How well-known and popular is a municipality?
In a country where just about everything is researched (do we actually know yet how many fleas an average cat has?), this has been investigated as well. It is not surprising that in the northernmost part of North Holland, our neighbor Texel stands proudly in the top 5 of best-known municipalities. We at Den Helder see that every Friday.
More interesting is how Den Helder is performing as a strong brand. The naval city ranks 74th in the recent Cities & Regions Brand Survey by a consultancy firm.e place. It sounds low, and it is. And yet, it isn't all that bad. After all, there are 268 other municipalities that score worse than Den Helder. I can understand that for places like Dinkelland, Meierijstad, and Dantumadiel. I had never heard of that last municipality in Friesland, and they don't have a slogan either. The only Dantumadiel motto I come across is on their municipal Facebook page: 'You are rich with a rain barrel'. As if you couldn't be incredibly happy in Den Helder with that rain barrel too.
Closer to home, Schagen doesn't score well as a brand either. Although a star like Gerard Joling has never hidden his origins, the 'Schagen brand' accounts for only 181 in terms of recognition and popularity.e spot. Hollands Kroon is even dangling somewhere at the bottom with a 301e position.
In short, Den Helder isn't doing too badly at all. To deal with that 17e to speak the century-old Geuzen song: *Merck toch hoe sterck!* Although it does sting somewhat that we have to let places like Meppel, Oss, and Vlaardingen go ahead of us. Of course, we have heard of Meppel and Oss, but who gets excited hearing those names? Hurray, we are going for a fun weekend trip to Meppel with the whole family!
So there is still some missionary work to be done in Den Helder to get us past Oss and Meppel. All kinds of people in this city are busy with that, with City Marketing leading the way.
In that regard, it is unfortunate that the 2011 campaign by the Helderse Courant to give the image of Den Helder a more positive spin by officially changing the name to Den Helder aan Zee – which was adopted by a great many entrepreneurs, including real estate agents and notaries – was cowardly killed off by the city council.
Until then, as a brand, we too must settle for reactions like: "Den Helder? I drive through that if I have to go to Texel." As many a celebrity is often quoted: It doesn't matter what they say about you, as long as they talk about you.
RONALD DEN BOER
