Arjen Robben’s return to the FC is much more than a sporting step, say Marketing Groningen, VNO-NCW Noord and Economic Board Groningen.
So much more than a comeback
Saturday afternoon at the Groot house. A push notification tells that Arjen Robben is returning to FC Groningen. “I didn’t know what I heard,” says Emme Groot, chairman of the Economic Board Groningen. “My wife told me. I said, “What?!? This is fantastic! ”
Large, former mayor of Delfzijl and chairman of the local football club NEC Delfzijl, knows the province like the back of his hand. He thinks: this is so much more than a football player’s comeback. At its peak, Arjen Robben was a player in the top 10, top 15 in the world. He is an absolute ambassador for our province. Who hold gold.’
Who hold gold
Barbara Risselada, director of Marketing Groningen, knows that all too well. She received many reports about Robben, also from marketing organizations in the country, who congratulated Risselada on the return of such a sign.
‘This world star wants to live in Groningen’
Marketing Groningen puts our province on the map with the slogan ‘Nothing beats Groningen’. The return of Arjen Robben is much more than just a boost for Groningen, Risselada sees.
“You need ambassadors to spread your story. With that you build a strong brand, which makes it credible. Arjen Robben is such an ambassador, you can safely call him an icon. After many international wanderings, he returns to Groningen, just for his own happiness. ‘
Robben shows that Groningen is a place where you are very happy
Risselada realizes: Robben’s message about his return, the story that Groningen is his home, where his roots lie, helps Marketing Groningen like no other. According to De Telegraaf, the video in which Robben announced his return has been viewed more than 70 million times and reached different countries.
‘The great thing is: Robben shows that Groningen is a place where you are very happy. That bustling city, those gems in the surrounding area, the space and the quality of life we have here. He very much represents that story. This is fantastic. This world star wants to live in Groningen. “
Maradona
Sieger Dijkstra, chairman of VNO-NCW, is also very happy with the arrival of Arjen Robben to Groningen.
“This has a huge impact, more than we currently suspect,” he says. ‘By doing this, Robben sends a signal that Groningen is a place where you can live well. Of course we see a lot of people who leave Groningen and do not return. This makes a very nice statement and is good for our shared pride. “
This makes a nice statement against people who leave
They see that pride is needed in Groningen. After the earthquake, the sometimes difficult social conditions in East Groningen, it is time for a positive story. Groot sees parallels with the arrival of Diego Maradona to Napoli in the 1980s. Maradona, who gave the poor south of Italy back its pride, in the struggle with the rich north, where it revolved mainly around Milan and Turin.
“You can compare it to that,” says Groot. ‘This puts Groningen on the map in all its facets. This will undoubtedly provide a boost, with an economic spin-off. ‘
Dijkstra foresees such a scenario, but is careful to express it in figures. ‘If the Dutch national team won and scored well, it would also boost the economy. I expect that we will see the same effect in Groningen. ”
Also read:
– The Coffee Corner # 85 (from Bedum): Everything around the homecoming of Arjen Robben
– Look back: the presentation of Arjen Robben at FC Groningen
– The Robben effect at FC Groningen: ‘Where will this end?’
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