Hoe ontdek je het DNA van een stad: de aanpak in Venlo
Step by step towards a strong Venlo brand
In a time when municipalities must increasingly compete to attract talent, investments, and visitors, a strong identity is more important than ever. This is also true for Venlo. As a growing municipality with more than 100,000 residents, it is essential to clearly show what we stand for and what makes us unique. City branding assists in this: it provides direction, strengthens pride, and ensures recognition, both within and beyond the municipal boundaries. With one shared story, Venlo prepares itself for the future.
Why City Branding?
Venlo is a growing municipality with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Despite social and economic progress, it lacks a clear and strong profile. To remain attractive to new residents, businesses, students, and visitors, one strong and recognizable story is essential.
City branding helps to establish this identity and consistently convey it. The goal: to position Venlo more strongly as an attractive place to live, work, and do business.
This is how we approached it.
City branding is more than just a nice logo or a catchy slogan. It is a careful and open process that revolves around listening, connecting, and making joint decisions. Together with the municipality of Venlo and many involved stakeholders and residents, we got to work.
The city branding process consisted of four phases:
1
Insight
stories and opinions collected from residents and stakeholders (more than 2,000 people involved)
2
Positioning
Venlo is a municipality of born entrepreneurs who celebrate life.
3
Brand strategy
elaboration of this story in brand architecture, brand tools and marketing programs
4
Creation
visual and content-related development of the brand, such as logo, brand story and corporate identity.
Participation
We don't do city branding for the people of Venlo, but together with them. Because the brand Venlo belongs to all of us, whether you live in Steyl, do business in Blerick, work in Arcen, or study in Venlo. That’s why we have actively involved residents and stakeholders at every phase of the process: to hear their stories, gather their ideas, and assess choices.
Together, we are building one story. One face. One Venlo.
