a man riding a bike down a street in Amsterdam, Netherlands

As a global marketer, you’re likely familiar with the Benelux region—Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg—home to some of Europe’s strongest economies and wealthiest consumers. 

However, despite its size, navigating the Benelux market requires a nuanced approach. Cultural and linguistic differences and varying customer preferences can significantly impact your marketing strategies.

This guide will equip you with the key insights needed to fine-tune your digital advertising for success in the Benelux market.

What is the Benelux market?

Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium

Benelux is a portmanteau of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, but it’s more than just a catchy name. It’s a legally defined zone aimed at full economic integration between the three countries.

The Benelux Union’s history began in 1921 when Belgium and Luxembourg formed an economic union. By 1948, the three countries established a customs union, and in 1958, they formalized it with a treaty that came into effect in 1960. Border controls between the countries were removed in 1970, and the treaty was updated in 2008 to reflect modern changes.

Benelux may sound similar to the EU, and in fact, it served as a model for the European Economic Commission when forming the Union. With five institutions to manage cooperation and decision-making, Benelux reflects the desire for integration and solidarity without the countries losing their individuality.

The Benelux Union goes even further than the EU in terms of many facets of integration. For example, a degree gained in any of the three countries is immediately valid in the other two. Police forces are allowed to work in all three countries when needed, and they often work together on cases in border areas. 

Beyond being a strong union, the Benelux market is attractive to global brands. It’s economically diverse and densely populated. It contains 5.6% of the population of Europe and 7.9% of the EU GDP. Not only that, but it’s also attractive for foreign workers. In 2015, 37% of cross-border workers in the EU worked in the Benelux. In general, salaries are high.

Let’s look into each country with a little more detail to see what differences there are between them:

The Netherlands

The Netherlands is the 18th-largest economy in the world, with a GDP per capita about the same as Sweden. It’s a small but densely populated country—the most densely populated in the EU after Malta. Due to its location, it’s a massive transport hub. Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, and Amsterdam is the fourth-busiest airport in Europe. It’s a very urban country, too—93% of the population lives in urban areas. 

Internet penetration in the country stands at 99%, and 85% of its total population is on social media. Dutch is the only official language in the country, and 95% of the population speak it as their native language, but English is widely spoken. In fact, the country tops the EF EPI rankings for English proficiency among non-native speakers.

“English is used quite a lot in advertising in the Netherlands. Especially when appealing to a younger audience. We use English words, sentences and online slang whose meanings are widely known and used (in English) in society. However, this is usually a mix of English and Dutch. Full English ads aren’t common, and would at least need to be localized to the Dutch market to appeal to a Dutch audience.”

Nicky Vonk, Dutch Translator and Community Manager

Belgium

Belgium may be small, but it’s economically strong and culturally diverse, with three official languages: Dutch in the north (Flanders), French in the south (Wallonia) and German in the east. 

Brussels, home to the Benelux secretariat, NATO headquarters and the EU, is officially bilingual (French-Dutch) and has a multicultural population.

“In Belgium, there are some cultural differences between the Dutch and French communities. Flemish natives are more critical but also interact more with content. They share stories and are generally a bit more invested. I still try to engage more with French people, but they tend not to interact as much with content like polls and quizzes.”

Maïwenn Marchand, Belgian Marketing and Communication Consultant

With 11.7 million people, it’s the third most densely populated country in the EU, after the Netherlands. 98.2% of the population lives in urban areas. It has the 7th-largest GDP in Europe, ahead of Sweden and Ireland. Internet penetration is at 95% and 78.4% of its population is on social media.

It has a similar score on the EF EPI to Sweden, but there is a wide gap between the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking areas’ scores. 

“Flemish natives use a lot of English words. In the French-speaking communities, it depends. For example, in Brussels, young people—in the digital world—use Franglais (a mix of French and English). But in the more rural parts of Wallonia, it’s pure French.”

Maïwenn Marchand, Belgian Marketing and Communication Consultant

Luxembourg 

Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe. However, it has a strong economy and a wide mix of cultures. It has the highest GDP per capita in the EU, and 49.3% of its population is foreign-born. Because of the massive influx of immigrants, it has the highest population growth rate in the EU. 13% of the population is from one of its neighboring countries, and 14.8% of the population is from Portugal. 

Due to its size, Luxembourg has a relatively small population of around 670,000. 87% of that population lives in urban areas. Its three official administrative languages are Luxembourgish, French and German, but the environment is multilingual, even more so than Belgium—most of the population speaks four languages. English, Italian and Portuguese are common due to immigration. 

Internet penetration is 99%. However, only about 46% of the population is on social media. 

GDP per capita in Benelux countries
GDP per capita in Benelux countries. Source.

VeraContent client example in the Benelux region: Too Good To Go

Too Good To Go approached VeraContent in 2023 to help provide monthly community management to five markets, including two in the Benelux: the Netherlands and Belgium. Our team also localizes content, including social media posts and landing pages, in any 17 markets they operate in as needed. 

Too Good To Go focuses on English-language content on TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) but has localized Facebook and Instagram pages for each market. The Netherlands market is known for having a demanding audience, so community managers are responsible for responding to comments and direct messages. 

“The Dutch can be quite direct and critical of content posted by a brand. We’re not afraid to complain, especially online. For example, if a company posts a recipe video, people will criticize minor details (typos/order of doing things/lack of skill or explanation of what is done and how) or comment on how they would do things differently. The Dutch demand high-quality content from a brand they respect, and will complain if it’s not. They’re very direct in expressing their thoughts and feelings.”

Nicky Vonk, Dutch Translator and Community Manager

Being in so many different markets, in a sector as hyper-local as food, can be challenging. With VeraContent’s help, Too Good To Go has learned about each country’s content preferences and communication styles, resulting in better-tailored posts with more engagement.

Effective localization strategies for the Benelux market

When localizing for the Benelux market, Dutch and French are key. Around 80% of the region’s population speaks Dutch, but French is essential for reaching those in Luxembourg and Wallonia, where Dutch isn’t widely spoken. Both languages are official in the Benelux region.

If resources allow, it’s also beneficial to localize your marketing in German and English. German is widely used in Luxembourg’s print media and spoken in parts of Belgium. English is valuable in cities like Brussels, Amsterdam and Luxembourg City, where there are large foreign-born populations.

Some other values that the Benelux countries share are punctuality, efficiency in problem-solving and data security. While GDPR is enforced throughout the EU, governments in these countries are more likely to impose consequences on offending businesses. These countries also want any problems to be solved quickly, which is important to know if your digital marketing has a customer service element.

While the Benelux may be a unified area, it is still comprised of three distinct countries with their own cultures. When localizing to the Benelux area, it’s important to be aware of these differences, so we’ll provide some specific localization tips for each country.

Localization in the Netherlands

The Dutch are known for being open, straightforward and honest. They value getting to the point, so keep your messaging direct and make sure your web pages are easy to navigate. They appreciate humor and creativity, but these things shouldn’t dilute the main point of your message. Authenticity is also key, as being overly enthusiastic about your product can come across as insincere to the Dutch. 

Like many languages, Dutch has two registers. Like in many European countries, the informal register is becoming more common in marketing and is more accepted by younger people. The Dutch care about sustainability, so it would be good to mention any advantages you have in that area, particularly regarding packaging. However, many don’t want to pay more for sustainable products. 

“While companies can decide which register is best based on their brand’s tone of voice, target audience and branding style, we generally use an informal approach in B2C communication. Typically, only more formal industries like banking, IT and law prefer to use the formal register.”

Nicky Vonk, Dutch Translator and Community Manager

As previously mentioned, English is spoken widely and well in the Netherlands, and it’s generally accepted as a part of daily life (particularly in urban cores). Many advertisements incorporate some English words and slang. However, Dutch consumers still prefer to be marketed to in their native language, and if you’re in a more traditional industry, Dutch is still the standard.

Localization in Belgium

Galeries Royales Saint Hubert, Galerie du Roi, Brussels, Belgium

When marketing in Belgium, it’s best to divide your approach between Flanders and Wallonia due to their distinct linguistic and cultural differences. Flanders, with about twice the population of Wallonia, is Dutch-speaking, while Wallonia is primarily French-speaking. It’s also important to note that Brussels, located within Flanders, is an autonomous, bilingual French-Dutch region.

Make sure your marketing is localized in both Dutch and French, and that your website can be browsed in both languages. In addition, while Flemish people are open to doing business in English, Walloons have a lower level and thus have a stronger preference for marketing in their native languages. Flemish people are receptive to more direct marketing, and Walloons emphasize relationship-building in business. 

In general, Belgians are less direct, more formal and more reserved than their Dutch neighbors. They tend to observe and listen before making purchasing decisions. In Dutch campaigns targeting Belgium, use a more formal tone than you would in the Netherlands, and in French campaigns, stick to the formal register, similar to marketing in France.

“In marketing targeting French Belgians, I’ve seen the informal register used in some Instagram accounts and industries. I personally try to use a ‘neutral’ register when localizing—not too formal, not too informal. A bit of informality is good because it feels closer to the audience. In more formal sectors, we would use the formal register.”

Maïwenn Marchand, Belgian Marketing and Communication Consultant

Localization in Luxembourg

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Content targeting the Luxembourg market should be localized to French and German. If you have resources and can localize to Luxembourgish, the native language, you could gain a competitive advantage as locals appreciate any use of the language. Due to the large foreign-born population, English is also widely accepted in advertising. 

Luxembourg citizens, despite being the biggest spenders in the EU, tend to prefer shopping in person rather than online. Most people have smartphones, are online, and use social media, so digital advertising is still very effective. 

The most important values when determining whether to purchase a product or not are product quality, brand reputation and ergonomic designs, so focus on these aspects in your advertising. 

Download our free worksheet to help you localize your content for local markets:

Regulatory considerations in the Benelux market

Like all markets in the EU, there are rules and regulations you must be aware of when advertising online in the Benelux. As all three countries are a part of the EU, you must follow GDPR, but each country also has its own laws that can affect online advertising.

Regulations in the Netherlands

All advertising in the Netherlands has to comply with the Dutch Advertising Code. Advertisements can’t be misleading or aggressive. Comparative advertising is allowed, but your comparisons must be objective, and you can’t be found to be damaging the reputation of a competitor. 

When it comes to social media and influencer marketing in the Benelux region, there are specific regulations to follow. The two key rules are that advertising must be clearly identifiable, and influencers must openly disclose when they’re being paid to promote a product. Additionally, Dutch influencers with over 500,000 followers are required to register with the Dutch Media Authority and pay an annual fee to advertise.

The Dutch Advertising Code Committee, a self-regulatory body, regulates and enforces the Dutch Advertising Code. Any consumer can report an ad to the DACC for investigation. If they deem the ad doesn’t comply with the Dutch Advertising Code, the DACC will ask you to stop using the ad. In some cases, you may have to publish a retraction. 

Regulations in Belgium 

Graslei, Gent, Belgium in the Benelux market

The Code of Economic Law regulates what kind of advertising is acceptable in Belgium. Like in the Netherlands, advertising can’t be misleading, and comparative advertising is allowed as long as it’s objective and doesn’t damage a competitor’s reputation. 

Influencers need to make clear that a sponsored post is an ad by including a clear word like “ad” in the post itself.

Regulations in Luxembourg 

The laws in Luxembourg are very similar to those in the Netherlands and Belgium—misleading advertising and advertising that promotes “unfair competition” are not allowed, and comparative advertising has to be straightforward and objective. 

Citizens can submit complaints to the Luxembourgish Consumer Protection Association, which may lead to legal proceedings against the advertiser

Ready to optimize your Benelux localization strategy?

Navigating the Benelux market requires a careful, tailored approach to meet the cultural and linguistic diversity across Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. By localizing your content and adapting your strategies for each unique market, you’ll engage with your audience more effectively.

Need expert help? Book a call with VeraContent to see if you qualify for a Free Content Consultation and unlock your brand’s full potential in the Benelux region!