Silvie Herrebaut: “Padel was our Kim and Justine”

Today, Silvie herself is one of the 200,000 members of Tennis en Padel Vlaanderen. ‘As a member of tennis club Dropshot Berlare, I try to do my bit at least once a week, though not at a very intensive level (laughs). It was actually thanks to the Start2Tennis lessons that I started following my current employer online. For me, it was a logical next step after a first interesting work experience at the communications department of my home municipality, Zele, where as a youngster I was immediately allowed to help develop a new corporate identity and website.’

As Communications Manager, Silvie helps set the major communication guidelines. ‘Every year, we focus on two to three new major campaigns, which we develop in close cooperation with other divisions, such as the marketing department. For instance, 2024 will mainly focus on KidsPadel and KidsTennis, but also on warming up new potential members via social media. In addition, we want to look at how influencers can strengthen our communication. In short: the challenge for the team is to reach the right target audience with the right message across more and more online channels.’

‘Apart from that, we need to tackle another significant challenge. Tennis is hardly featured in the broader (visual) media anymore. Unfortunately, the Kim and Justine effect has long since faded. How do we get that ball rolling again?’

‘But at the same time, we realize that—just like during an exciting sports match—things can turn around quickly. The padel boom is a great example of that. During the corona crisis, almost the entire world came to a standstill, including most sports clubs. But for us, it became busier than ever. Tennis and padel were suddenly two of the few sports that were still allowed, and padel also experienced very steep growth. Where padel used to make up 10% of our job, the sport is now 100% integrated into our operations. And so we also had to align our internal approach accordingly.’

‘In the meantime, we are looking at how we can also bring padel (even) more into the media. A challenge that our project coordinator Leslie dove into with great enthusiasm. The podcast Dubbelspel and the columns De Gevoelige Snaar and Viva Vibora from the pen of former tennis pro Filip Dewulf are initiatives intended to help light the fuse.’

‘In recent years—partly due to the whole corona story—there has also been an accelerated automation and digitalization of our communication. That was a real game changer for us. Physical inspiration days at clubs became webinars, data-driven marketing suddenly became extra important to gain insights from our target audiences, we developed tools and platforms where members can reserve courts, register for tournaments, you name it… So, we have taken many steps forward in these areas in a relatively short time. Change always brings opportunities, and those can grow into great achievements.’

Finally, where does Silvie Herrebaut find the most satisfaction in her job as a communications manager? ‘It’s in both the big and the smallest things. For example, I love seeing campaigns like Opslag verliefd, with which we recruited new members during the corona period, or MijnTerrein, whose video campaign was recently shown during the Davis Cup, take shape.’

‘It gives an enormous amount of satisfaction to go from an internal brainstorm with our own communications team to the final result. But at the same time, I enjoy writing copy myself for certain assignments or campaigns just as much. The love for words and advertising has always been there, ever since I used to act out TV commercials with my cousins (laughs). That love will never disappear.’

After nearly three years as communication partners, Expliciet and Tennis en Padel Vlaanderen are completely in sync.

‘Expliciet has proven to be a total partner for us in recent years. They assist us in the appropriate way on both a strategic and operational level. From the complete rebranding to the tennis-and-padel story, to devising and rolling out various campaigns always from creative, witty angles, continuing to create sufficient impact within the desired target group, to the most executive tasks, such as the design of posters and flyers for clubhouses.’

‘We really needed that flexibility and A-to-Z approach. An extra plus is that Expliciet also effectively has a feel for the sports we promote. That adds a whole different dimension to the collaboration.’