Same same but Different: How to Make Advertising Work for You as Well in Finland as in Other Nordic Countries

International clients advertising digitally in Finland often find that ads don’t convert as well here as they do in other Nordic countries. They come to the Finnish market with the same messages and same channel focus and expect similar results. But Finland is a wild card among the Nordics. Finns behave slightly differently than their Nordic cousins so getting advertising to work requires some tweaks to campaign planning and execution.

First, let us put your mind to rest: Finland isn’t massively different to other Nordic countries. Campaigns and tactics that work elsewhere, can work here as well. Whether you want to focus on television, radio, print or online advertising, it all works. You might have to put a little extra effort into building trust and varying your channel choices and messages, but getting advertising to work in Finland does not require you to plan a completely different campaign. 

So, what do you need to know to get advertising work for you in Finland?

Understand Finnish buying behaviour

Finns don’t buy quite the same way as their Nordic cousins. For example, mobile paying here lags behind other countries. Around 55 % of Finns buy from mobile devices in comparison to 80 % of Swedes. Unsurprisingly 25-40 year olds are the most active mobile buyers. After that age group, there is a steep drop.

This is challenging because people above 40 years of age, and especially above 50, have the most time and money to spend. Having a huge age group that does not like to buy digitally is one the reasons why digital advertising does not convert as well in Finland as it does elsewhere in Scandinavia. For the older age group, the purchase journey in digital channels is a lot longer.

This is not to say that conversions from digital channels don’t work. It just means that you need to be aware of the differences and adjust campaign goals accordingly.

Once you understand buying behaviour, you can choose the right channels.

Build trust by using quality Finnish medias

The road to Finnish hearts goes through national media. Finns consume a lot of content in various different formats.

Let's take newspapers as an example. Reading newspapers is a regular activity for over 90 % of Finns, both young and old. Even teenagers read newspapers in Finland. Over half of the population reads them in print format and almost 90 % reads them digitally. Also, Finns typically go directly to the newspapers’ websites to read news, rather than being directed there through other mediums, like social media.

Another anomaly is the radio. Half of the Finnish population listens to commercial radio whilst only about 10-15 % does so in other Nordic countries. Finns have a radio on in their cars, homes, computers, mobile phones etc. Advertising on radio can be a very effective way to reach audiences in Finland.

The unfortunate fact is that when we talk to international clients, radio is rarely part of the channel mix. Clients want to put their budgets into digital advertising because that drives conversion so well in the rest of the northern hemisphere. But we strongly encourage clients to consider other media, because they can bring companies closer to Finns and help them build trust.

And so we come to a key point in advertising in general and programmatic buying in particular in Finland: focus on quality Finnish media. Do your research about where and how Finns consume content and what media companies they trust. Don’t put your money into humbug channels.

Vary your message

What makes your tacts work is your message. The problem often is that companies use the exact same message in every Nordic country. The same message rarely moves Finns.

By understanding that Finland differs as a market and putting a little extra effort into planning and varying your message, you can get bigger gains in Finland.

Generally speaking Finns appreciate facts and values. We are information seekers. We don’t buy right away, we look for information and ask around. If we can’t find enough info, we move on. Right messages in your brand building are crucial.

Value based advertising isn’t necessary, but Finns are used to companies using values in their marketing. But here’s the catch: it has to be genuine. Don’t fake it. If values are a core part of your business, show it your advertising.

Finding the right messages for different markets can be challenging. Find a local partner that can help you to choose resonating messages and channels. This saves you time and effort and who knows, maybe you start to see better conversions as a result?

Keep brand and performance together

This last point follows from all the previous points. Often we find that companies have different people focusing on brand and performance marketing. What we have hopefully shown you in this article that in Finland this doesn’t work. If you’re really hoping to get the most out of your marketing and advertising efforts in Finland, you need to build your campaigns on both.

Part of the reason is that Finland is a fairly small market, so separating brand and performance from each other makes little sense here. Finns trust brands they know. Gaining their trust might take a little more time, but once you have them onboard, they award you with their loyalty. Without a recognisable brand, digital advertising and programmatic buying can be really expensive. That is why building your brand organically in Finland is the foundation for the rest of your marketing and advertising activities.

Final world: do it right and reap the benefits

Our final advice to you is that don’t advertise in Finland just because you have been told to use some of your budget here. Spend money in Finland because you want to grow.

Here’s the kicker: whatever your growth goals are from the Nordic markets, by doing things slightly differently in Finland, you might go over your goals. Finland is the ace in your sleeve that will surprise you if you just take that little extra effort.

Do it right: choose the channels and plan your message right.