Sweden: Why and how to conquer the lifestyle market

Marketing, Research

Why is the land of lagom, Abba, Acne Studios, and Ikea interesting for your brand? And how do you conquer the lifestyle market? Even though Sweden is a small country, it is known for its strong business climate, global competitiveness, and commitment to innovation. The country is also ranked as the fourth most competitive economy in Europe (1). With great traditions in craftsmanship, and connection to nature the Swedes are spoiled with durable materials, quality design and have high expectations of brands and products. So, you can definitely say Sweden is a rich design and fashion nation!

At the same time, Sweden has a great fascination for what’s happening internationally. It is a very well-traveled and educated nation that frequently brings influences and lifestyles from around the globe into their everyday lives. But, there are a few important things to know about the market. Here is why and how you should go about conquering the Swedish Lifestyle Market:

(1) Doing Business in Sweden by Wolter Kluwer, 2020.

Sustainability is a given not a trend

Since Sweden is a nation that is privileged enough to be at the forefront of sustainability, this is an important value amongst consumers since they are raised close to nature and learn to cherish the environment from their early years. Therefore, sustainability is not a trend but a given way of living – a fact that brands need to keep in mind when entering the market.

Several brands, both within the fashion and interior sector have implemented circular business models like rental services, re-using old collections, or promoting second-hand ownership. This is something the Swedish lifestyle audience welcomes with open arms and goes in line with the overarching values in the lifestyle market like sustainability, quality, and tech innovation.

Digitally Savvy

With a tech-savvy population, a lot of doors open up for international brands to capture consumers’ attention and interest, reaching the Swedish audience online before entering the market physically. Social Media has a huge influence on Swedish consumers where influencers, both international and Swedish ones, set trends. 89% of the population are active on SoMe and despite Facebook having the biggest market share, Instagram is the most popular platform when interacting with brands (1).

“Nordic consumers, especially the Swedish ones, are incredibly digitally savvy which makes Sweden the perfect test market both for online and more sophisticated services”

/ Kenneth Melchior, Director Northern Europe at Zalando

(1) Sources: Statistics from Statista, 2020, and the Nordic Council of Ministers 2021

Humble Hierarchy

The lifestyle industry in Sweden is somewhat small which means that most professionals know each other, so one contact can lead to another. A trick to get started is to find common ground since Swedes need some time to get warmed up to people – even editors and content contributors. The work environment in the lifestyle sector is casual with a flat hierarchical structure where titles aren’t as important as in other European markets – like Germany or France for example. Reaching out to an assistant is a good move to start with since the Editor-in-Chief usually will look for a point of reference from their team (but no one will be offended or find you rude if you reach out directly to an EIC!)

Get acquainted with the Swedish media landscape

Fashion Media Landscape

Home Interior Media Landscape

A prominent influencer scene

On this small graphic, we have identified 360+ macro-influencers, up-and-coming influencers, and niche influencers on our Swedish curated lists. The biggest following on social media is around 2M, with an average of 60-150K followers. Even though the numbers are smaller than on other markets, their influence is great among their audience and within the industry. Whether known on Instagram, Youtube, or TikTok, Swedish influencers are present on various social media platforms with the ability to reach a variety of audiences. This makes influencer marketing essential for brands wanting to gain traction within the Swedish market.

Hanna Stefansson

One of the most loved influencers in Scandinavia, Hanna Stefansson, is Swedish raised but Copenhagen based. She is a professional when it comes to cool outfits, dreamy locations and yummy breakfasts.

hannastefansson

Linn Eklund

Stockholm-based fashionista with an international and eclectic style. Linn Eklund is the co-founder of the cyber mag Hobnob Journal that inspires fashion-lovers to hang their investments in their closets.

linneklund

Kristin Rödin

Kristin Rödin is the face behind the minimalistic interior account @homebykristinrodin. This tasteful interior profile have also a solid 500k followers on her lifestyle account.

kristinrodin

Sofia Wood

With three cook books on her resume, Sofia Wood is also a podcast host and adored blogger within interior. Original craftsmanship, conscious design, and inviting table settings are Wood’s signum.

sofia_wood

Print and Online Publications

Stockholm is the self-proclaimed capital of Scandinavia and here you find the majority of the big publishing houses like Bonnier, Aller Media, Plaza Publishing, and Story House Egmont. The publishing industry is up to speed with digitalization, but still, values building personal relationships through networking at events and showroom lunches.

Have a look at some of the Swedish fashion and interior magazines below.

Fashion Magazines

ELLE, Damernas värld, and STYLEBY are all commercial magazines with an online presence that are published monthly. Vogue Scandinavia, with its HQ in Stockholm, is planned to launch in August 2021.

Home Interior Magazines

Sweden has a wide range of titles from commercial magazines like Sköna hem, Residence, and Nya Rum to smaller niche magazines focusing on outdoor exterior or retro design. Find the magazines on our curated lists alongside many others.

Other Magazines

The more edgy publications are produced on a much smaller scale but with just as much impact! They also do a great job fusing fashion and interior together with technology and innovation.

Meet some of the editors

Jonna Bergh

As the Editor-in-Chief for both Damernas Värld and STYLEBY Magazine, Jonna Bergh is a key player when it comes to Swedish fashion publications.

editorjonnabergh

Columbine Smille

Columbine Smille is the Fashion Director at STYLEBY Magazine, freelance creative consultant and member of the Advisory Board at Swedish Fashion Council.

columbinesmille

Cia Jansson

As Editor-in-Chief at ELLE Decoration and ELLE Cia Jansson is equally important within the home interior and fashion industry. There aren’t many editors with her experience within lifestyle publishing.

ciajanssonelle

Jesper Tilberg

Jesper Tillberg is the Editor-in-Chief at PLAZA Interiör, one of the most popular interior magazines in Sweden. Currently, he is also the temporary EIC at PLAZA Magazine, a well-known lifestyle magazine.

jespertillberg

To get access to the Swedish curated lists of these Magazines, Influencers, Architects, Editors-in-chiefs, Editors, and more

GET IN TOUCH

Josefine is the Swedish Market Coordinator, responsible for the fashion and lifestyle research and coordination within the Swedish market. Alongside her work, at VOCAST she is finishing her studies in Communication Design & Media in Copenhagen.

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