimming as a competitive sport was supplanted by new sports and activities. But recreational swimming in our country remained just as Dutch as walking, cycling and ice skating. The KNZB wanted therefore also the non-bound swimmers to bind, and also organize activities for the many thousands of fans of swimming. But for this, it was necessary to first adjust the image of the association.