Advertising in Finland vs. the other Nordic countries – what’s different?

Knowing your playing field is key when you start advertising in a new market. How aware are you of the quirks of the Finnish media environment compared to the other Nordic countries?

The Nordics are not a uniform area when it comes to media and advertising. Finland, in particular, may have some surprises in store.

Mattias Dahlqvist, Sanoma’s independent sales representative in Sweden, has over two decades of experience with companies that do business in Finland. He is ready to shed light on Finnish media, its users, and the Finnish mentality when it comes to advertising.

Making a nationwide impact in the 2020s? Can do!

The main difference between the Finnish media environment and that in the other Nordic countries is that print, and mainstream media in general, still perform and create an impact.

“There are Finnish media that have a big reach and an interested audience as well as all the data about said audience. It is still possible to make a nationwide impact, which is difficult to achieve in other Nordic markets”, Dahlqvist says.

Linear TV, while on decline, is still going relatively strong in Finland. In Sweden, in comparison, commercial-free paid versions of TV channels have gained popularity, affecting the reach of TV advertising.

The reach does come with a bigger price tag, Dahlqvist points out. The prices of print advertising, for example, are higher Finland compared to the rest of the Nordics, where media have had to adapt to plummeting demand. When the results are there, advertising spots in Finnish mainstream media haven’t lost their pull.

Trends take a while to reach Finland

One way to succeed with advertising in Finland is to stick to some of the best practices that used to work a few years back in the rest of the Nordics. Big trends and shifts in media use take slightly longer to reach our corner of the world.

“My go-to comparison is that Finland is like Sweden five years ago. Back then, you could still have a great reach with a good print campaign, especially in the 55+ demographic”, Dahlqvist says.

According to him, Denmark is most often the first to pick up new influences.

“If I was to predict the future, I would have a serious look at Denmark. What’s going on there now will happen in Sweden and Norway in a couple of years and then in Finland a couple of years after that.”

One example Dahlqvist gives is that one of Denmark’s two tabloid papers has now cut the print version and gone fully digital. If a similar change was to happen in Finland, it would be a huge shift for daily media and advertising.

Attract the queues to your door – understand the Finnish mentality

To understand Finnish consumers, Dahlqvist applauds Sanoma’s customer data. With the new cookie laws, he says, extensive data is a definite advantage.

“Moreover, Finns are more likely than other Nordic people to not accept cookies. This makes data from other sources even more important.”

Dahlqvist has two tips for a company that considers entering the Nordics or adding Finland to the mix: adapt the message and familiarise yourself with the Finnish way of thinking.

“Compared to the other Nordic peoples, the Finns’ mentality stands out as slightly different. Having a trusted advertising partner helps you understand the distinction.”

He gives an example of how to effectively work with the Finnish mindset: when opening a store, one excellent offer is enough to bring in the crowds. All you need to bring the famous queues to your door is one ridiculously big discount. Given, of course, that you don’t hold back on advertising.

“If you dominate the opening weekend in print, it will work, 100 per cent. Don’t save on media when you’ve just built a new department store for millions. Go big and Finnish people will show up.”

Three distinctive traits of Finnish media and advertising

1. Mainstream media and print remain popular. You can still reach a nationwide audience with an effective print campaign in Finland.
2. Finland is a few years behind other Nordic countries when it comes to changes in media. Looking at Sweden and Denmark, for instance, may help you anticipate what will happen in Finland in the coming years.
3. The Finnish way of thinking is slightly different from that of our neighbours. Making use of data and having a partner to hone your message with are keys to making an impact within your target audience.

Download our guide to Finnish media usage

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