Masterclass of Happiness

Background

Tourism is a crucial industry in Finland, contributing significantly to its economy. Visit Finland continually strives to enhance travel to Finland and establish it as a sustainable and desirable destination on the global stage.

In 2022, Visit Finland encountered a historic challenge when travel routes from Asia closed due to the shutdown of Russian airspace, halting travel from Russia as well. This led to a drastic decline in travel from key Eastern markets by over 83%, significantly impacting the country's economy, with an estimated loss of 1.2 billion euros in foreign tourism compared to previous years.

To turn the business around, Visit Finland needed to find a new campaign strategy. With the East shut down, we expanded our focus even more globally than before – particularly towards the West – and identified the potential of the US market.

Idea

Nordic people are known for their good vibes, but what travellers may not widely know is that the Finns are officially the happiest. Finland has topped the UN Happiness Report for six years. This emphasis on national happiness has also been at the core of our brand.

At the same time, in today's world, many have distanced themselves from true happiness, with 45% forgetting its feel and every fourth person no longer sensing its sensation. Visit Finland decided to step in. The Finnish state of mind is not a secret or mystical ability that Finns are born with; rather, it's a skill that can be taught.

Introducing the Masterclass of Happiness – a crash course sharing the lifestyle of the world's happiest nation with people globally. This concept has not only ignited interest in Finland as a destination but also prompted actual travel as individuals wanted to experience it firsthand.

Strategy

TO WHO
Our goal was to create value for our global audience of  "Modern Humanist" by crafting a meaningful brand experience. This group of discerning travelers prefers local experiences, prioritizing sustainability and cultural immersion. Despite Finland's consistent ranking as the world's happiest country, many are unaware of this fact. However, when global turmoil halted travel in 2022, Visit Finland faced the challenge of leveraging this national happiness for new audiences seeking off-grid vacations.

WHAT

As a challenger brand, we capitalized on Finland's unique offerings by creating the Masterclass on four themes matching audiences values that embody Visit Finland's USPs: Nature & Lifestyle, Health & Balance, Design & Everyday, and Food & Wellbeing.

HOW

With a budget significantly smaller than our competitors, we aimed to maximize impact through a strategic approach, drawing attention to Finland, initiating a PR phenomenon, engaging our audiences, generating digital demand, and directing traffic to our channels.

Execution

The Masterclass content was carefully curated, starting with thorough research to identify the right coaches and collaboratively creating lesson content. The goal was to ensure the Masterclass was authentic and valuable, functioning seamlessly online and in the real world.

The campaign began with a live event at the Masterclass in Finland, later evolving into widely accessible online content, serving as a valuable learning tool.

Initially held in Finland in June 2023 with 14 selected participants, the Masterclass provided a live experience. The selection process, organized as a social media activation, attracted 150,000 applications. Subsequently, the live experience transitioned into online content in the fall, becoming a comprehensive learning platform for all.

Our campaign heavily relied on social media channels and PR, effectively amplifying the attention generated in the US to a global scale. Additionally, we supported our tactical message with targeted online advertising aimed at reaching the most prospective audience

Impact

REACH & EARNED MEDIA

2500 media hits about Masterclass and Finnish happiness,
across 190 countries,
reaching an audience potential of 11.1 billion.

Earned media value worth 165 M€.
Shared by Kourtney Kardashian, reaching 224 million followers.
Masterclass experience documented in a 2-episode ABC series, for free.

ENGAGEMENT & TRAFFIC

9.6 million hashtag views on TikTok.
+ 22% in social media channel followers.
+ 350% in traffic on visitfinland.com.
150,000 applications for the live Masterclass.
+ 48% in online searches from the US during the campaign.
+ 13% in online searches globally.

ACTUAL TRAVEL

Travel from the US increased by 35%,
contributing to an 8% overall increase in overnight stays compared to the previous year.
This equals to 2900 full airplanes.

INCREASING HAPPINESS

98% of people who have done the Masterclass feel they've learned things to improve their quality of life, with 97% planning to apply these lessons.