Sanoma’s survey: Finns spend more spontaneously in summer

May 20, 2025

Sanoma’s survey: More than half of Finns spend money more spontaneously in summer than other times of year

A quarter of Finns listen to the radio more during the summer, according to the Summer of Audio 2025 (Audion kesä 2025) survey.

The most popular ways for Finns to spend the summer are staying at home, going to their summer cottages and travelling domestically. July firmly holds its place as the most popular summer holiday month. 

People spend more money during the summer than usual, and more than half of Finns consume more spontaneously than in other seasons. Spending increases, especially in restaurants and cafes, at events, and when travelling. 

People also make larger purchases during the summer. The most commonly considered purchase is a car. 

Rental services are also preferred during the summer. Fifteen per cent of respondents are considering renting a summer cottage. 

Consumers feel that advertising offers good tips for summer activities, products and services. 

Tip! You can also purchase Sanoma radio channels regionally and target your message where it’s most needed.

You can also reach Finnish holidaymakers through the radio

Radio is the ultimate summertime medium. A quarter of Finns listen to the radio more during summertime. Good music is part of summer, and car trips pass enjoyably when listening to the radio. The radio is also a common companion at summer cottages and holiday homes. 

Tip! Use radio to reach your target audience efficiently in the outbound and return traffic of Midsummer week.

Finns also remain loyal to their favourite radio channels during the summer and rarely switch channels. 

Radio and podcasts are a powerful pair for summer marketing

Podcasts are starting to become mainstream. Already, 41% of Finns and 65% of people under the age of 30 listen to podcasts. There are listeners of all ages – and listening increases during the summer. The most popular podcast topics are humour, news and current affairs, and finance and investing. Podcast listeners also increase their radio listening during the summer, so radio and podcasts are a particularly effective pair for summer marketing. 

Audio articles are a convenient new way to consume news media content. Listening to them has increased, and a large share of current audio article listeners expect to increase their consumption during the summer.

Be seen at festivals and influence brand image

Festivals are part of summer. In the summer of 2025, more than a quarter of Finns aged 18–69 plan to go to concerts and music festivals. Young people are particularly active festivalgoers. Festivalgoers say that event visibility has a positive impact on brand image – so it’s a good idea to be there!

Tip! Offer experiences to Finns through engaging radio competitions and leverage the power of content collaboration.

Did you get interested in audio advertising or would you like to hear more about Finns' consumption intentions in the summer?

Contact us

The Summer of Audio 2025 survey was carried out in Sanoma’s Suomitutka panel from 7 to 12 March. The survey explored Finnish holiday plans, consumption behaviour and changes in media consumption during the summer compared to other seasons. The target group of the survey was 18–69-year-olds (n=552).

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The survey results are also good news for advertisers. 75% of Finns say they trust most of the news they follow and 67% believe that most news can be trusted, according to the Digital News Report 2025 survey by the Reuters Institute at Oxford University. In Finland, trust in news has been more common than in other countries throughout the survey's measurement history. High-income and highly educated people are more likely to trust the news than low-income and less educated people. Sanoma's news media reach the majority of Finns on a weekly basis. We have a high-quality, free media and an uncompromising professional ethic. Our news media are respected and Finns typically find their news by visiting directly to mediasites or apps. "For advertisers, this is good news. In addition to reach, a safe media environment also strengthens the message of the ad," says Pia Hauskaviita , Marketing Manager at Sanoma. Finland also has a higher share of people interested in news than most other countries in the comparison. 63% of Finns are very or quite interested in the news. Men (71%) are more interested in news than women (56%). The share of people with a high level of education and high income who are interested in news is also higher than average. Finns want to be up to date on current events. They also enjoy the news for a long time. For example, our biggest news paper, Helsingin Sanomat, is read for about an hour a day on average. "For advertisers, this means that advertising also gets more attention. Reading and browsing the news media is slower and more concentrated than on social media," says Hauskaviita. In most of the countries surveyed, text has remained the most popular form of online news presentation. This is particularly the case in Finland, where people are far more likely to read online news than to watch or listen to it than in other countries. On the other hand, Finland is the only country in the comparison where news videos are more typically viewed on news sites than on social media. "The video format in news media is therefore a great choice for advertisers. When you use the Katselutakuuvideo (viewing guaranteed -video), we promise that your video ad will be watched until the end and you will only pay for the final views," Hauskaviita sums up. The Reuters Digital News Report compares news consumption in 48 countries. The data is based on a survey of around 2,000 respondents in each country. The survey is conducted annually and Finland has been participating since 2014. The report is funded by the Media Research Foundation. This year's survey was conducted in January and February as an online survey by the YouGov research institute. Read more about how Juustoportti’s bold and colourful video advertising stopped thumbs in Sanoma’s news media.
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Kia’s front-page advertisements have resulted in plenty of earned media and boosted their brand as a forerunner in electric cars. Helsingin Sanomat, a trusted icon of Finnish media, lends both visibility and reliability to advertising on its pages.
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