How To Avoid 4 Basic Mistakes When Starting Advertising in Finland

Kicking off advertising efforts in an entirely new market can be a real headache. What should you focus on first? What channels work the best? Do you need a local team?

With this handy 4-point list, you’ll be ready to get your advertising rolling in Finland in no time and easily avoid the most common pitfalls.

What?

Finland is a land of many rules and regulations. Advertising, naturally, has its own as well. For example, Finland is relatively strict about what kind of content you can show on TV before 9PM.

And it’s not only about laws, either. You need to know your audience. There’s an old stereotype that a Finn would rather hide stacks of money under their mattress than trust a bank – so, how are they going to trust your company or product.

Why?

Because, with little to no insight of the market or Finnish consumer behavior, things can quickly go south even with a hefty budget. Tricks that work well in other markets – such as other Nordic countries - might not work in Finland at all, because we’re different, both in culture and consumer behavior.

It’s also important to understand the relevant regulations of the country before you even begin planning your advertising strategy. It’s not very useful to plan an awesome TV advertising campaign and then find out you can only play it during the night.

How?

Consider hiring a local media partner to help you with the visual strategy for television, sound strategy for radio, and so on. They already know how the market works and probably have some data to share to help you get started before you can actually measure anything. Once you have started, you can set certain KPIs like ROAS, reach and views.

Work on your product positioning in the context of Finland and focus on other aspects than just price: what value will your product bring to the consumers in this specific market?

You can always dive deep into statistics, but consider asking someone who already knows. We at Routa are always ready to answer any questions you might have.

What?

You should plan your advertising according to the specific market. Finland is weird in the sense that we consume a lot of media from radio and social media to magazines and TV. For example, while in Sweden only around 20% listen to commercial radio, in Finland the respective percentage is closer to a whopping 50%.

Why?

Because research shows that the more channels you use for your ad campaigns, the higher the ROI.

One great example is Helsingin Sanomat, the largest newspaper in the country. One front-page advertisement in this newspaper reaches around 670,000 people within that same day. Compare it to any other newspaper or magazine in the country, and the difference is huge.

Around 58% of Finns still own a traditional TV set, according to a study by Yle in 2018, and the consumption of media on mobile phones is growing all the time. If you can already reach a huge audience with a multi-channel approach to advertising, you can do so even more in the coming years.

Bonus tip

Because Finland is a small country, if you happen to run an advertisement on a particularly big day such as, say, Christmas or Black Friday, you can reach a gigantic audience with one ad alone. When you run it through multiple channels, the reach is even higher.

What?

By this point you’ve done the relevant research and you know how the Finnish market works in general. Now you want to know how to reach exactly the people you’re seeking instead of pouring your money into all potential channels, like every single commercial radio station in the country.

Why?

Because, for example, certain huge commercial radio and TV channels are clearly preferred by and aimed at a much older audience in Finland than some others. Knowing where and how to reach your target audience will be an asset in every way, unless you want to spend your advertising budget on shooting in the dark.

How?

Instead of doing all the work yourself in a market you’re unfamiliar with, consider finding a reliable partner to guide you throughout the process. Entering a new market is risky – minimizing the risks will pay off in the long run. We at Routa would be more than happy to help with this if you need a hand.

Once you start working on the distribution of your ads, instead of asking "What can I get with this budget?", think: "How many people can I reach with this campaign?" or "How do I reach my target audience?"

Depending on what you’re selling, some other questions you might want to get answers to include: "Can I localize this campaign that worked really well in [other country]?" and "Through which channels can I reach [a certain demographic]?"

What?

If you’re feeling adventurous, and really want people to remember your product and brand, you might want to do something a little different.

Why?

Because campaigns that may feel over-the-top or too much in another country can work well in Finland. Finns might seem timid, but they definitely respect obscure humor, and witty campaigns often receive a lot of attention in the media.

How?

Here’s a tip: If a competitor is going for the safer style with simple discounts and all that jazz, maybe you can try something a little different. As a practical example, Finns are known to absolutely love free buckets (and lining up to get them), so whenever anyone has a campaign related to free buckets, the entire country is usually collectively excited.

As this bucket obsession would suggest, Finns are not as serious as we may seem, so thinking outside the box – or bucket – often pays off.

Here's a handy Checklist

✅  Get to know the ways of the new market

✅  Advertise through multiple channels

✅  Find the (right) people by asking the (right) questions'

✅  Be open to trying new things

We are the international sales unit of Sanoma, the leading media company in Finland. If you are planning to enter to the market or you already advertise in Finland or, we are happy to help you in finding media solutions that drive your growth plan to business results. Don’t hesitate to contact us!