A journey through Efteling

‘I still have some childhood photographs of myself at Efteling. At Fata Morgana, as a boy aged six or so, I guess. I still remember vividly that I was standing there, by that outer wall, and seeing all sorts of animals projected on it – elephants and the like. It was only later that I realised I’d imagined it all; there weren’t any animals at all. I’d probably just been seeing shadows of whatever was there – there are big floodlights there.’

Efteling appeals to your imagination.
‘Yet, it occurred to me there, I guess. Something started to take root – the idea that, one day, when I’m all grown up, I’d like to work here. And to think that as a child I was absolutely terrified of rollercoasters; I wanted nothing to do with them. Things are very different now!’ (laughs)

Then I’m really going to ask the question: how often do you take a ride, now that you work at Efteling?
‘Twice a year? With my girlfriend, wife, I may now call her.’ (smile) ‘I hardly ever go on a rollercoaster with colleagues anymore.’

But your workplace is at the park, right?
‘That’s right! My department is part of the Raveleijn Office. During my lunch break, I always try to have a stroll through the park. In my role as Web & App Content Specialist, I don’t work directly with guests, but by just stepping into the park for a moment, you can immediately see what you’re doing all this for.’

And what exactly do you do?
‘Together with colleagues, I’m in charge of creating, optimising and maintaining pages on Efteling.com and information in the Efteling app. As part of that role, I’m also involved in SEO (search engine optimisation, ed.). So I make sure our guests can easily find Efteling online and can eventually find their way around the website and the app.’

What are you currently involved in?
‘We’re currently in the midst of a major website redevelopment project. Through new page designs, we’re aiming to better convey the atmosphere and experience you can enjoy at the theme park on the website. And that’s quite a challenge, as it mustn’t get in the way of functionality. We’ve started with the accommodation pages in connection with the launch and opening of the Efteling Grand Hotel and a new booking system.’

And in how far are you using AI for this?
‘For texts, I mostly call on our in-house copywriter. Every now and then, when I’m writing something  myself and I’m lacking inspiration, I use ChatGPT through a company account. So I don’t use it often for content creation, but I do use it to analyse results. It’s great that we’re a young department and we challenge each other when it comes to using AI for marketing. We share what we discover and what works well.’

And is it still necessary, that marketing? I mean, who does not know Efteling?
‘It’s surely necessary! In the Netherlands, we’re of course the most fun and most beautiful theme park and we’re well known, but we must always keep doing our best. And the strategy now is to get noticed abroad as an international destination for families. So we’re focusing more on overnight stays, and that requires a lot of hard work.’ 

In that case, it is useful that you have completed a study programme with an international focus.
‘Attractions & Theme Parks Management was the most logical option for me anyway since I’d known from an early age that I wanted to work at Efteling. I felt the study programme lacked a real in-depth focus on marketing, but what I did learn – and which has proved extremely valuable – is to think from the other side. Not from your own perspective or that of the organisation, but from the visitor’s. And I think that’s mainly down to the fact that the study programme uses real-world assignments; you’re dealing with a real problem and so you want to know what lies at its root. And to do that, you sometimes have to think differently.’

An example of your daily duties?
‘In my role I spend a lot of time on SEO. How do visitors search for information? What search terms do they enter? We conduct research into this, of course, but it also requires you to think from the other person’s perspective.’ 

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? 
‘I’d go so far as to say: not at Efteling anymore, but I also know that new challenges come my way again and again. It’s still nice and interesting, which makes it hard to say where I’ll be in five years’ time. That search engine optimisation will change again, for example, by the use of AI. How do people use AI to come to us, how do people use AI to find us, how are we referred to and quoted as Efteling, and how can we influence that? I did learn the basics of SEO during my studies, but this is all new, so you just have to figure out how it works. You learn most of it as you go along, after all.’

Now we come to your journey through Efteling. 
‘In 2017, I started there as a student on placement in Direct Marketing. I was soon offered a part-time job at Reizenrijk. I worked at attractions such as Carnaval Festival, Vogel Rok, Pagode and Gondoletta. After one year I joined the Park Entertainment department and guided, among other things, bands who came to play for us at the bandstand near Het Witte Paard. By then, I’d started the Efteling Academy at BUas, a collaboration between BUas and Efteling, in which BUas students did a strategic assignment as part of their minor project.’ 

Good crossover. 
‘It was a minor in which a lot came together. The BUas team consisted of different study programmes –  Leisure obviously, but Games and Built Environment were also represented. That provided various perspectives and mutual challenges. At Efteling, I was also given a peek behind the scenes by being involved on the creative side as well.’

Eventually, you did your graduation project at Efteling too.
‘That had everything to do with that minor programme. In my graduation project, I took the idea we’d come up with as a product at the Efteling Academy a step further. I conducted research into the launch and marketing of a new fictional character. It was a great concept, but actually too niche to market. It was quite a search; I learnt a lot about how to conduct research and also about brand marketing, which was something I hadn’t had any experience with before.’

And then straight after graduating, you landed your dream job? 
‘Well, it didn’t go like that. I thought it was about time to grow up.’ 

Not at a park where grown-ups can be children again?
‘I wanted to work somewhere else for a change, to gain some new experience and see things from a different perspective. I applied for all sorts of marketing roles, but I lacked both the depth I mentioned earlier and, quite simply, the experience. Then I applied for a traineeship at an online marketing agency. They actually invited me for an interview. It went quite well, but afterwards they said: ‘That Efteling spark is still burning inside you.’

That is nice to hear, but it did not help you at all?
‘Not at that moment, of course. Not long after, my placement supervisor at Efteling sent me a link. Just a link to a job advertisement. With a wink. I applied straight away!’

At the end of our conversation, alumni coordinator Lars Davids joins us at the table in the Grand Café on campus.Sam suggests that it might be nice to invite graduates who have not gone on to work in the leisure industry to give guest lectures.

‘Not everyone has landed their dream job. I was lucky that the vacancy came along at exactly the right time. I know quite a few graduates who’ve found really great jobs with companies in other sectors. It might be good to show that too – a different perspective. That there are other ways to do things. Ultimately, what matters is that you enjoy what you do.’