- United Kingdom
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Norway
Follow Finland's Twitter feed
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Who's talking about us?
Top 3 - positive
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
- Denmark
Top 3 - negative
- Norway
- Denmark
- United Kingdom
What is this?
Follow Finland is a website for nation branding which measures how Finland is perceived on the web.
Finns are always interested in what people think about them abroad. Advertising professionals Janne Pirinen and Jan Fagernäs came up with the idea about a website which uses an intelligent database system to follow what is being said about Finland and how people perceive Finns abroad. Initially, the project was something of a hobby outside of work, but it soon became apparent that that the service could be utilized to help the Finnish nation branding team and foreign minister Alexander Stubb by providing concrete information for developing Finland as a brand. The question of whether Finland needs to be a “brand” has been the subject of wide debate in Finland. However, most people agree that creating a strong and positive national image will enhance Finland's international competitiveness.
The overall philosophy of the website is to provide a service for anybody interested in polishing their country’s image. We are all representatives of the place we hail from. Subsequently, everything we do and say, in effect, brands our nation in the eyes of others. If one behaves inappropriately abroad, it reflects badly not only on oneself, but one’s country as well. Everything we do has its consequences, and in the worst cases, a poor perception can translate into economic risk and political setback. For example, school shootings aren’t exactly the best marketing for the Finnish education system.
Follow Finland aims to activate all Finns to do their part in developing a strong, positive national image for Finland. Every citizen is responsible for the country brand, which means that you can’t really build an image in committees or promotion boards only. It takes the country as a whole to build the brand. How does the website work? The website follows social media from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Britain, and concentrates on what is said about Finland specifically. The website collates all positive and negative stories, comments and discussions abroad. This data is then aggregated in a “brand forecast”. Is it warm today or cold? It all depends on what is being said. You can also find news about Finland and do your part for Finland by voicing your opinions in selected discussions relating to the country’s image.
Finns are always interested in what people think about them abroad. Advertising professionals Janne Pirinen and Jan Fagernäs came up with the idea about a website which uses an intelligent database system to follow what is being said about Finland and how people perceive Finns abroad. Initially, the project was something of a hobby outside of work, but it soon became apparent that that the service could be utilized to help the Finnish nation branding team and foreign minister Alexander Stubb by providing concrete information for developing Finland as a brand. The question of whether Finland needs to be a “brand” has been the subject of wide debate in Finland. However, most people agree that creating a strong and positive national image will enhance Finland's international competitiveness.
The overall philosophy of the website is to provide a service for anybody interested in polishing their country’s image. We are all representatives of the place we hail from. Subsequently, everything we do and say, in effect, brands our nation in the eyes of others. If one behaves inappropriately abroad, it reflects badly not only on oneself, but one’s country as well. Everything we do has its consequences, and in the worst cases, a poor perception can translate into economic risk and political setback. For example, school shootings aren’t exactly the best marketing for the Finnish education system.
Follow Finland aims to activate all Finns to do their part in developing a strong, positive national image for Finland. Every citizen is responsible for the country brand, which means that you can’t really build an image in committees or promotion boards only. It takes the country as a whole to build the brand. How does the website work? The website follows social media from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Britain, and concentrates on what is said about Finland specifically. The website collates all positive and negative stories, comments and discussions abroad. This data is then aggregated in a “brand forecast”. Is it warm today or cold? It all depends on what is being said. You can also find news about Finland and do your part for Finland by voicing your opinions in selected discussions relating to the country’s image.
Follow Finland concept by:
Is Good Creative Oy
Jan Fagernäs
Janne Pirinen
Other people involved in the process:
Helena Hämäläinen
Evi Kaarlehto
Raita Räsänen
Tech
Joonas Tanner
Jussi Koskela
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Whitevector Oy
© Is Good Creative Oy