Struggling to get Nordic media outlets to use your press release? Here are five reasons why

Nordic newsrooms, like any others, are inundated with press releases. These include many from abroad which do not hit the mark for a variety of reasons, which are often unique to our media landscape. In this blog, we explain why a press release may go unnoticed here. 

The press release – PR’s answer to the liver pâté sandwich (which, for non-Danes, is a core part of our food culture). 

It remains a fundamental part of external comms strategies and a core discipline in PR agencies. This is despite it being declared dead at least once or twice over the past few years. Indeed, the final nail in the coffin was supposed to be the rise of generative AI (ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot and the like), promising faster, cleaner and cheaper text than experienced humans can produce. 

Yet the humble press release remains alive and well. Naturally, we’re biased. We believe it is still an effective way to spark journalists’ and editors’ interest. If written properly, angled appropriately to the publication, and showing authority on the subject matter, a press release can generate strong coverage for brands. 

We say this because we’re proud of our craft – every year we generate hundreds of mentions from press releases on behalf of our clients. 

But we often see companies outside the Nordics struggle. The media in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland approach press texts differently than in some other regions. It baffles some. We frequently get asked: “Why didn’t this outlet run our press release? It’s interesting.” 

There are many potential reasons. If you want to succeed with a press release in the Nordics, we’ve put together a short list of pitfalls to avoid. 

No news value 

If you send a text that isn’t relevant to the outlet and its audience, they will not think twice about leaving it in their inbox. What might be super interesting and exciting for you and your company may not be for the journalist or editor who has their own following to cater to.  

That’s why you should always put yourselves in the readers’ shoes. Your software may well be new and shiny, but what is the real news behind it? What can you elevate to the top of the text that matters to readers, and therefore to your potential customers. For example, it could be a common pain point your solution is solving. 

Lacking local relevance 

We see many press releases describing solutions and services that aren’t sold in the Nordics, or reports and datasets based solely on US or UK data. 

More often than not, these press releases head straight into the digital bin. 

Nordic journalists and media will expect the Nordics to be built into the story they are being pitched. This can be done in several ways: including Nordic data or relevance; offering advice or expertise that relates to a Nordic audience; or highlighting products sold in the region (with Nordic pricing). Regarding the latter, never send a press release that only lists a misleading EU price and leaves the journalist to guess the Danish price plus VAT – chances are, they won’t even bother. 

Striking an over-the-top tone

Nordic people are calm and generally don’t take too well to those who shout or self-congratulate. Call it the Law of Jante, or simply the effect of too many winter swims, but if you load your text with exaggerated superlatives, corporate jargon or marketing fluff, the substance gets sacrificed. 

British and American press-release writing often falls into this trap. 

Instead, be direct and respect your solution and product, as well as your readers. Nordic journalists and readers will read through any bluster – your solution, if it isn’t truly ‘groundbreaking’, can still be interesting and relevant. 

Promotional formatting 

Nordic media see themselves as the fourth estate and a voice for the public. This is why outlets are cautious about appearing too promotional in what they publish – somewhat paradoxical perhaps, as many still rely on banner ads. 

A classic example of over-promotional formatting is the use of deep links and trademark symbols. Many overseas brands cram their press releases with links and ® or ™ after product names,  expecting it to appear in the published story. 

Nordic outlets generally do not accept trademark symbols, and only very few accept deep links to your website. 

Inflated expectations 

In the Nordics, all media are independent and proud of it. They maintain a clear separation between editorial content, marketing and PR, and they decide 100% for themselves what they publish. 

Very few, if any, will simply publish your press release as-is. This can be common practice on certain sites and platforms in other countries, but here it is different. In almost all outlets, the text is handled editorially and edited, and this takes time. 

Not even the most skillful and articulate PR agent can force a press release into a Nordic media outlet. If they try, it could cause serious harm to their ongoing relationship with that journalist and publication. 

If you take care to avoid these common pitfalls, there is every chance you can succeed with press release strategies in the Nordic media. We know the landscape inside out and are always ready to lend you a helping hand.