Hyundai goes full throttle with a digital team

Ronald den Dulk (left) and Leon van Schie (right) on the collaboration between Hyundai and Babbage.

“The personal contact also meant that we have knocked on Babbage's door more often.” – Leon

Making a team more digital requires more than just hiring "someone with performance marketing expertise." It requires a clear vision, the courage to think outside the box, and a collaborative approach where you can discuss what's truly needed. Marketing Director Leon van Schie and Manager Digital Performance & CRM Ronald den Dulk discuss how Hyundai collaborated with Babbage to increase digital power. And what that has brought the team over the past year.

The need: more digital clout

Hyundai is one of the largest car brands worldwide and operates as a challenger in the Netherlands: a brand with growth ambitions in a rapidly changing market. The electrification of the vehicle fleet is profoundly changing the automotive market. Combined with digitalization and lead-driven marketing, this places new demands on the team. Partly because of this, Leon realized something was missing.

"What I was missing was someone who truly lives and breathes digital," he says. "Performance marketing is becoming increasingly important and is partly responsible for business results, including sales. You don't automatically get that expertise from a traditional automotive team. That's why I deliberately looked for someone from outside the sector, with experience in digital marketing in other industries."

That search began with a conversation with Babbage. Not only to find candidates, but also to first define the role together.

I didn't feel like I was being pushed around, but they were investigating whether there was truly a match. They were transparent, honest, and attentive to my questions and doubts. – Ronald

From job description to sharp profile

"What you quickly do yourself is write a factual job description," says Leon. "Together with Babbage, we refined that into a profile that much better reflected what we were looking for and where we wanted to go. A long version for the content, and a short, sharp version that stands out on LinkedIn, for example."

According to Leon, Babbage's added value lay primarily in his collaborative thinking. "The brainstorming helped clarify: this isn't a traditional marketing role, but one that touches on strategy, performance, and change within the team. Getting that clear was crucial."

Babbage also played a key role in the selection process. "The first CVs we received were immediately high-quality. That strengthened the interview and allowed us to choose from truly strong profiles."

The ambition was clearly evident

Ronald came across this vacancy through Babbage's LinkedIn campaign. At the time, he was in a good place and wasn't actively looking for a new job. Yet, the role immediately caught his attention.

"The ambition just leapt off the page," he says. "I saw room to grow and innovate. It felt like an almost blank canvas where digital performance could truly be taken further."

Ronald's lack of automotive experience wasn't a drawback. Quite the opposite. "That fresh perspective was a plus," says Leon. "He brought experience from other sectors and looked at our business model with a fresh perspective, with dealers between us and the end customer. That makes digital marketing more complex here, but also more interesting."

What was the deciding factor? "The balance between strategy and action," says Leon. "Ronald thinks about where we want to be in three years and how we'll get there, but at the same time, he's got his own feet on the ground."

Have you tried it?

"What convinced me was the freedom I was given," says Ronald. "I tried not to overhaul everything right away, but to first take a good look: what's going well, what are the opportunities, and what can we work on together. That space to experiment and learn felt good from day one."

That approach really fits Hyundai's DNA, Leon adds. "Hyundai's founder in the 50s had the motto: have you tried it? So our culture is truly: try it first. Don't say, "That's impossible" or "We've never done that." Ronald fits in perfectly with that philosophy.

“I am absolutely convinced that with a good agency you get a better quality professional, and for the long term.” – Leon

A collaboration that works

Looking back on the past year, both mention the same elements: trust, openness and a clear click.

They also agree on Babbage's role. Ronald: "To be honest, I was always a bit skeptical of recruiters. But here it felt different. I didn't feel like I was being pushed, but rather, they were investigating whether there was a genuine match. Transparent, honest, and attentive to any questions or doubts."

Leon recognizes this. "For me, the process naturally began before that, with taking care of everything and writing the vacancy text and job description. But what I found most special was the contact afterward. For example, they called me to ask how things were going. I hadn't heard that from other agencies, but it makes all the difference. That's also why we've contacted Babbage more often."

A partnership to recommend

Would they recommend Babbage to others? They don't have to think twice about that.

"Yes, 100%," says Ronald. "The entire process, from initial contact to starting in the role, was human, honest, and thorough. That, along with Hyundai, helped me get off to a flying start."

Leon agrees. "I'm also absolutely convinced that with a good agency, you get a better quality professional, and for the long term."

Rutger is happy to help you
“Need support from your team? I’d be happy to discuss it with you.”
Call +31 (0)20 441 47 07 of mail to rutger.severens@babbage.nl