BASIS: A conversation with Cube, FC Twente's new digital partner.

"We did have to rebuild because it's going fast."

At Cube, they do not blow their trumpets easily, in keeping with the Twente folk tradition, but the fact is that the expert in digitising (customer) processes was recently listed in both the national top 100 fastest growing companies and the Top 100 best e-business companies. In line with that (qualitative) growth spurt is the renovation of the beautifully located premises on the Ganzenmarkt in Oldenzaal. "We had to renovate, because things are moving fast," says Job Keupink during a brief tour.

Super close team.

He started Cube over ten years ago on his own 'more or less in the attic room in Albergen' and, anno 2021, can already point to a workforce of 26 permanent employees. An important pawn within the company is, for the past five years, business developer Jarno Rutjes. But Keupink prefers not to distinguish between hierarchy or individual quality. Or, as Rutjes puts it: "At Cube, the individual is never the most important thing, we are a super close-knit team. If you were to take a group photo of our staff, you would suspect that it was a holiday photo of a group of friends. The fun radiates from them." Keupink: "Everything here is about job satisfaction and cooperation. That, I think, is also the basis of our rapid development."

With terms like "super close team", "cooperation" and "development", the link to football is easily made. The two colleagues and friends themselves have been kicking a ball since childhood. Keupink at De Tukkers in Albergen, Rutjes on behalf of SV Enter. But both also nurtured a warm feeling for FC Twente early on. Keupink: "I had a season ticket for FC Twente for a long time, even in the days when 'we' won the national title. I often went to the stadium with my father. A great period." Rutjes: "I was not a die-hard supporter, but I did often visit De Grolsch Veste. FC Twente also has a special place with me."

Digital partner FC Twente.

As representatives of Cube, they made the switch from the 'regular' stands to the Talent Group Twente, the networking organisation for young entrepreneurs, in early 2020. At De Grolsch Veste, they united the useful with the pleasant. Keupink: "We really liked that. You enjoy the competition and have pleasant and casual contacts with fellow entrepreneurs there. "It's business to business, but in a relaxed way," says Rutjes. With the introduction of corona, the match fun was soon over. Contact with FC Twente seemed to fall somewhat silent, but nothing could be further from the truth. Cube had now proven itself as a digital partner of main sponsor Pure Energie, came on the club's radar and therefore competed for the prestigious role of digital partner for the foreseeable future. From the selection process that followed, the Oldenzaal-based company emerged - after an impressive pitch - as the new digital partner. "Very honourable," says Keupink, "and it obviously fills us, as a company from Twente, with pride." Rutjes: "Apart from that, we were pleasantly surprised by the professional approach of the people at FC Twente. Those contact moments showed that we fit together in terms of culture and ambition. We are a down-to-earth company and do not promise golden mountains a priori, but we do try to help ensure that the cooperation produces golden mountains, so to speak."

A dream come true.

The conditions for a successful match are more than present. What to think of the high FC Twente content in the Oldenzaal workplace. "Many of our employees are FC Twente supporters and have a season ticket," Rutjes knows. "They think it's super cool to start working on projects of their favourite club now." Keupink: "One of them, Jurriën Peters, told us that he always dreamed of being able to work on FC Twente's website and app. We didn't know that. Only when the deal was done did he tell us of his dream. And that it had come true. He was overjoyed. 'My life is pretty much complete now' he said. Those are wonderful things."

A diverse team of Cube professionals is now working diligently on FC Twente's new digital landscape, spearheaded by a revamped website (with a modern look and feel) and a genuine FC Twente app. "We're going to ensure an optimal mix of existing software combined with good customisation." Whereby the approach of zwel Cube as well as the club is clear. "To strengthen the bond between the supporters and the club even further," Keupink states. "And we also want to increase the bond for the business partners."

FC Twente did not yet have an app for mobile phones, but that is going to change starting from the new season. And how. Because Cube has biggest plans for a total experience. "On matchday, the user of the FC Twente app is really in the front row," says Rutjes. "Because we can make use of the club's rich archive, we will bring facts and also images of previous encounters between FC Twente and that day's opponent."

Actuel information.

The user will not lack anything during the match either. "If FC Twente scores, a push notification goes out immediately," says Keupink. "Other developments, such as yellow cards or substitutions, will also be reported. It's not that we want to compete with apps like Livescore, but we simply want to provide users with important and up-to-date information as quickly as possible. We know that FC Twente is a lifestyle for many people, we want to fully anticipate that with the app."

The app is also going to have its added value in a practical sense. Anyone wanting to go to a match at De Grolsch Veste in the future will simply have to show their digital ticket on their mobile phone's FC Twente app. Rutjes: "Season tickets and admission tickets will be added to the app in a personalised way via the user's account. It will all become a lot easier.

"For the people who are professionally connected to FC Twente, and are part of one of the network groups, Cube is also brooding on the necessary tricks. "We can imagine making an application where, as a member of, say, the TOS at a home match, you can see which other members are at which place in the stadium. That way it is easy to meet up. People who feel it violates privacy can of course switch off such 'location tracking'. Because anyway, it is voluntary." Keupink and Rutjes, like their Cube colleagues, are looking forward to a red-coloured and preferably corona-free future. In which they can cheer their club from the business seats in a full Grolsch Veste in the old-fashioned way. "Because while we may be FC Twente's proud digital partner, we certainly remain true supporters as well," says Cube.

Source

Publication: the 17th edition of 'The FC Twente business magazine; Basis'

Text: Eddy van der Ley

Photographer: Frank Visschedijk

Publisher: Van Deinse Media