Client: Programmabureau het Groene Hart Assignment: Develop an identity and a campaign for the Groene Hart that puts the area firmly on the map. Solution: Unite the partners of the Groene Hart under a single brand. Brand concept: The Groene Hart as a back garden

1. the city’s
back
garden
The Groene Hart puts itself on the map with a unifying
brand concept.
Vandejong
amsterdam

2. Client
Programmabureau het Groene Hart
Assignment
Develop an identity and a campaign for the Groene Hart
that puts the area firmly on the map
Solution
Unite the partners of the Groene Hart under a single
brand
Brand concept
The Groene Hart as a back garden

3. the groene hart has always been an innovative place

4. an experimental garden for new ideas

5. ‘ExpErimEntal
gardEn’
groEnE Hart

6. experimental garden: experience the groene hart with all your senses

7. the
groene hart
starts here
The Groene Hart is one of the Netherlands’ largest
national parks. Its varied landscape features polders,
ponds, rivers, peat bogs, windmills, dykes, agriculture
and horticulture, industry, towns and villages. It’s an
interesting and diverse area, but until recently it was
hardly recognisable for visitors.
The concept of the Groene Hart was known in the
Netherlands, but what was the area’s relevance for the
cities in the western part of the country and the Dutch
tourist market? Few people could say. Even the area’s
providers of goods and services had a hard time ex-
plaining its significance. The people of the Groene Hart

8. were fragmented. The various local providers of goods ship, history and vision of the future quickly showed
and services were promoting the area in their own in- that the area had been an experimental garden from
dividual ways, each with a different message and in his the start. It was a place built through human innova-
or her own style. There was no one Groene Hart. tion: windmills, dykes, draining of land, peat-cutting,
The provinces of Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland and so on.
and Utrecht therefore sought to profile the Groene And it remains such an experimental garden today.
Hart as a recognisable whole for residents, businesses The people of the Groene Hart continue to innovate
and visitors. They asked Vandejong to develop a brand enthusiastically, in areas including sustainable energy,
concept, identity and campaign that would glue the agriculture, sustainable building, nature conservation
Groene Hart back together. and recreation. Innovation is encoded in the DNA of
the Groene Hart’s residents and entrepreneurs. For
Uniting providers under a single brand instance, many farmers, in the face of setbacks in the
agricultural sector, have looked for innovative ways to
We developed a communications strategy that could expand their businesses. Some have become entrepre-
link the businesses with each other – a framework with neurs on the side, running their own B&Bs and open-
a unified identity within which they could make their ing shops selling regional products where shoppers can
own content. taste the wares.
We created a distinctive brand concept that brought But an experimental garden is also about experience
together all the elements of the Groene Hart: its busi- and sensory enjoyment: taste, smell, feel. The brand
nesses, activities and products, its history and its future. concept is clear. The Groene Hart is an experimental
The concept makes it clear at a glance what the Groene garden. It’s the urbanite’s back yard – a place for plea-
Hart is and aims to be. sure.
The Groene Hart as an experimental garden An online tourism platform
The Groene Hart can’t set itself apart from other natu- We’ve created an open brand and style that’s free for
rally rich parts of the Netherlands through its greenness anyone to use. Every interested party can be a part of
alone. So we looked for the area’s unique aspects. An this open brand and use it according to his or her own
analysis of the Groene Hart’s activities, entrepreneur- wishes. We’ve launched the first online, user-generated

9. tourism platform at www.groenehart.nl. The provid- city limits or in the Groene Hart itself but, for ex-
ers themselves upload information about their broad ample, in regional products in the supermarket. You’ll
range of activities, products and projects and keep it up find versions of the slogan that vary by medium and
to date. Visitors can post reviews of activities and cre- moment, such as ‘Taste the Groene Hart’ and ‘Proud
ate their own personal recreational calendars. The site of the Groene Hart’.
thus promotes interaction between the Groene Hart’s
providers and visitors. Supply and demand come to- Working together successfully
gether.
A special editorial team coaches the businesses on The Groene Hart open brand has been active since
communication. They encourage the businesses to keep March 2009. The Groene Hart programme office re-
their product information up to date and present spe- ports improved collaboration between the numerous
cial offers within specific themes. Particularly note- parties in the Groene Hart. At the beginning of the
worthy activities appear in the ‘display window’ on the project, many goods and services providers viewed joint
home page. The platform thus promotes the develop- communication with skepticism. The introduction of
ment of new products and services and higher-quality the open brand and the employment of it on the web-
recreational opportunities in the Groene Hart. site removed their reservations. Today, the providers see
how joint communication with a single clear identity
A campaign for city-dwellers can generate opportunities for developing activities and
attracting visitors.
Many city-dwellers in the Netherlands think of the So far, more than 1,000 providers have come to-
Groene Hart as too far away. But the Groene Hart gether at www.groenehart.nl and are promoting their
begins practically at the edge of the Randstad cities. activities there. Visitor numbers for the online platform
It’s the Randstad’s back yard. That’s why we created a have been high and continue to grow. In 2009, in the
concept for an image campaign with the slogan ‘The year after launch, more than 275,000 people visited the
Groene Hart starts here!’ website. The open online tourism platform is a good
The campaign brings cities like Amsterdam, Leiden, example of innovation in the experimental garden of
The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht to the Groene the Groene Hart.
Hart and vice versa. You see the slogan in places where
you encounter the Groene Hart. That isn’t just at the

10. Vandejong and city and country promotion
Cities and countries were not designed to sell them-
selves. After all, a place is essentially nothing more than
a few square kilometres or a few tons of brick. A spe-
cial place comes about through a special way of life.
The people determine the atmosphere. Therefore, in
positioning a city, country, neighbourhood, street or
building, Vandejong always asks: What are the future
users’ needs? What is needed to keep the place lively?
How can we get the residents and businesses who will
ultimately ‘make’ the place involved in the process?
A logo and a slogan alone won’t do it. A place needs
a substantive programme that binds people together
and a communications strategy that supports it. Tak-
ing this as a starting point, Vandejong develops varied
brands and campaigns that put places on the map.

11. the groene hart starts at the breakfast table

13. the website connects the public with the providers the providers add content to the website

14. the most innovative entrepreneurs get rewarded with an innovation prize
the groene hart visits the city

15. about Vandejong the groene hart
Vandejong is a creative branding agency. We strategy, concept and production
build optimistic brands that connect people. Vandejong Amsterdam,
We combine strategy and creativity to speed www.vandejong.nl
up change and innovation. We like to work
with people who dare to forge new paths technical production
and believe in mutual inspiration. Vandejong Peers
stands for honest, sincere communication
with a distinctive style. Our strategists and Photography brand book
creatives work closely together on brands and Suzanne Karstens Photography
campaigns. We bring in additional experts
when necessary. We therefore contribute in a Location photography
broad way, from brand concepts and creative De Boerinn, Kamerik,
strategies to concrete campaigns, materials, www.deboerinn.nl
and even new services and products.
copy editor
Paul Witte

16. more information
Ilse Huijg
Agency manager
ilse@vandejong.nl
contact us
t: +31 20 462 2062
e: info@vandejong.nl
www.vandejong.com
blog.vandejong.com