Why Finland has a marketing problem, and how to fix it
There’s this notion that Swedish companies are better in marketing & selling than Finnish ones.
Why is that?
Generally speaking (!), Finns don’t like to make a big fuzz about themselves or what they’re doing.
While humbleness is admirable, businesswise it’s lethal. 💀
It’s not enough creating a good product or service, and thinking that customers will just magically appear on the front of your doorstep—in real life or virtually.
Here’s our PSA to Finland 📺:
✴️ Marketing is not bragging.
✴️ You need marketing for your company to survive.
✴️ The competition is fierce, and global.
✴️ You’re not doing anyone a favour by playing small—not your team, your customers, and your country.
In this episode of CMO Chat, we share a vital piece of advice that every company hesitant to market themselves can start doing today.
Can’t watch it right now? No problem, there is a full transcript of the video below.
Tan
Welcome to another episode of CMO Chat. I'm Tan.
Tanja
And I'm Tanja.
Tan
Okay, Tanja, I would like to ask you a slightly philosophical question. I'm wondering why in these parts of the world, in the Nordic countries where we live. Why is it that marketing and sale is looked down upon? People don't like to talk about themselves. People don't like to sell themselves. People don't like to do marketing that much.
Tanja
Yeah.
Tan
Have you experienced that.
Tanja
That? Yes, I have. And I think we have to differentiate between the Nordic countries, because I think Sweden is doing a really great job in marketing and selling. Compared to Finland where I think the mentality is a little bit different. I think I heard somewhere where they said that Finland has a marketing problem that we don't like to market ourselves because traditionally, in Finland we really are focused on creating good products and good services and we think that it's enough.
Tanja
If the product is good, people will just come and buy it from us. And that might have been the case like 40 years ago, 30 years ago. But these in days when the market entry, like the threshold to enter a market or an industry is so low with technology, you're you're not going to succeed without marketing. And I think that's something it's slowly changing.
I think Finnish companies are getting better, but they're still lacking in terms of marketing. When we compare it to the US, they are really good at selling themselves.
Tan
Yeah. And do you think it starts from the individual level? Because I know a lot of people that don't like to talk about themselves or even talk about what they do, not even get into the promoting part yet. I'm not talking about promoting yourself. I'm talking about just sharing what you do.
Tanja
Now, it's a good question. I mean, I think that Finnish people, it's like you don't want to make yourself more important than another person. And I personally see a difference between bragging and just telling what you're doing. And I think that you can say what you're doing, in a confident and authentic way, without having to brag.
Tanja
Absolutely. I love that you brought that word because marketing is not bragging. And if you are bragging, then you're doing it wrong.
Tan
Yes, exactly.
Tan
What we want to encourage is authentically share your story.
Tanja
Yeah, that's a good point. Like; this is who we are, this is what we want to do in the world, and this is how we do it. And if you communicate that in a nice story, then you will succeed. You don't have to shout from the rooftops that you are the best of the best, because most likely you aren't.
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