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4 min read

How to talk about a topic you don’t want to talk about?

The solution that will make Estonia’s economy thrive has always been sought, but many experts believe that solutions are in front of us. So how can we talk about bringing foreign talent, or foreign labour, to Estonia in public and do it in such a way that it is actually a driving force, not an exit force?

In November, we helped the Work in Estonia team organise a forum on foreign talent policy in Estonia, which focused on the ideas and needs of representatives of different professions and sectors regarding foreign talent policy for skilled labour. The result was a multifaceted, in-depth, substantive and enjoyable debate that was, above all, solution-oriented, spilling over into the media’s pages and society at large.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT SPEAKERS AND OPEN UP THROUGH STORIES

Generally, one key factor in communication always determines the sequence of events that follow – the story. Telling a story well and using the right spokespeople can make complex or challenging issues understandable. The subject must be told by experts in their field who have a broader view and believe in what they are saying. Perhaps most importantly, people need to have faith to talk about it – because if you don’t believe in what you are doing or talking about, why should others?

If you don’t believe in your actions, why should others?

To open up the sometimes complex topic of external lending policy, we brought in experts from various fields, from economics and employers to the health system, to speak at the Forum and discuss the issue. With their stories and concrete examples, all of these people painted a comprehensive picture of what is happening in Estonia’s external lending policy and what still needs to be fixed or happening, but for which there are high expectations.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT APPROACH

Stories are always best told by real people or companies with their real challenges and ideas. We focused our Forum communication entirely on content and stories. It is good to use the media to raise different perspectives and open up the problem and solutions for such socially important, multifaceted issues. To this end, the team and I took Estonia’s external lending policy apart:

  • In cooperation with the Work in Estonia team, we mapped out the different challenges of foreign lending policy and wanted to tell the story of Estonian foreign lending policy through these challenges;
  • According to the challenges (or even the joys), we mapped out the appropriate channels and publications to deliver the valuable content and story exclusively from the speakers.

To do this, it was necessary to engage with representatives from different sectors – primarily talented people themselves, but also family doctors, offshore wind farm developers, employers, businesses, people who deal with talent every day, etc. – and to listen to what the missing pieces of the puzzle are in external talent policy. Along with the gaps came the things that Estonia has done well, and we didn’t leave those unsaid either because they are part of the story.

FIND THE RIGHT MOMENT

It’s easy to say that you need to find the right moment to talk about something, but many things cannot be discussed at any given moment. There may not be the right moment to talk about anything at any given time because of events in the world or Estonian society.

When the state of the Estonian economy and the search for solutions is being discussed by politicians, experts, employers, various professional associations and people in social media spaces, it is clear that this is one of the topics people are interested in right now. Price rises and interest rate hikes have been just one part of what has got many people thinking more about the economy than before and has increased their interest in the subject more broadly. So, it was an opportune moment to bring the topic of external lending policy into the economic debate.

Otto Pukk, president of the electronics industry group Incap and chairman of the Estonian Electronics Industry Association council, told Delfi Ärilehe that if you want to be world-class, you need people with world-class skills. According to the OSKA report, Estonia needs 2,600 more ICT specialists yearly to maintain the current level. There is a shortage of talent in other areas, too.

Coverage of the Estonian Foreign Lending Policy Forum.

Both the general public interest in economic issues and the thought-provoking facts and stories that emerged after the Forum confirmed that it was the right moment to talk about external lending policy and the challenges it faces. There was a willingness and interest from representatives of different sectors, policy makers and the media.

What happened after the story was told?

As mentioned, the Forum opened a constructive and meaningful discussion that spilt over into the media and the pages of the press. The Vice-Chancellor of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications promised to make dealing with the immigration quota, together with the external migration policy in general, a goal of his term of office. The minister spoke about bringing foreign labour to Estonia and the need for Estonia to focus on foreign investment policy, especially in terms of a skilled labour force of talent.

Through the stories of people and companies, we reached the next and long-awaited level in the Estonian economy – finally, society is ready to talk about foreign labour and come up with the right solutions. On a positive note, a direction has also been taken to give substance to Estonia’s economic policy, including the external labour policy, and to take the next necessary steps.

25

media coverages analyzing the topic

12

speakers from different fields

powerful subject

= real change

Meta team

Merilyn Säde Consultant

Urmas Vaino Senior consultant

3 min read

Driving Sustainability at Rally Estonia: KWOTA’s PR Triumph

Estonia has hosted Rally Estonia since 2010. This year, a startup called KWOTA collaborated with Rally Estonia to positively contribute to society by addressing the carbon footprint associated with this rally event.

The mission was simple: encourage as many rally-goers as possible to purchase tokens. By buying these tokens, fans lent their support to material producers, providing them with financial backing to prioritise recycled materials over virgin resources in their production of goods. This sustainable approach significantly reduces CO2 emissions by a minimum of 50%, aiding in the fight against climate change.

Goals

Traditionally, motorsports fans are often associated with a lack of environmental consciousness, mainly because of the sport they follow. So, we had a big task ahead of us: making our targeted audience care about the environmental campaign and raising their awareness of how they could reduce their own and their favourite sports event’s carbon footprint so it could also endure in the future. We had three weeks to take the most out of PR.

Objectives and strategy

The objectives we needed to focus on and complete in three weeks were as follows:

  • Raise awareness. Educate people about the purpose and benefits of carbon credit tokens, including where the money goes and how they contribute to Rally Estonia.
  • Facilitate purchasing. Encourage and guide individuals towards the buying process of carbon credit tokens, ensuring they take action to support the cause.

The campaign’s strategy was to engage and activate individuals by addressing the key question ’’Ready for the future?’’ and stating ’’Your contribution matters.’’. The underlying idea behind this message was to empower fans and give them a voice in shaping the event’s trajectory. By posing this question, the campaign aimed to prompt enthusiasts to reflect on their desire to see Rally Estonia thrive in the coming years. To translate this support into action, the campaign encouraged fans to contribute to carbon credit tokens that will compensate Rally Estonia and their carbon footprint, benefit small manufacturers in Estonia, and show that Rally Estonia fans belong at the top regarding cooperation and caring about sustainability.

Before launching the campaign, we needed to identify our target audience, their media preferences, and the most effective channels to reach them. After creating a profile of a rally sports fan, we determined that the most effective ways to engage with them were through radio and television or by offering participation rewards.

To capture people’s attention, we needed to find a strong spokesperson who shared the campaign’s values, was media-ready, and held significance for rally fans. Thanks to the strong relationship between KWOTA and Rally Estonia, we secured Urmo Aava as our spokesperson. Aava, a former Estonian rally driver with seven years of experience in the World Rally Championship, also serves as the director of Rally Estonia.

Results

During the three weeks, we focused on activities that delivered quick results and had the most significant possible positive impact on the company. The strategy we developed took us to rally fans with a clear message that appealed to their community and raised awareness of the partnership in the international motorsport media. For example, a story by renowned sports journalist Reiner Kuhn on KWOTA in the World Rally Championships (WRC) news will still be published in December.

8

media coverage in Estonia

2

stories in the international media

reaching more than 200K

people through the media

Meta team

Lily Mägi Consultant

Annabret Helena Järv Assistant

Video author: KWOTA. Link to the video on their YouTube channel here.

2 min read

How to approach traditional holidays in marketing?

When planning marketing campaigns, attention is often paid to annual holidays. The experience of the Baltic Station Market’s Halloween celebrations shows that a non-traditional approach and a lot of creativity bring the desired results. In addition to the excellent media attention, the show’s coverage was awarded a bronze in the Golden Egg event communication category.

Last autumn, the Baltic Station Market was in a situation where restrictions made it difficult to organise conventional events. So it started to gather ideas on how to keep the market buzzing differently. Since Halloween is strongly associated with pumpkins, there were plenty of options for decorating the market. However, everyone realised that using a pumpkin and pea shoot solution would not be enough to attract attention. Suddenly, Margaret Ishchenko, marketing specialist at the Baltic Station Market, had the idea of linking the Halloween celebrations to environmental issues. The ugly-faced pumpkins may be a bit scary, but the horrifying things are the ones that are happening around us in real life right now, especially for younger audiences.

The exhibition in front of the Baltic Station Market.

So we decided to express environmental issues through installations. Taavet Bristol, the project manager who had previously created installations for I Land Sound, and artist Laura Pormeister came on board and helped put together a powerful artistic concept.

CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES

  • To draw attention to environmental issues and show how to preserve the environment better.
  • To appeal to our everyday customers and bring in new customers. Earn a lot of media attention.
  • Earn a lot of media attention.
  • Raise awareness of the Baltic Station Market brand.
  • Demonstrate the role of the Baltic Station Market in developing responsible business.
Media coverage.

CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

We approached the marketing campaign creatively, and 11 installations were installed at the Baltic Station Market, each with a strong message referring to a specific environmental pain point.

The exhibition’s overarching theme was the environment – from the harmfulness of mass production to the problems of waste management. As a retailer, the Baltic Station Market has a vital role in promoting responsible business, and the exhibition was well suited to this, sending out an important signal that we should consume sensibly.

We supported the exhibition with media and social media activities and received much media attention in the first days. To ensure greater visibility and coverage, we amplified the media coverage on the Baltic Station Market Facebook page. In addition, Instagram posts showed the positive emotions of market visitors and introduced both the exhibition idea and the installations.

Baltic Station Market’s Instagram posts reached many more people.

RESULTS

Thanks to the creative solution and well-done communication, we received attention in media channels we would never have reached with a classic marketing campaign. For example, “Ringvaade”, “Reporter”, and the Russian-language “Aktuaalne Kaamera”. In addition, media coverage in online media and print.

tThe reach of Instagram posts was ten times higher than the average, and the marketplace images spread organically on social media and in communities. There was also direct contact with market visitors who came to talk to the artists and ask about the installations.

10

times higher reach in Instagram than the average

90 000

visitors to the exhibition

50+

social media posts from visitors to the Baltic Station Market

Meta team

Riin Härma Senior Consultant

3 min read

Estonia reaching to the stars: how to organise a successful international Cyber Security and Space Conference?

Estonians’ digital skills are increasingly being used worldwide: the international community highly values Estonia’s practical expertise in space cybersecurity, both in the private and public sectors. The time was ripe, therefore, to launch a unique conference series that would bring together cyber and space security experts from around the world.  The communication plan for the conference was implemented in just one month!

Due to government restrictions, the International Cyber and Space Conference was held on 10–11 November in English in a hybrid format, which we saw only possibilities. Suddenly there was an opportunity to invite more participants from around the world. On the spot, we got permission to bring in speakers, organisers and a few interested parties to make the digital broadcast and the speakers’ tracking much more interesting than the usual zoom meeting. This allowed other participants from all over the world to follow the conference virtually.

Cyber and Space Security Conference

GOALS

1. Generate interest in the conference and support the sale of conference tickets.

2. Demonstrate through integrated communication solutions that Estonia is a leader in innovation and that we have extensive expertise in space cyber defence and space traffic management (STM).

3. Create a community of shared interest that wants to participate and have a voice in the conference and the issues it will address in the years to come.

TARGET GROUP

  • Space cybersecurity service providers (space technology companies, including (space technology) start-ups, cybersecurity exercise providers, and university experts).
  • service users (earth station operators, satellite networks, satellite integrators, space-based service providers (remote sensing, IoT, communications), data centres); 
  • Defence sector;
  • international organisations – ESA, NATO, EUMETSAT, UN, EUSPA;
  • national space agencies or space bureaux. 

STRATEGY

We created an integrated communication campaign focused on innovative communication platforms and ways to reach a niche audience with whom we had no previous experience. The strategy considered traditional media, private channels of Estonian Space Agency partners and speakers, broadcasts, hackathons, social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook), collaboration with space content creators and digital advertising. As part of the tactical plan, we encouraged all parties involved in the conference to share personalised social media-friendly visuals.

HOW EXACTLY DID WE DO THIS?

  • Activating partners

Even in the early stages of organising the conference, we realised that a large proportion of space experts are active on Twitter – so we found several partners and journalists on social media who would not otherwise have been included in our pre-conference activities. As the conference organiser (EAS) also provided us with a very social media-friendly brand book, we were able to personalise visuals for our partners, which we encouraged them to share on their own channels, leveraging our audience.

  • Digital Media

We integrated both (showcase) events and frequent posts related to the conference into the EAS Space Office channels to provide information to those who already follow the site and those new to it. Similarly, we included LinkedIn to ensure a constant flow of information and to create excitement in the run-up to the conference. Once again, the fact that the speakers, who are used to sharing what they are doing on LinkedIn, were happy to share the event and the posts they will be made under it, where they will be speaking soon, helped.

We saw how the social media posts shared by the presenters reached a much larger and much more precise audience of our niche audience than the digital ads provided. Organic engagement for the win!

  • Cyber and Space Security Conference “Influencer”

As in other sectors, space has its own trendsetters. So we worked with space expert Remco Timmermans, who amplified the space conference on his channels (Twitter and LinkedIn). Again, the best way to reach a niche audience is to collaborate and leverage private media owned by those who have a prior relationship with the audience. 

  • Broadcasts

The aim of the Broadcast series was to generate prior interest in the conference, introduce the topics to be covered at the event and support ticket sales for the conference. META, in collaboration with Marathon Studios, filmed a total of three episodes on various conference-related topics.

– Cyber Exercises and Space – Silver Lodi (Spaceit), Lauri Kimmel (Spaceit), Silver Saks (NATO CCDCOE) – Cyber Security on Earth and in Space – Marily Hendrikson (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications), David Ferguson (ScotlandIS).  

– Space Traffic Management -Paul Liias (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications), Kai-Uwe Schrogl (ESA, German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy). 

Media coverage in Postimees newspaper

RESULTS

400

participants at the conference

24 000

people reached about the event

50

different countries, where articipants were from

8419

people reached about the Hackathon event

15

team took part of the hackathon

2 min read

How did McDonald’s and Joel Ostrat team up to make historic burgers?

It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t know a place as big as McDonald’s. How do you bring such a global brand closer to local customers and create a campaign that reflects local tastes and people? To do this, we had Joel Ostrat create Maestro burger recipes that turned people around in Estonia and across the Baltics.

It wasn’t just hype. It was a perfectly executed media relations exercise.

For the Maestro burger project, McDonald’s was looking for an Estonian master chef whose recipes would inspire people. They were looking for a burger that would truly make history. It was realised that only Joel Ostrat, a top chef loved by the people, could do it in Estonia. The recipes reached far beyond Estonia’s borders and conquered McDonald’s restaurants in the Baltics.

Joel communicated directly with people via McDonald’s Estonia’s Instagram account, let TV and radio presenters taste the burgers and gave an exclusive interview to Delfi before the launch, which was the number one news story in Delfi in terms of readership. It wasn’t just hype. It was a perfectly executed media relations exercise.

But our strategy didn’t only work in traditional media.

Media coverage in Ärileht newspaper.

OBJECTIVES

  • To convey the message that this is not just the next McDonald’s burger but a gourmet meal from a master chef.
  • To convey the message that an Estonian chef created the burger recipe.
  • To talk directly and transparently about the creation of the recipe and the choice of ingredients.
  • Get people talking about the new burgers from McDonald’s restaurants.
Singer Artijom Savitski enjoying new Maestro burger.

STRATEGY

MAIN OBJECTIVE: Get the message across that an Estonian chef created the burger.

KPI: Get people talking about burgers.

Target audience: 

  • Women and men aged 25-40 across Estonia.
  • Food enthusiasts – people who love good food but are not necessarily critics.

SOURCE

To create a strong bond between a global brand and local people, we chose Joel Ostrat, the star chef most loved by Estonians, to cook Maestro burgers. In addition to preparing the burger recipes, he became the face of the entire campaign across the Baltics. We brought Joel closer to the Estonian people by giving him the use of McDonald’s Estonia Instagram account. We sent him on TV and radio to eat burgers with the presenters, and we made Joel a courier and had him deliver burgers to his well-known friends. We made a news story about Joel’s recipes, which was the most read news story on Delphi.

MESSAGE: Burgers with recipes from top Estonian chef Joel Ostrat are on the menu at McDonald’s® restaurants in the Baltics.

Joel Ostrat delivered his own freshly made burgers to McDonald’s restaurant customers.

RESULTS

A few days after the launch, the burger ingredients started to run out in the restaurant, and a week after the launch, sales targets were doubled.

120

orgaanilist meediakajastust

60+

sotsiaalmeedia-postitust restorani külastajatelt

TOP1

Delfi uudis intervjuu Joel Ostratiga

edukaim

Maestro burger kogu baltikumis

tasuta

Influencerite kajastused sotsiaalmeedias

40 min

järjekorrad Mcdrive aladel

Meta team

Helin Naska Senior Consultant

2 min read

HOW DID DEXCOM REACH ESTONIAN DIABETES COMMUNITY AND DECISION-MAKERS THROUGH THE STORIES OF LOCAL BRAND AMBASSADORS?

Around 200 people in Estonia are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes each year. There is no cure for the disease, but modern medical technology, such as continuous glucose monitors, can help to manage it better and prevent long-term complications more effectively. Diabetes has attracted a lot of media attention, so our biggest challenge was how to bring a fresh angle to the much-talked-about disease.

3-in-1 objective

In September 2021, we helped Dexcom, Inc., the world’s leading sensor technology company, to launch its brand-new product, Dexcom ONE, in Estonia. As a health product, it was essential to demonstrate the reliability of the new product. At the same time, we needed to raise awareness of sensor technology in general and to increase understanding of it as the preferred standard for diabetes treatment.

In the campaign’s first phase, we targeted people with type 1 diabetes, estimated at around 7,000 in Estonia. Our government relations team provided support to enable national reimbursement for Contiuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) for people with type 1 diabetes in Estonia.

Media coverage: Postimees

How to reach both the community and decision-makers?

From a strategic perspective, it was crucial to find the stories and the people who could be able to connect with the diabetes community and show decision-makers the quality leap that sensor technology would bring to the lives of people with diabetes.

We brought together seven outstanding people willing to share their diabetes stories. We selected influencers who would speak to different market segments: actors, athletes, and lifestyle bloggers. Through them, we wanted to show that diabetes is not a reason to give up your dreams.

Media coverage: talking to actors, sports stars and lifestyle bloggers alike

At the same time, the Government Relations team worked to develop cooperation between different stakeholders. We organised meetings with stakeholders, both in government and in the wider health system. This included discussions with the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Health Insurance Fund, the Estonian Children and Young People’s Diabetes Association and many others.

Tactics

  1. Bringing real-life stories to the media to raise awareness in the community and broader society;
  2. Focus on moments that matter to our influencers by asking them to share their everyday diabetes moments on social media;
  3. Be where the target audience is. We identified diabetes groups on Facebook that bring together a significant part of our target audience. In addition, we worked actively with patient organisations.

Almost a quarter of the target group started using the product in the first months

Through real-life stories, we raised awareness of diabetes and the needs of patients to make technology that can significantly improve their quality of life more accessible in Estonia. We reached hundreds of thousands of people by averaging weekly media coverage over six months, including two “Ringvaate” and one “Õhtu” broadcast.

A total of 29 earned media stories appeared during the campaign, 9 of which were exclusive stories of Dexcom Warriors. Posts made by or related to the influencers on social media garnered over 125K impressions and engaged nearly 2000 people. As of 1 January 2022, Dexcom ONE is reimbursed by the Estonian Health Insurance Fund for people with type 1 diabetes. An estimated quarter of the target group has already started using the product in the first months.

As a result of the meetings and discussions, we established new links between institutions, agencies and NGOs, which will continue to allow for ways to engage and cooperate in the future. As a result of the negotiations, we reached an agreement whereby DEXTOM ONE will be reimbursed by the Health Insurance Fund for people with type 1 diabetes from 1 January 2022. It is estimated that a quarter of the target group has already started using the product within the first months.

Actor Priit Pius shares his diabetes story and compensation message in the “Ringvaate” studio (20.01.22)

RESULTS

29

free media coverage

3

prime-time TV show

over 1.4 MLN

reach through social media

9

exclusive stories with influencers

over 125K

views in social media

2000+

engagement in social media

Meta team

Andreas Kaju Managing Partner

Rainer Laurits Partner and Team Lead

Cairit Rebane Senior consultant

2 min read

How did Ivo Nikkolo’s rebranding on social media reach 1.3 million people?

Iconic Estonian clothing brand Ivo Nikkolo required a makeover. The revamp didn’t just mean a change in clothing design and logo, but an overall shift in image and target audience. How could we reach a younger target group with a brand that has so far predominantly appealed to older, above-average income women? How can we make the rebranding really work? So that ‘youthfulness’ is not just an adjective, but permeates the whole brand communication language?
We weren’t talking about the clothes. We were talking about the women who wear them. We reached 1.3 million people through thoughtful communication and creative solutions on social media.

The challenge

Communicate the renewed Ivo Nikkolo brand to a younger target audience while maintaining the brand’s refined communication language.

Media coverage (Eesti Päevaleht)

Targets

  • Reach a younger target group of women aged 21-45 with the relaunched Ivo Nikkolo brand.
  • Convey the message that Ivo Nikkolo is not just a clothing brand but it tells the success stories of the women who wear them.
  • Pass on the message: successful women wear Ivo Nikkolo.
  • Talk about a renewed brand while using Ivo Nikkolo’s history as one of its strengths.

KPI: Reach and engagement with younger audiences.

“How to really make rebranding work?”

Target audience

  • Women 21-45 by age;
  • an ambitious career woman working in marketing, HR or a technology company;
  • a woman who wants to look well-groomed, but not overdone.
Photo: Erlend Štaub

Strategy and creative solution

We included four women with completely different profiles who spoke to various segments, told their life stories and shared their life lessons. These were young women who have made successful careers, mainly in the start-up field. They weren’t just influencers but women who best carried the Ivo Nikkolo brand message.

“They weren’t just influencers. They were the women who best carried the Ivo Nikkolo brand message.”

We organised a photo shoot and video filming with them, where they talked about their career stories and life lessons. We used the pictures and videos on Ivo Nikkolo’s social media channels, blog and newsletters to clients. All four women were also interviewed in various mainstream media publications. These stories used pictures of Ivo Nikkolo and referred to Ivo Nikkolo’s participation in the campaign.

Message

Ivo Nikkolo is a women’s fashion brand that creates fashionable, high-quality clothing and accessories while empowering the women who wear them through fashion.

Results

As a result, we reached more than 1.3 million people on social media and 914 500 people on traditional media, 63.1% of whom were women aged 21-34 and 35-44.

7500

new followers on social media

1.3 million

people noticed the campaign on social media

over 70 000

reads on blog posts and in the newsletter

28

earned coverages in media

914 500

persons reached via media coverages

63,1%

of brand followers were from a new demographic background

Meta team

Helin Naska Senior Consultant

2 min read

How Tele2 cancelled its gorgeous Christmas campaign

Christmas is a time when companies spend money on in-house gifts and big shopping campaigns. But what happens if you call off the Christmas campaign entirely and donate the money to charity? Tele2 carried out such a bold act last Christmas and donated 55,000 euros to nurses and caregivers.

The company’s challenge was to show that a big company’s Christmas campaign can have a greater impact within the company and society in general. In addition to their own donations, which Tele2 made on behalf of their customers, Tele2 also opened donation lines for the Christmas period and distributed special coffee cups to healthcare professionals to grab free coffee from Olerex gas station stores. They also helped reduce the 1247 helpline team workload.

How can your brand stand out, and even grow, among so many others in all the hustle and bustle of Christmas?

GOALS

  • To fasten Tele2’s brand image as a challenger and emphasize the core values ​​of the company (courage, care, passion and trust) both in internal communication and in the media. To grow the attractiveness of the brand through a positive campaign.
  • To encourage people to think about those who have played a crucial daily role in the health crisis but have not been noticed enough. The aim was not just to donate an amount to nurses and caregivers, but to encourage people to think about their role and to support them in every way possible. To raise extra money with a campaign to support nurses
  • To connect Tele2’s employees with each other and with a CSR campaign in internal communication, so that the values ​​are not just words on a wall, but are integral to the company’s daily activities, and that employees really feel their employer cares about and contributes to society.

“To connect Tele2’s employees with each other and with a CSR campaign in internal communication, so that the values ​​are not just words on a wall, but are integral to the company’s daily activities.”

Tele2 Marketing Director Ines Estrin went to help on the 1247 support line (Author: Markus Mikk)

STRATEGY

In the strategy, the creation of two separate strands (general media and company’s own channels) was crucial. Both were supported by a strong messaging strategy and communication plan.

In the general media we wanted to draw attention to the day-to-day challenges facing nurses and caregivers – fatigue, exhaustion, lack of time, and mental health. We communicated the PAI campaign and its most significant donation, 55,000 euros, to the general media. We also emphasized the values of Tele2 to the general media and called on people to donate.

In internal communication, the main emphasis was on reaching Tele2’s employees and involving them in charity projects.

The Tele2 campaign started on December 6, 2021. In addition to PR, both digital and social media, outdoor media, and live broadcasting on company channels were used to spread the integrated campaign.

CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES

Christmas is a time of giving, doing good deeds, and sharing a joy. However, this period is often stressful and nerve-wracking, as time is running out and gifts often squeeze your wallet. With Tele2, however, we were able to reduce the tumult and buzz around gift-giving, and instead made donations on behalf of all our customers. All this fastened and strengthened the nature of the Tele2 brand as a challenger; fighting against mainstream Christmas campaigns of a consumer society.

“All this fastened and strengthened the nature of the Tele2 brand as a challenger; fighting against mainstream Christmas campaigns of a consumer society.”

PARTNERS

We are grateful to Tele2’s wonderful cooperation partners: PAI initiative, Not Perfect Tallinn, Mediabroker, VAAS, and Tele2’s marketing and communication team: Eveli Paalberg and Tiina-Mall Vannastu.

RESULTS

15

GENERAL MEDIA COVERAGE PIECES

14

DIFFERENT MEDIA CHANNELS

445 500

DISTRIBUTION ON THE BASIS OF CIRCULATION

127 297

SHOWINGS IN PAID MEDIA

56 000

PEOPLE REACHED IN SOCIAL MEDIA

379

CLICKS

8245

ENGAGEMENTS

1

GOLDEN EGG ’22 AWARD (SILVER EGG)

Meta team

Ann Hiiemaa Partner and team lead

Lily Mägi Consultant

4 min read

In Spite of Corona — International Press Trip was Followed by 17 Articles in Premium Media

How do you write a pitch to a foreign journalist that would truly encapsulate Estonia – one of the most digital countries in the world, where one can find as much nature as great ideas, smart people and unique opportunities to invest on every corner? Last spring, the idea of a press trip came to light in cooperation with our dear client Enterprise Estonia (more specifically, Invest Estonia, e-Estonia, e-residency, Trade with Estonia and Visit Estonia). By the end of the day, even a country with great charm and newsworthy content like Estonia is difficult to condense into a mere email. Then why not just show instead what this country, where so many unicorns have sprung, is all about?

Why not just show instead what this country, where so many unicorns have sprung, is all about?

The circumstances were tricky – while in summer of 2021 Estonians were experiencing a life with little to none restrictions, most other countries did not enjoy the same privileges. When we made our first contacts with foreign press in early July, we were met with astonishment – is someone really organizing a press trip right now? Some foreign journalists had only been writing down their thoughts between the walls of their homes for quite a while now. But when restrictions are created, so are opportunities to operate within them, aren’t they?

Thus, in August, 10 international journalists arrived in Estonia, later writing up 17 articles that were published in international premium media.

Main cHALLENGE:

  • How can we build a captivating program that sparks interest in journalists of different fields, while also ensuring a safe trip for everyone?

CREATING A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM

To ensure the safety of the participants, we were strict with the rules: we expected participants to be vaccinated, made masks mandatory, despite not being required in Estonia at the time – all in order for those coming from different countries to feel safe even in the midst of a global pandemic. We made sure that people always had space to distance in every part of the program, and offered journalists the opportunity to participate online. 10 journalists from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Latvia physically attended the press trip, and one journalist joined the press trip online.

The program created in cooperation with Enterprise Estonia covered several different fields. The common denominator of the journalists was business lifestyle, which allowed us to invite journalists from technology, startup, travel and lifestyle publications – the program was also built having this target group in mind.

In this way, journalists got an overview of the developments of our digital society, business opportunities, startups and the business environment, while also getting a glance at the local life here – our nature and urban space.

MEETINGS WITH SPEAKERS FROM PUBLIC SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES TO TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS

Over the course of three days, we introduced Estonia’s unique combination of digital and natural – hence the title of the press trip “Digitally Wild”, the concept which would have been difficult to explain to foreign journalists simply by e-mail or telephone call.

During the trip, we took journalists to a sauna, created an opportunity to have a chat with President Kersti Kaljulaid over a cup of coffee, listen to Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ thoughts on the concept of a digital country and working out, order kama chocolate with Starship robots, discover the Estonian startup landscape in both Telliskivi and Ülemiste City, dine with ministers and taste dishes prepared by top Estonian chefs. The cherry on top was an unexpected meeting with a living legend, composer Arvo Pärt, in person.

The courage to adapt to the circumstances and the ability to find opportunities in the context of limited conditions paid off.

The courage to adapt to the circumstances and the ability to find opportunities in the context of limited conditions paid off. The press trip brought together journalists from publications such as The Economist, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, Forbes, Sifted, Computer Weekly, Tech.eu, ID Connect, US Today, Handelsblatt and others. Our guests praised both the exceptionally interesting program and the high level of organization. A big round of applause to all the guests and spokespeople, who were keen to follow the agreed special restrictions.

3

DAYS

11

JOURNALISTS

17

ARTICLES IN PREMIUM MEDIA

32

spokespersons from public sector to high-tech companies and start-ups

Meta team

Mirjam Mäesalu Project Manager, Senior Consultant

1 min read

How we made all of Estonia talk about the price of internet

CHALLENGE

According to the statistics of the European Commission, the retail prices of fast and ultra-fast fixed broadband in Estonia are among the highest in Europe, often being several times higher than our close neighbors. We put the customers of telecommunications companies and the costs of their packages at the center of our strategy. We asked the independent consulting company Civitta to examine why the introduction of high-speed broadband in Estonia is several times lower than expected. We used the results of the analysis to raise the issue in the media. Extremely high fees for higher speeds are the main reason as to why the usage of ultra-fast internet in Estonia is among the lowest in Europe (11%).

According to measurement results by the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) the quality of service is the same across all operators, but Tele2 offers internet service at the best price.

Tele2’s challenge was to raise consumer awareness about several operators charging unreasonable fees for internet packages: according to TTJA’s measurement results the quality of service is the same across all operators, but Tele2 offers the most affordable internet. We wanted to make people think about their expenses and raise a broader discussion about how much is reasonable to pay for internet service.

GOALS

The campaign had three main objectives:

  • To strengthen Tele2’s reputation as a price leader
  • To show that Tele2 is a leaner, more transparent organization than the others, which helps to lower the costs for service fees To show that the basis of internet service pricing is historical, but can be changed
  • To raise awareness of the considerably differing fees of several operators, while the quality is the same based on TTJA’s measurement results

STRATEGY

We created a broader context by raising wide-reaching discussions in the media about the root causes of higher fees. For effectiveness we focused our communication on people’s direct pain points: daily expenses.


How much more are you paying for your internet service than you should be?

We raised the issue of the root cause of the wholesale pricing of cable infrastructure widely in the media, sharing the results of the analysis with journalists, who helped us to reach a large audience. We wrote articles about people’s experiences with suggestions on how to reduce your costs – one of which was to choose a more reasonably priced operator.

In the tailwind of the published articles, we raised the same issue in various forums and saving groups on social media with more than 30,000 members, asking users’ opinions on how much would be reasonable to pay for the internet, and examining how much others pay for the same speeds.

In cooperation with a design agency, we created an advertising campaign with a focus on a landing page that included a price comparison of various service providers, showing that Tele2 offers internet services at the best price. We created captivating content in our own channels on topics like “How much is reasonable to pay?“ and “What do you pay for?” with the aim to make consumers think about whether it is worth paying extra for the same quality. 

RESULTS

We succeeded in increasing the sales of Tele2 service packages by 20% and showing Tele2 as a price leader, offering industry standard speeds at a significantly cheaper price. The follow-up survey revealed that 81% of Tele2 customers consider their operator’s prices to be reasonable and the price-quality ratio to be good.

The campaign lasted from May 25, 2020, to June 30, 2020, and the PR budget was  1,500 euros.

20%

GROWTH IN THE SALES OF TELE2 SERVICE PACKAGES

81%

OF TELE2 CUSTOMERS CONSIDER THE PRICES OF THEIR OPERATOR TO BE REASONABLE

1500

EURO PR-BUDGET

1

Golden Egg ’21 Award (Silver Egg)

Meta team

Ann Hiiemaa Partner and team lead

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