“The Nomad” is a fortnightly published series where I talk to expat PR and Comms professionals, then delve into the insights which inform and help other people to live or to do business in an intercultural world.
When Lindsay Mandeville came to the Netherlands for the first time more than 12 years ago, she didn’t think she would live in Amsterdam more than a decade later. But life works in a mysterious way. Currently head of PR and digital marketing, Europe at ASICS, Lindsay is keeping the torch burning.
“I came here for the first first time when I was 20 and moved here a few years later; it’s quite a formative time when you’re going through your 20s and early 30s. I reflect on it in a very proud way. It’s always a difficult thing to leave your country, your family, your home, your culture, all the things that you don’t even think about until you are living somewhere else. It really is such a learning opportunity. Still to this day, there are things that I’ve learnt or things I have faced that I have to problem solve. My family always asks “Okay, are you done yet? Do you want to move back? We miss you”. But it is something we can not really always explain unless you have done it – taking yourself out of that comfort zone. Moving to a new place, figuring out how to work and navigating all of that is something great for a person. I feel passionate about it, so I always try to give the advice that if you have the ability and the opportunity, take it and go. Just try it out. Maybe you hate it and you go back, but at least you know.”
Perhaps there’s something about just doing it and taking the opportunity. We’re all Dora the Explorers in our own way. Otherwise, it would be a string of “What ifs” – and I’m not talking about the Marvel series. We wake up one day and the world is changing at a rapid rate. What remains are the experiences. Not everyone can afford such a privilege to venture out into a world that is changing at a rapid rate. The privilege of meeting new people, listening to their stories and immersing ourselves in a different culture. Taking yourself out of that comfort zone is never overrated.
If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Three words to describe myself are friendly, empathetic and competitive, which can be a bit polarising. I try to be open and welcoming to people and to put myself in their shoes but there’s always this competitive nature in me.
How did you get into PR and Comms?
There is not a super romantic story about how I got into PR. It happened during my journey of becoming an expat, actually. When I moved to the Netherlands, I started as a freelancer because I couldn’t get a visa. I naturally got into communications projects, because people were looking for native English speakers. Then I started to get into marketing communications, social media, and PR specific – press releases, media events, which snowballed into what I do now.
Why the Netherlands?
It was a little bit of stumbling. I came to the Netherlands originally when I was at university in the US from a sports background. I played softball in college which is really competitive in the US. There are leagues internationally as well. In my second year of university, I was recruited by a couple of different teams in Europe – Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. It was embarrassing as I initially didn’t know where the Netherlands was. I’d heard of Amsterdam so the Netherlands seemed like more of an adventure, and I decided to go there for a summer. I then met my husband when I was playing softball there (we played for the same club). After I had graduated, I decided to move over to be with him. I thought to myself it would be nice if somebody would hire me instantly straight out of university and it would be perfect. But that was not the case. It was a real hustle to work and get a visa. So that was how I ended up in the Netherlands. It was a mix of sports, being an expat and love. But I ended up staying for myself – we’ve broken up and I continue to stay here. It’s a great place to be based.
What do you miss the most about the U.S.?
It’s for sure my family. There are little things you miss like a certain restaurant or certain holidays but overall it’s my family and not being so close to them physically all the time. But I see them two or three times a year so unless we are living next door to each other, then it’s also fine.
Where were the cultural challenges when you relocated to the Netherlands? How do you overcome those challenges?
Reflecting back on the first few months, it was definitely communication which was surprising because the Netherlands is renowned for its English speaking. It’s more about interpersonal communication which is quite direct and it’s quite different from the US. In the U.S., we tend to be overly positive to the point that it doesn’t seem genuine, but the Dutch people are very direct. They say exactly what they mean, even if it seems a bit harsh for different cultures. That was something that I had to get used to because it can be quite brutal sometimes. It is not a negative to them, just straightforward and that’s how they communicate; as the outsider, I would have to adjust to that and take it into account.
What is your advice for people who want to move to the Netherlands?
It’s a great place to live and work. It’s quite easy to assimilate, especially in the big cities. It’s almost like their first language is English. So if you feel strongly about your English ability, then it is a good place to be settled, and there are so many other cultures represented as well. I would say to try as early as possible to network either going to networking events or finding people of similar interests because it’s such a small world. I started out in tech when I moved to Amsterdam but the only reason I got into the bigger positions I would get later was because of somebody that knows somebody. It was more of a personal referral than applying endlessly on LinkedIn. It was really about getting yourself connected to the people in the positions that you want to be in almost and making those honest connections. If you’re really affected by the weather, then don’t come to Amsterdam, but it’s a great place to live and to work; people are welcoming as well.
ASICS is a progressive brand – its commitment to its “sound body, sound mind’ philosophy by adding mental health support into the contracts of the athletes it sponsors or training AI to change the way it sees exercises stands out. How could we communicate those brand purposes without being opportunistic?
ASICS stands for Anima Sana In Corpore Sano’ or Sound Mind in a Sound Body; it’s been that since the very beginning in 1949 in Japan. We have a purpose and we are on a mission to help people understand that purpose. Five years ago, we did a lot of brand work – this was pre-COVID, before the time when everybody was talking about mental health – and looked at the brand archetype wheel. There are 12 different archetypes. In the sports industry, many fall within similar buckets – there are a lot of rulers or heroes but there are a couple of brands that stand out and are different. We decided that we wanted to go back to our roots. If we are a brand that stands for a sound mind, sound body, and the positive benefits that sport can have on the mind, then we fit within the Caregiver archetype. And that’s a very specific personality. It’s not about winning at all costs; we love to win but it’s about showing the positive mental benefit that sport can have – it can make you feel more confident, and more focused, even with a simple 15-minute walk. After that, we set out to keep reinforcing that. All of the different campaigns that you’ve seen, like training AI, mind games, or dramatic transformations which was the one that was nominated at Cannes Lion, are all about reinforcing that message and staying true to who we are.
Have you noticed any shift in the talk about mental health since the pandemic? If so, what is the impact of that conversation?
Definitely. Pre-COVID, mental health was one of those things that we didn’t really talk about; it was something very private. Obviously, COVID was a complete disaster and nightmare, though I think one of the positives, dare I say, was the fact that we opened up a bit more to each other, and we were able to talk about mental health and well-being. But then at the same time, you saw brands jumping on the topic as well, and trying to launch mental health campaigns. If it’s not true to your core, then it will eventually fall away or it will be something that you can see through. There’s absolutely more competition in a share of voice with mental health or mental well-being. There could be great initiatives, but it’s just a matter of whether it’s true to your brand.
What is your advice for brands that are looking to develop an authentic campaign?
The advice that I would give is to focus on who you are as a brand. So if you are the type who wins at all costs – take Under Armour for example, they stay true to the notion of pushing further and tougher, and there is a market for that. They are staying very true to that brand archetype. That recipe for success is to really think of who are you as a brand in any industry. Who are we? What do we stand for? And how do we continue to reinforce that? At ASICS, a part of every brief that we send out whether it’s a running brief, a tennis brief, or even a sports lifestyle brief is always how we could reinforce our archetype of “The Caregiver” and Sound Mind, Sound Body brand ethos, which then creates a genuine sense of the brand. Consumers now are so savvy that they instantly know when something’s fake, or when something is contrived, so we are always striving to portray purpose in a meaningful and genuine way.
You mentioned AI earlier and ASICS has worked on fantastic campaigns that are about AI. With AI, what are the opportunities (or challenges) for PR professionals?
I don’t find it threatening right now. I’ve used it as a creative tool; it’s almost like a new way of brainstorming. It’s not the whiteboard anymore, be it ChatGPT or generative AI from Photoshop. That’s quite exciting and scary at the same time, but the best things are always exciting and scary at the same time. For now, I call it a positive development for the industry but it is still very early days.
What should brands be mindful of if they are to launch in a market like the Netherlands, or the wider EMEA market?
The thing to really be mindful of is the people and the culture. There are lots of differences in Europe and in every country – for example, the Netherlands is great for work/life balance. There is something called a “mama dag or papa dag” which means one day a week is free for parents to be with the family. It’s important to understand and to know when you’re considering a new market: What is the location? Does it make sense for our product? Do our consumers know about our products? There is a business side of it but there’s actually a people side of it that is very important as well.
Where – it could be a restaurant, a sight, a bookstore – should someone definitely visit when they’re in the Netherlands?
I’m immediately thinking of the Adam Tower, a place straight across the water from Central Station. There’s a restaurant at the top which is just gorgeous. You can go all the way to the top to have a view of the city as well. There’s always some kind of an art installation going so it’s a nice creative space, too. There’s also the Moco museum which always has different installations going on. It’s probably my favourite in Amsterdam. I would also say anything in Amsterdam North which is an up-and-coming area – there are interesting restaurants and coffee shops. It’s a nice artistic area to hang out with your friends.
We come to the end of our conversation. Lindsay keeps mentioning she’s not the coolest person in the world but I don’t know who would better fit into the category of “cool, calm, collected” than her. With a dash of competitiveness. There’s so much infectious energy when she talks about ASICS, her work and her experience as an expat in the Netherlands. I feel inspired.
12 years have passed and Lindsay is still enjoying a nice little walk around the canal, watching people passing by, the bikes and boats as well. For people like us, nomads dare I say, it’s scary and exciting to cycle into the unknown, but someone wiser than me did say the best things are exciting and scary at the same time.
