“The icing on the cake was definitely the turnout”

For over 25 years, we have been connecting organizations with the best marketing, communication, and content professionals. We find suitable assignments or positions for junior, medior, and senior professionals. We would like to introduce them to you in Spot On. This time, not one but two professionals are in the spotlight: Angelique Bergers and Jade Wissink. They were the communication directors for the 2021 Dutch House of Representatives elections. Due to corona, these elections were very different from what we were used to. Together with the communication team of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK), they guided the communication around these elections in the right direction. 

Angelique Bergers in brief

“I started my career as a communications researcher and later as a communications advisor at the Government Information Service. After a few years at the then Ministry of Transport and Water Management, I made the switch to the side of the communications consultancy agencies. I worked for BIKKER Communicatie and B&A Groep Beleidscommunicatie.

In 2001, I started the company Haverkamp en Bergers Project Communicatie together with my husband. Since then, I have been working with great pleasure as a self-employed person for the central government, executive organisations, knowledge institutes and municipalities.”

Jade Wissink in brief

“I started my career as a communications advisor for large infrastructure projects at Rijkswaterstaat. After that, I worked as a team manager at the municipality of Amsterdam with a team of engineers on large construction projects in the city. Just before corona broke out, I left Amsterdam because I wanted to return to the communications profession as an independent. And together with a partner, I founded The Inclusion Studio to help organizations with diversity and inclusion issues.

I had some doubts about this assignment at BZK as Communications Director for the Second Chamber elections, I knew it would be a special election in a hectic time. But I am glad I went for it: it was such a great assignment and very socially relevant. Such projects really appeal to me.”

'Your mission, should you choose to accept it'

“Jade and I came in early November 2020 to help organize the communication about the 2021 House of Representatives elections. A House of Representatives election is normally fairly predictable in terms of communication, you can just pull a script out of the closet. Everything was different now because of the coronavirus. The adjustments that were necessary for this had to be arranged in two temporary laws. As a result, we could only really start preparing the communication in December 2020.”

Jade: “Everyone who wanted to vote had to be able to do so as safely as possible, that was the focus. For example, the second temporary law provided for two extra days on which people could vote early, especially people who belonged to the risk groups. Voters aged 70 and over could also vote by mail. We wanted to ensure inclusive elections – despite corona – where everyone had the opportunity to cast their vote. Iwein sent me a message asking if I was interested in this project. That is why I started talking to Babbage”

Babbage's role

Angelique: “In mid-October 2020, my husband asked me what I would consider a fun follow-up assignment. He had an idea: the communication around the 2021 House of Representatives elections. I burst out laughing: I said that they had of course been working on that for a long time and that otherwise it would be a bit late…

A week later Babbage approached me with the question whether this assignment was something for me. There is no such thing as coincidence and this was such a unique assignment, you rarely experience that. So I started talking to you.”

Jade: “We didn’t have much contact with you during the project, we were simply too busy with our work! I really appreciate the gifts you send: Iwein who gives a helping hand via the app, a bunch of flowers, a bottle of wine… We really felt that you were thinking of us!”

Starting up the project

Jade: “It was really 'building a plane while flying it'. At the time we started, there was no communication team and time was running out. We then formed a team with the various communication specialisms that we needed for the communication around this election. 

Angelique: “We worked very closely with the Policy Elections project team. They trusted Jade and me because we quickly mastered the substantive material. As a result, we only needed a few words and were able to quickly switch and adjust where necessary. That was also very necessary, given the current events and the turbulence we sometimes encountered along the way.

Jade: “We organized a kick-off meeting with the communications team right at the beginning. That worked well, as did the weekly stand-ups. We also created bi-weekly team emails with a review of what had been done and a preview of what was to come. That helped the various communications specialists feel part of the team.”

Results and learnings

Angelique: “One of my first questions was whether there was a network of communication advisors and spokespersons at municipalities. After all, municipalities play a crucial role in the communication around the Second Chamber elections. It turned out that there was not and we set that up with the communication team. That worked very well and the ministry wants to do the same for the upcoming elections.

Furthermore, we have actively collaborated with social organizations, such as the Ieder(In) foundation and senior citizens' associations, in customized communication for risk groups and voters aged 70 and over. The ministry would also like to maintain this collaboration with social organizations for the upcoming elections."

Jade: “For us, the icing on the cake was the turnout of 78,7 percent. Despite corona, we made it clear that everyone who wanted to vote could do so properly and as safely as possible. In that respect, our mission was successful!”

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