The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) aligned itself to the Netherlands branding developed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The aim of this brand is to portray the country in a positive light and highlight the diversity of the country. As the branding is cross-sectoral, NBTC created their own brand promise "One of Us" and formulated the "Bring Yourself, We'll Do The Same" campaign to specifically adapt the campaign to the tourism sector and their target audience.

Bring Yourself, We'll Do The Same

NBTC's multi-year international marketing campaign encourages tourists to be themselves and show off their unique personalities. By opening oneself up, visitors can be surprised and incorporate their interests into the destination's offerings. As a result, travellers can immerse themselves in more unique and exciting adventures.

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Owned, earned and paid media are used to highlight the campaign across the different parts of the travel purchase journey. Both leisure and business travellers are activated by the campaign to have meaningful travel experiences.

The campaign provides a clear linkage between the local community's needs and beliefs with those of international travellers. This helps to integrate travellers into Dutch society and transform the country's travel industry into a sustainable destination in which locals benefit from travel.

In particular, the campaign highlights different themes, such as 'Dutch Design', 'Castles & Country Houses', 'Hanseatic People', 'Cycling Lifestyle' and 'Greener Cities'. These align very well with the key characteristics of the destination and provide a strong link between the Netherlands branding and the country's tourism offer.

The Bring Yourself, We'll do the Same campaign helps to highlight a multicultural view of the Netherlands, going beyond history and culture and also considering the present and future outlook of the country. This helps the Netherlands to strengthen and diversify its branding and help change consumer's perceptions of the Netherlands of being a country with tulips, windmills, clogs and pancakes to also reflect modern-day realities and scientific and creative industries. The alignment with the Netherlands branding also enables the more effective marketing of lesser-known regions and attractions.

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During the campaign launch, NBTC used holograms of both famous and ordinary Dutch citizens at Antwerp (Belgium) and Mönchengladbach (Germany) stations. These holograms showcased the Netherlands and the variety of cultures in an attempt to encourage spontaneous visits to the country.  

Purpose-Driven Marketing

With Millennials - and especially Generation Z - having clear ethical guidelines which influence their purchasing decisions, it is important for brands to ensure they remain aligned with current sustainability goals and make their ambitions clear, without greenwashing. Promotion and marketing should therefore no longer be totally focused on products and services, but also consider local communities and tourists.

Purpose-driven marketing is becoming increasingly central for organisations to share their values and beliefs and simultaneously improve their relationships with consumers. This approach to marketing helps to reach new audiences and can also help differentiate your brand from competitors. Purpose-driven marketing also helps to inspire creativity and engaging content that gives freedom to highlight even more perspectives in your destination from locals and tourists.