Advice from Danish PR agency Kemp & Kjær on delivering tailored and effective campaigns across Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland
The Nordic countries share many similarities. Their histories, cultures and values are all intertwined, while they are also renowned for their high standards of living, social welfare, education and innovation.
However, it’s essential agencies and businesses avoid the most common mistake made when operating in this region: don’t view the Nordics as a single market from a PR perspective. That’s the first step towards failure. Instead, they should focus on where their market and audiences are based and use this information to identify the best countries to target.
The Nordic media landscape is also changing rapidly due to digitalisation and globalisation, which means agencies need to be aware of the different media preferences, habits and expectations of their target audiences in each country.
The region has a high degree of press freedom and media diversity, which means that companies running PR programmes in the Nordics need to establish good relationships with journalists and media outlets.
Despite this variation in subject matter, journalistic integrity is a constant across the region. The Nordic countries have high ethical standards and expectations for PR practice, which means that organisations need to earn the trust of the media by being transparent, honest and responsible in their communication.
PR in each Nordic country is usually adapted according to each country’s language, culture and media landscape.
The Nordics are five different countries, five languages, five capitals, five cultures. And five different, yet similar, media landscapes.
As a result, don’t expect a story published by the largest media outlet in Norway, for example, to be read in any other country. It’s important to translate and adapt press materials into the language spoken in each Nordic country and check each nation’s media agenda for newsjacking opportunities.
Local presence is also a key factor. A Danish audience wants to hear about what is going on in Denmark. And if they can interview a Danish employee from your company about it, it will significantly increase your chances of securing coverage.
Exploring the media landscape: the intricacies of the Danish press
Denmark has two national TV stations, broadcasting news and entertainment across multiple channels, including online and radio. The nation also has three large daily omnibus papers, two business papers and many trade and niche publications.
When niches become too specific publications tend to diversify their areas of interest. With a population of just 5 million people, there’s not enough business potential for a media outlet if its focus is too narrow.
The privately owned media corporations have recently launched a number of niche media titles behind expensive paywalls to try to accommodate for rapidly falling income from advertising. These publications are often the best way to get coverage if you’re deeply embedded in a particular industry, such as climate tech or agriculture.
For bespoke Danish or Nordic PR campaigns, follow the link: https://kempkjaer.dk/en/english/danish-pr-agency-denmark/
Read more about the Nordics:
Nordic tech: How Scandinavia has innovated its way to the top. https://www.ns-businesshub.com/technology/nordic-tech-scene/
Digital Transformation in the Nordics https://info.microsoft.com/rs/157-GQE-382/images/Digital%20Transformation%20in%20the%20Nordics.pdf.
Clean growth and tech opportunities for UK businesses in the Nordic and Baltics. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/clean-growth-tech-opportunities-uk-businesses-nordic-baltic-barfoed