On a map of the world, Scandinavia is the region of Europe that frames the northernmost reaches of the continent. It stretches across from the North Sea that divides it from Great Britain to the fringes of the vast territories of Russia.
While it’s not an enormous region in the international scheme of things, Scandinavia is actually far more diverse than many people think. Just as many individuals accidentally assume that the cultures of a continent like Asia or a region like Far East Asia are largely identical, so too is it easy to assume that Scandinavian countries are just as easy to market to as one another.
A good online marketing agency in Scandinavia is able to keenly differentiate between how best to market to Swedish consumers and Danish buyers, versus the preferences of nations such as Norway or Finland.
Understanding these differences is the key to success – but contrarily, it’s also vital to understand the cultural, philosophical and socioeconomic elements that form the backbone of broader Scandinavia too.
Marketing to the Scandinavian mindset
Scandinavia is a complex part of the world, yet also one that has seen a strong upswing in cultural popularity in recent years. Over the last two decades especially, Scandinavia’s role in international popular culture has become ever more pronounced – and people who call this part of the world home are understandably happy and proud of this progress.
Nordic chic is a major talking point today, and it shapes a great deal of how every online marketing agency in Scandinavia approaches how they advertise and promote their products.
That’s true not only to their own domestic Scandinavian markets, but also in how an online marketing agency in Scandinavia promotes products worldwide. Nordic chic is popular globally, and sells without needing to tweak its formula much.
That said, the mindsets of Scandinavian people are a mix of compassionate and forward thinking. People in this part of the world are very driven by environmentalism and positive changes, and are reinforced by strong political leadership. However, don’t make the mistake that Scandinavians are socialists – their governmental policies are actually more centrist than anything else.
That’s because Scandinavia occupies a part of the globe where the climate can be very unforgiving to the unprepared. As such, people here know that success comes only when people unite together towards a common goal.
An online marketing agency in Scandinavia is therefore far more likely to use promotional messages of collective action and positive teamwork than it would being overly competitive or individualistic.
How different are Scandinavian countries from one another?
Understanding the collective philosophy of Scandinavian people is one thing, but a good online marketing agency in Scandinavia is just as capable of understanding the select ways in which one country in this territory differs from the next.
Naturally, one of the most obvious things to notice here is that each country in Scandinavia has its own language. A good online marketing agency in Scandinavia knows that just trying to broadly cover the whole region with one of these languages to reach people who speak the others won’t work, even if the marketing content that does so could be broadly understood. Remember, these are proud and intelligent people, and your marketing needs to reflect that.
When gauging how best to market to various Scandinavian countries, keep a few of these pointers in mind.
Finland
Perhaps the most important detail to keep in mind here is that Finland is not strictly part of Scandinavia, instead identifying as one of the Nordic countries. This serves to emphasise what we have alluded to beforehand – an online marketing agency in Scandinavia will never succeed by assuming all Nordic nations are the same.
Finland is a country where good manners and consideration of other people is key, but it’s worth keeping in mind that the humour and media here also flourishes with a level of biting cynicism that’s not too dissimilar to British comedy.
However, an online marketing agency in Scandinavia ought not confuse the structure and organisation that Finnish people like to lead their lives with being dour or grumpy. In fact, Finnish people love beauty, art, literature and inspiring content – uplifting marketing materials that honour a solid family unit and trustworthiness in business go a long way here.
Sweden
Many an online marketing agency in Scandinavia will promote products to Swedish people by emphasising its cool factor, its convenience or its way of bringing loved ones together – all personal values that Swedish people adore.
In Swedish culture, enjoying nature and life’s little moments of togetherness is seen as a truly beautiful thing. The tradition of ‘fika’, which is getting together for a chat over coffee, tea and snacks, is part of both personal and professional life to the Swedish.
Efficiency and punctuality are very popular marketing verticals to explore in Sweden, but don’t disregard the artistic side of this country either.
Denmark
An online marketing agency looking to make positive waves in Denmark would do well to remember that the Danes consider themselves a resourceful and ingenious people, who thrive on new technologies and being the first to experience new breakthroughs.
Any online marketing agency in Scandinavia hoping to promote anything in Denmark knows that it’s best to avoid any spin or little white lies about where a product might fall short. In Denmark, trust is incredibly important, and any services or goods that don’t fit into that ideal will be ostracised by Danes in short order.
Norway
Despite its relative size, Norway is an avid country of book lovers and art fanatics. Celebrating creativity in all its forms is vital to the culture of Norway, and that means that an online marketing agency in Scandinavia will often emphasise big colours and vibrant messages to consumers in this country.
As with many other Scandinavian countries, Norway is also big on outdoor activities and active sports – these can be powerful tools to leverage in your marketing materials for this country too.
Remember, expert advice is on hand when you’re seeking an online marketing agency in Scandinavia – so get in touch today.