Scandinavians – similar, but not the same!

22/03/2022By scandinaviancomContent Marketing, PR, PR Tips & Trends, Scandinavian Communications, Social Media, Strategic Communications

 

By Eva Helene Kabelmann, PR & Communications Advisor

When we’re talking Scandinavian countries and the peoples within, we tend to regard ourselves as a pretty homogenous bunch, where – as we have mentioned in earlier articles –  “the differences are far less than the similarities. And rightly so, for us Danes, Swedes, Norwegians and Finns are very similar to each other both in appearance, behaviour, levels of education, mentality, shopping habits – well, you name it. But. There are differences.” 

And it is worth noticing, that the small differences matter and being able to adjust your PR and marketing towards these can give you the highly sought after edge. 

Let’s have a look at some of the cultural differences within the 4 Scandinavian countries. Again taking into consideration that they are small, there are a few that stick out, as the Hofstede Insight bureau’s very interesting “Culture Compass TH” indicates. 

Especially the following points should give pause as they speak volumes in their own minuscule way.  


Denmark
The Danes tend to score relatively low, when we look at how they act towards power within organisations, in this case relating to Danes having a high degree of employee autonomy: Danes do not lead – they coach. Employees expect to be consulted. Danes have a very egalitarian mindset and respect is something to be earned, it’s not inherent in your position. Understanding how Danes in their working environment have a very informal atmosphere with direct and involving communication can nudge you towards how to proceed with a more effective MarCom strategy. 

Sweden 
The swedes tend to have a high rate of indulgence, which in this case means, that they generally exhibit at willingness towards realising their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. And they place a high value on the importance of leisure time, being able to act as they please and spend money as they wish.  Taking this tendency into consideration could be one of the points that sets you aside from the competition, when developing an approach towards the Swedish market. 

Norway
When taking a look at the Scandinavian peoples culture, when it comes to the attitudes towards the challenges of the present and the future, the Norwegians tend to have a so-called normative attitude. This  entails a preference towards maintaining time-honoured traditions and norms, no explicit desire to save for the future and a focus on achieving quick results. Also a small, but in no way insignificant point to consider, when approaching the Norwegian market.

Finland 
On a scale, that measures the 4 scandinavian countries tendency towards Masculine values (competition, achievement and success) vs Feminine values (caring for others and quality of life), they all have a very low score, which indicates a strong tendency towards the Feminine, it is worth noticing, that Finland (of the 4) has the highest score indicating, that Finns have a less predominant tendency the feminine. So even though Finland is considered a Feminine society, where conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation and focus is on wellbeing, solidarity and quality in their working lives, you might not have the same resonance with a MarCom approach taking feminine values into consideration in Finland as in the remaining 3 Scandinavian countries.

Top 5 tips to PR success in Scandinavian media

11/03/2022By scandinaviancomChristina Rytter, Content Marketing, PR, PR Tips & Trends, Scandinavian Communications, Social Media, Strategic Communications

By Christina Rytter, Founder & Trusted Communications Advisor

If you like to create better PR coverage in Scandinavian media these five focus points are key.


1. Write real journalistic stories

Think through and create a real journalistic story from scratch for the Scandinavian markets – and then get your corporate or product messages to fit with a downplayed balance. Always work with a journalistic approach in your PR Press kit for Scandinavian media. A Marketing approach towards Scandinavian Tier 1 media is a sure dead end – and your press release will easily end up in the garbage can at the newsdesk.

2. Find the local angel

Write a local angled story for each Scandinavian market. Your PR core story for Scandinavia can be the same – but to really get it right, you then need to work out a local PR angle for each market; Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, etc. Understanding and acting on the small cultural differences between each Scandinavian market give you much greater PR results.

Work out a tailored media list for each Scandinavian country with a key journalist from Tier 1 media depending on your target group. Pick a broader range of media to get more volume, when you send out your press release – Scandinavia has a very narrow media structure with only a few media in each category.


3. Offer exclusivity 

Work with exclusive sell-in of your press release / PR story. This means that you only talk in person with one leading key media at the time. It’s key for most Scandinavian journalists to get their own stories with a unique angle. When you succeed with your PR sell-in. Wait for the agreed publication – and then go for a wide distribution of the press release to create a 2-waved PR effect. This can be very efficient!

Take into your planning that different Scandinavian media work with very different timing. If you go for a business daily, you might only need to approach the editor a couple of weeks before you like to see some media coverage. But if it’s a high-end lifestyle Magazine on print, you might need to talk to the editor 3-4 months ahead.


4. Except that media decide the content 

Don’t expect to get any control over the final journalistic content in articles. Scandinavian journalists and media are very Independent – it’s just part of their DNA and our Scandinavian culture. You can approve your own quotes – and offer journalists a quality check of facts. Nothing more. Otherwise, you could offend the journalist. This independence also means that your PR adviser rarely is present at face-to-face interviews with the Scandinavian journalist.

Offer Media professional PR photos to strengthen the possibility of media coverage. This could be PR headshots of your company spokesperson or of your Product/Services. This must preferably be PR photos take for media in a journalistic context supporting the journalistic angle of your story – NOT traditional marketing photos.

5. Follow-up in person

Follow up on journalists in person on phone and email to secure the sell-in of the story and final media coverage. In Scandinavia, this is a very delicate balance between being proactive without being annoying for journalists, who have a very busy and tight work schedule and a lot of people approaching them every day.

Read more about PR

Reboot Strategy: Create your MarCom Plan 

03/09/2021By scandinaviancomChange Communications, Christina Rytter, Crisis Communications, Management Communications, Scandinavian Communications, Strategic Communications


By Christina Rytter, Founder & Trusted Communications Advisor

A Marketing Communications Plan (or MarCom plan) is your bridge between Strategy and Execution. The MarCom Plan gives an overview of how you communicate your message through specific communications and marketing activities to create awareness and desired behaviour/action in your key target groups. You can have the best strategy and positioning in the world, but if you don’t effectively communicate it to your target customers your business will fail regardless.

SO what makes a strong marketing communications plan? It’s actually pretty simple. There are really four key ingredients in my perspective, that you need to put in the matrix: 

Step: Indicate which step of your strategy the activities support. 

Objective: What are the activity objectives and how do we measure the result (KPI)? 

Activity: What type of activity? 

Timing: When do we execute the activity? 

Remember to be reasonably broad in order to be effective. Relying solely on a single communication vehicle is not likely to produce good results. However, it is very important to always stay focused on communication channels that reach your ideal targeted customer and other key target groups and influencers you find important.

Your MarCom plan should always be developed in the context of a strong marketing and communications strategy – in synch with the overall business strategy.

Need help to Reboot your Strategy and reset your MarCom Goals & KPIs? Don’t hesitate to contact us. We are here to help! 😊

Read more Tips to Reboot your Strategy:

Tip 1: Rediscover your purpose

Tip 2: Evaluate your target group 

Tip 3: Adapt your Key Messaging

Tip 4: Tweak your MarCom Channels

Tip 5: Reboot MarCom Goals & KPIs

Learn more about Strategic Communications

Reboot Strategy: Reset MarCom Goals & KPIs

25/08/2021By scandinaviancomChange Communications, Christina Rytter, Content Marketing, Crisis Communications, Management Communications, PR, PR Tips & Trends, Scandinavian Communications, Social Media, SoMe Tips & Trends, Strategic Communications

By Christina Rytter, Founder & Trusted Communications Advisor

Remember this! As part of your MarCom strategy – you also need to strategic decide on and set KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for your communications, PR and marketing. Otherwise, you can only to a lesser extent measure the effect, business value and ROI (Return-on-Investment) of your invested MarCom budget.

So, if you Reboot your Strategy – you of cause also need to Reset Goals & KPIs. When you set KPIs and thereby measure results, you will be able to have a clear evaluation of, what is driving the business forward. AND what is not. You can evaluate and demonstrate the direct business value of communications, PR, marketing and social media to the management and the board.

How to measure MarCom results?
MarCom KPIs can be concrete actions or registration of change in behaviour or point of views in the target group before, under and after your work/campaign. Test the measurability of your indicators with SMARTSpecific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant & Time-bound. When we work with earned communications such as PR you can set both quantitative and qualitative deliverables to get a more sufficient evaluation.

Quantitative PR deliverables could be the number of articles your PR-campaign created separated within your chosen Tier 1 Media in each market. Also looking at the PR-value of each media clipping, which we traditionally measure by finding the Equivalent Advertising Value for each media clip and then multiply the value with 3, because earned media have higher trustworthiness. A quantitative deliverable could also be the measurement of increased website traffic directly related to your PR-results.

Qualitative PR deliverables could be message resonance included in the media coverage such as your Top 1-3 Key Messages. It could be mentions of Brand Name & Product Names and back-links in your media coverage.

In Social and Digital campaigns I would always recommend you to create high-quality content relevant for your key target groups – and then as an ad on set aside a media budget to work with sponsored posts to get a much larger reach and higher amount of web traffic and response from your preferred audience.

KPIs for Social Media could be Engagement and Relevance for your target group measured by; Clicks per post (Traffic to the website), likes, shares and comments. You can also look deeper into development in your followers such as; Audience growth rate, new follower rate, follower/following ratio, which show Thought Leadership position.

SoMe Influencer campaigns can also be very effective when you select bloggers and Instagrammers relevant for your target group to help deliver your key messages. Be aware to set very clear KPIs in paid contracts with influencers to make sure your campaign goals and measure points are clear.

Need help to Reboot your Strategy and reset your MarCom Goals & KPIs? Don’t hesitate to contact us. We are here to help! 😊

Read more Tips to Reboot your Strategy:

Tip 1: Rediscover your purpose

Tip 2: Evaluate your target group 

Tip 3: Adapt your Key Messaging

Tip 4: Tweak your MarCom Channels

Tip 6: Create your MarCom Plan

 

Learn more about Strategic Communications

Reboot Strategy: Tweak MarCom Channels

10/07/2021By scandinaviancomChange Communications, Christina Rytter, Crisis Communications, Management Communications, PR, PR Tips & Trends, Scandinavian Communications, Social Media, SoMe Tips & Trends, Strategic Communications

By Christina Rytter, Founder & Trusted Communications Advisor

When your business conditions suddenly change you often also need to Reboot – or at least evaluate – your existing commercial strategy to adapt. So, you can work successfully within the new normal.  When you have your overall purpose, target group and key messaging in order the next cornerstones in your strategy is your communications channels. If some of the other important areas of your strategy change, it might also be relevant to tweak communications channels. It must always be your target groups and influencers preferences, that decides which channels you use for Marketing, PR and Communications. NOT your preferred channels 😉.

To reach each of your key target groups, you need to tailor your content and then communicate and get into dialogue in the relevant and strategic/tactical selected channels. Again, this often very in different target groups across business position, country, age, gender etc. Your business needs to be present, engage and communicate authentic and clear in the channels where your target groups are present.

Need help to Reboot Strategy? Don’t hesitate to contact us.

Read more Tips to Reboot your Strategy:

Tip 1: Rediscover your purpose

Tip 2: Evaluate your target group 

Tip 3: Adapt your Key Messaging

Tip 5: Reboot MarCom Goals & KPIs

Tip 6: Create your MarCom Plan

 

Learn more about Strategic Communications

Reboot Strategy: Adapt your Key Messaging

25/06/2021By scandinaviancomChange Communications, Christina Rytter, Crisis Communications, Management Communications, PR, Scandinavian Communications, Strategic Communications

By Christina Rytter, Founder & Trusted Communications Advisor

Did crisis or change turn your business upside down? If so, you might need to reboot your commercial strategy. The second vital cornerstone – following your Target Group – is your Key Messaging. If your market and target group change, so must your Key Messaging.


Get your Key Messages in order
It is vital to have your Key Messages in order – and adapt to your new normal. Do a solid piece of work with both your Corporate & Product Messages. Our Corporate messages must be Value-driven, authentic and show WHY your company or organisation are in this world? What lights your inner fire? This is feeling based messages. All studies show that our actions as humans to a large extend is feeling driven. It’s hardwired biology. Your Product messages must address your target groups pains, needs and dreams. You need to understand and take your target groups perspective to create relevant product messages. NOT only your company perspective!


Talk to your target group
The best and most simple way to develop your product messages and unique selling proposition/points (USP) is to test if your product messages resonate with your target group. This is not rocket science. Just ask them! A great easy way to get started is to do a qualitative interview survey. Line up 10+ interviews with people in your core target group – and do a thematized interview face-to-face or on the phone. You will quite quickly start to see the overall pattern in your target groups pains and preferences. You can learn more about their barriers to changing behaviour and how you best positively influence them. You will get answers that surprise you and challenge your prejudiced position with a deeper and more clear understanding of how to connect with your target group and adapt your Key Messaging to get a stronger impact.

Need help to take a closer look at your Key Messaging to Reboot your Strategy? Don’t hesitate to contact us. 

Read more Tips to Reboot your Strategy:

Tip 1: Rediscover your purpose
Tip 2: Evaluate your target group
Tip 4: Tweak your MarCom Channels
Tip 5: Reboot MarCom Goals & KPIs
Tip 6: Create your MarCom Plan

Learn more about Strategic Communications

Reboot Strategy: Evaluate your Target Group

10/05/2021By scandinaviancomChange Communications, Christina Rytter, Crisis Communications, Management Communications, PR, PR Tips & Trends, Scandinavian Communications, Strategic Communications

By Christina Rytter, Founder & Trusted Communications Advisor

When you are hit by crisis or change and things, as you knew them, is turned upside down you need to reboot your commercial strategy to adapt. One of the important cornerstones in your strategy is your market – and thereby target group. You need to take a deeper look at if the crisis or change you are in affects your market? And if so in what way? Did crisis change your need to move to other international markets – or focus more regional or local? What did happen to your competitors? And what does it all mean to your target group? Still the same – or maybe you need to move in a different direction. With a tweek or change in your brand positioning?

Your target group rules
The target group is what decides your communications and marketing. Your visual identity, your tone of voice, which key messaging and USPs you push forward, which channels you communicate in – and your choice of MarCom activities. So, it is pretty important to evaluate your target group.

A vital part of your MarCom Strategy is to segment your target groups and influencers. Successful Communications, PR and Marketing start with a very clear and deep segmentation. Your target groups are often very different. The more we unfold the target groups and influencers in our strategic work, the clearer it becomes, that we have many more, than we realize off the top of our heads. 

Find your ideal customer avatar
A typical pitfall is, therefore, that companies try to reach all target groups with the same type of communications. If you try to reach everyone – often you reach no one. And the MarCom results become too weak to create a successful impact on the business. Clear communication is about qualification. You need laser focus – so just choose fewer than you got 😉. We are talking qualification of the target group, product or service line, messages, channels, markets etc. Of cause, it’s a little caricatured – but you get the point! 

A good way to get to the core of your target group is to find your ideal customer avatar. This means that you describe all the characteristics as deep as you can to get a clear understanding of who you communicate to.

If you need help to evaluate your target group and Reboot Strategy don’t hesitate to contact us.


Read more Tips to Reboot your Strategy:

Tip 1: Rediscover your purpose
Tip 3: Adapt your key messaging
Tip 4: Tweak your MarCom Channels
Tip 5: Reboot MarCom Goals & KPIs
Tip 6: Create your MarCom Plan

Learn more about Strategic Communications

Reboot Strategy: Rediscover your purpose

03/04/2021By scandinaviancomChange Communications, Christina Rytter, Content Marketing, Crisis Communications, Management Communications, PR, PR Tips & Trends, Scandinavian Communications, Social Media, SoMe Tips & Trends, Strategic Communications

By Christina Rytter, Founder & Trusted Communications Advisor

Do you know, why you go to work in the morning? I mean really. When you ask yourself from deep down inside. What’s the answer then? What’s your purpose? Why are you here?  

In Crisis, we fight to survive. Change, adapt – or die. Is it pleasant? Not really! Because humans, in the way we are wired, most are reluctant to changes. But if you are in a Crisis – you need to Reboot your commercial and even personal strategy very quickly to adapt. So, you can execute successfully within the new normal. Reboot and shoot!   

Communicate what matters   

BUT before you hit the ground running with an adapted strategy. Crisis gives you a beautiful opportunity to take a deeper look at what truly matters to you: Your purpose – also called your WHY. Crisis equals development! Both on the business side – as a leader and as a human being. 

To get aligned with your inner purpose will raise your feeling of happiness overnight. AND it will also be your launchpad for strong, authentic, and crystal-clear communication – both as a leader, an organization, and a brand striving for commercial success. As a business owner and/or part of Top-Management we are fortunate that our purpose can become the company’s as well. As an employee you can get clearer on, what values you seek in the organizations, you work for. 

What did the crisis make you discover?  

Maybe the crisis got you to realize that your purpose is still aligned? Then you just need to reboot your strategy. OR maybe the crisis gave you a new perspective? If so, you need to take a deeper look at your purpose before you reboot your business and commercial strategy. 

A real purpose is feeling driven. It’s your values, passions, drivers and what gives you and the organisation motivation. This is why your purpose becomes such a strong lever in communications. Because humans relate to and react to feelings. This is not an opinion. Its biology!  

If you need help to rediscover your purpose to Reboot Strategy – don’t hesitate to contact us! 

PS. In case your wonder what my purpose is – and thereby also Scandinavian Communications; “We help leaders and organizations that do good in the world to get personal and commercial success – so their positive impact on people and planet gets as strong as possible”.

So, if you see yourself and your organization in that – don’t be a stranger!😉 

Read more Tips to Reboot your Strategy:

Tip 2: Evaluate your target group
Tip 3: Adapt your key messaging
Tip 4: Tweak your MarCom Channels
Tip 5: Reboot MarCom Goals & KPIs
Tip 6: Create your MarCom Plan

Learn more about Strategic Communications

How to handle your Corona Crisis Communications in Scandinavia?

13/03/2020By scandinaviancomChange Communications, Christina Rytter, Crisis Communications, Management Communications, PR, Scandinavian Communications, Social Media, Strategic Communications

By Christina Rytter, Founder & Crisis Communications Advisor

The Scandinavian countries have not been spared the coronavirus pandemic. As of this Friday morning Denmark reports 674 cases of the coronavirus. Norway reports 734 cases and the first fatality. Both countries now shut down schools and universities for the coming two weeks. Denmark furthermore encouraged companies to let people work from home – and bars, restaurant and clubs to stay closed. Danish indoor events with +100 participants are banned.

Sweden reports 667 cases of coronavirus as of today with every region in the country affected and had the first fatality linked to the virus in Scandinavia. Sweden now bans large public events for +500 people. Finland does the same with today’s reported number of 59 cases of the coronavirus.

The time is now

You need to take charge of your communications before rumours, panic, fear or anger does. Most humans don’t like sudden change – and they will fill in the blanks of missing information with their own interpretation of, what might happen next. Everyone carries their personal backstory and life experience, that will be the starting point to fill in the blanks if their leader doesn’t. Often peoples own guess of what happens next in crisis and change is their worst-case scenario – driven by strong emotions like fear or anger. Starting rumours or impulsive negative reactions.

Therefore, a quick response is key in a critical situation, because it gives you the chance to handle and control the communications around the situation and thereby the outcome proactively with a higher possibility for success. BUT the quick response must be flanked by carefully thought out communications – especially what key messages you need to deliver in the conversation with your different stakeholders.

Create order in your own house first

As a first step, you need to prepare for information and conversation. And as with the situation of the coronavirus in every case that has or can have an effect on your employees it is vital to create order in your own house first. Clear internal communications must be your first step. Over the years I have seen many examples of how a crisis or change suddenly turned MUCH worth do to internal rumours and unforeseen actions from employees driven by fear or anger because management and boards were too busy focusing on external communications as their first step. To let employees, learn about for example their potential job loss for the first time via the news, is not the way to do it! Always unintended of cause, but still this can happen if you don’t start with and steer internal communications quite firm in a crisis and change.

Get ready for Corona conversation

In your crisis communication around the coronavirus, the most effective way is to draw up and work with different realistic crisis or change scenarios and plan, what to do and say in each imaginary scenario – and which communications channels will suit your messages and conversations with different internal and external stakeholders best.

Scandinavians are very critical and direct – and we don’t hold back with the questions. This apply to both employees, journalists, clients, business partners and competitors. So, you really need to prepare.

Create your Q&A:

  • What is your overall intention with this information?
  • What is your key message? Your communication is clearer, when you only focus on one or few key messages.
  • Who are you talking to? (Your key target group/stakeholders)
  • Which information do the person/stakeholders need?
  • Which situation are they in? Communicate the messages relevant to them, not to you.
  • Choose your role based on the person/target group. Are you formal or informal? How do you dress? What language and body language do you use? BUT be yourself!
  • Prepare, prepare and prepare. Train, train and train.


Take the opportunity to show your values

In a crisis case like the coronavirus pandemic, suddenly we as companies as well as humans get a higher common purpose to stick together and help each other. It must be people before profit. So as a company or organization, you need to find out how you can do your best – and at the same time, it is an opportunity to show the world your values and corporate social responsibility.

Corona Communications Kudos and Fail of the week

A great positive example that deserves Corona Communication Kudos from Denmark this week is a joint press release from leading retail companies AND competitors Coop, Salling Group, Dagrofa and Rema 1000. The release informs Danes that there will be plenty of convenience goods in the stores in the coming weeks. In this way taking proactive social responsibility to secure that people are not stockpiling food driven by fear and uncertainty. In this way, the companies as suppliers and industry experts fill in the Danes communications blanks with clear and trustworthy information to create security. At the same time show their corporate values and leave us as consumers with positive feelings and stronger awareness around their brands. Even a feeling of pride that we have such companies in Denmark.

The Corona Communications Fail of the week I must assign to Airbnb that refuses scores of refunds if you cancel your trip. This is also a way of communication the company values very clear. But I’m sure in the light of the coronavirus setting profit over people at this time, is very shortsighted and will damage the brand and not been taken lightly by the clients. The stakes are even higher for Airbnb, because this is the company wants to debut on the stock market – so their reputation has never mattered more.

Remember all in all in crisis and change when your response quickly and are well prepared, you can turn the difficult situation into an opportunity to show authentic positive values – if you have them 😉. By working out a carefully thought out message platform with key messages as a first step. And train through the different scenarios with message- and media training, you can navigate successfully through. Get your Corona Crisis Communications Action Plan in order; Whom do you need to communicate to as a first step? When and how? If you handle crisis and change like this, people will understand you much better – and even get on your side. When you keep calm and friendly – and communicate in a clear and authentic way you be at the forefront of things. And as always, the most important thing is to prepare – and train, train, train!

Get free advice for your Corona Crisis Communications

Don’t hesitate to contact directly if you need help. We offer a free 20-min call with personal advice for your Corona Crisis Communications – book at the webpage formula.

Book your free call and learn more about Crisis Communications

Scandinavian Communications wins Global Business Award

15/01/2020By scandinaviancomChange Communications, Christina Rytter, Content Marketing, Crisis Communications, Management Communications, PR, Public Relations Global Network, Scandinavian Communications, Social Media, Strategic Communications

Just arrived from Chile – 1st Place The PRGN Business Power Awards! We are very thankful for The Public Relations Global Network recognizing our work in Scandinavia this year 🙏

If you also like to leverage your business in Scandinavia, don’t hesitate to contact our CEO Christina Rytter at email: cr@scandcomm.com or mobile +4523967733. We are here to help.