Finland renews food brand to boost exports — YLE News
In Finland, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has begun renewing the country’s international image as a food producer. Together with companies and other stakeholders, the ministry is seeking two or three new communication themes that will help Finnish food stand out among the Nordic countries and Estonia in international markets, YLE News reports.
Annaleena Soult, a special adviser at the ministry, believes that Finnish food communication is too focused on facts, while Sweden is better at promoting its own brands. As examples, she cited the success of Swedish sweets abroad and the concept of fika — the Swedish culture of coffee breaks, which is actively used in marketing.
New themes for Finnish food
A study conducted as part of the project showed that Finland’s strengths largely overlap with those of competing countries, but they present them more creatively. The traditional arguments of Finland’s food industry — cleanliness, safety, traceability of origin, and quality — will remain part of the communication. At the same time, the country is seeking a new idea that could generate interest in international markets.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
The work on the brand is linked to the Finnish government’s goal of doubling food exports by 2031. Mikaela Solberg, export training coordinator at the Ruokatieto organization, noted that Finnish companies have potential to use the national brand, but it requires further development.
Long-term investments
According to Solberg, verifiable characteristics of Finnish production and nature, including animal welfare and producers’ responsibility, could become a competitive advantage. She also stressed that the main obstacle to food export growth is a lack of long-term planning in both business and political decision-making.
International development requires significant expenses, while investments in the food sector are long-term in nature. Among Finnish examples of export development, YLE News mentions pet food producer Snellman Petfood and the Rosten bakery, which promotes seed crispbreads as a separate product.
