Asparagus campaign puts North Limburg and its businesses on the map
In May, North Limburg was all about ‘white gold’. Through the ‘From farm to fork’ campaign, asparagus was presented not only as a local produce but as the starting point for a complete North Limburg experience. From a visit to an asparagus grower or farm shop to a dinner, cycle route or overnight stay: the campaign linked the product to various businesses and locations across the region.
The campaign was the first under the ‘Limburgs Goud’ concept. Through a central landing page, adverts on Google and social media, and collaborations with influencers, it appealed to both lovers of rural life and visitors with an interest in culinary experiences.
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The asparagus campaign demonstrates how a single strong local product creates extra visibility and new opportunities for businesses throughout North Limburg.
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Britt Koen, relationship manager
More visitors and demonstrable interest
During the campaign period, traffic to the ‘In Noord-Limburg’ website () increased by 52 per cent. The number of new users grew by 73 per cent and the number of page views by 25 per cent. Visitors spent an average of 2 minutes and 14 seconds on the website. The bounce rate was also relatively low at around27 per cent. Visitors did not leave the site quickly, but instead viewed content, clicked through or remained active on the website in other ways.
The campaign reached people outside North Limburg. Within the Netherlands, many visitors came from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven, amongst other places. This shows that the asparagus story also managed to generate interest outside the immediate region.
The landing page attracted high-quality traffic, with a low bounce rate and long session duration. The campaign therefore not only ensured visibility but also directed visitors specifically to information about what the region has to offer.
A wider audience for regional offerings
Social media played a key role in the campaign’s reach. Around 90 per cent of the Reels posted reached people who were not yet following the account. This brought the story of North Limburg to the attention of a new audience.
The best-performing paid campaign was the competition run in collaboration with Château Holtmühle. This content achieved over 52,000 views on Instagram and reached approximately 12,555 unique accounts. On Facebook, the content generated over 25,000 views, 779 interactions and 316 link clicks. Virtually the entire Facebook reach consisted of non-followers.
The social carousel featuring the ‘farm-to-table’ story also performed well. This post was viewed over 31,600 times. Almost 73 per cent of the Instagram views came from people who were not yet following the account.
This is relevant for businesses across the entire visitor chain. The campaign was not just about buying or eating asparagus. Farm shops, accommodation, restaurants and other local experiences also became part of the story. Focusing on one signature product can thus also generate interest in other activities and locations in North Limburg.
As well as paid advertisements, collaborations were carried out with influencers. The five videos produced in collaboration with Chloé collectively generated around 72,300 views, 1,109 likes and 92 comments. The accompanying Stories were viewed around 35,000 times.
This content provided a valuable broadening of the campaign. Whilst the paid campaign mainly appealed to an older target audience, the use of influencers contributed to additional organic reach. The results clearly show that authentic stories, personal experiences and a glimpse behind the scenes can generate a great deal of attention. For businesses, this offers opportunities not only to showcase a product or package, but also the story behind it.
Working together to build a strong story for North Limburg
The asparagus campaign has resulted in greater reach, more new website visitors and increased attention for North Limburg as a destination. The combination of social media adverts, organic content, influencer collaborations and a strong landing page proved effective.
For businesses, the campaign primarily demonstrates the benefits of a shared regional narrative. By connecting growers, the hospitality sector, accommodation providers, leisure activities and unique venues, a broader and more attractive range of options is created. In this way, ‘white gold’ not only puts asparagus on the map, but also the people and businesses that make North Limburg so special.
