Surprisingly large and positive response from the world to Visit Sweden's ´Sweden (not Switzerland)´ initiative.
After just a few days, the Swedish tourism marketing initiative, where Visit Sweden wants to settle with Switzerland which country is which, has been reported in the media across more than 35 countries globally.
In Visit Sweden's own digital channels alone, the reach is over one million people during the first days of the campaign and with hundreds of positive and encouraging comments from the Swiss and the rest of the world.
In an initial survey with 500 respondents who have seen the campaign, over 70% say that they are now more interested in travelling to Sweden than before.
Photo: Visit Sweden (Download)
Watch Sweden’s proposition to Switzerland: HERE
During the first days of the campaign, launched on 23 October, over 500 news articles have been published about Sweden in over 35 countries across several continents totalling millions of readers.
Several articles were published in Forbes, in French Le Figaro, in Italian Corriere della Sera and in one of Switzerland's largest daily newspapers Neue Zuricher Zeitung. The campaign's message has also created positive engagement from the Swiss public, Swiss media, Swiss embassies and IKEA in Switzerland.
The initiative has reached far more than the ten countries where Visit Sweden has focused its marketing activities: Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, the United States and China, as well as Switzerland, Norway, Denmark and Finland.
- “Colleagues who have worked for Visit Sweden for 20 years say that no previous campaign has received such a large, positive response in such a short time”, says Visit Sweden's CEO Susanne Andersson.
- “We are, of course, extremely happy about the large and positive response, which has actually taken us a bit by surprise," says Susanne. “We knew it was a great campaign with a humourous twist – but not that it would be well received so quickly...”
Visit Sweden has now even started to receive film clips from individuals and other media, where they suggest different ways of separating out the countries' different attributes.
- “We have received lots of positive comments and short videos where private individuals, influencers and media have made their own lists and breakdowns of the countries' various assets. Among other things, many people think that we should keep the fermented herring to ourselves”, Susanne laughs.
Following the positive response from the world, Visit Sweden has now expanded and accelerated the campaign with different types of digital advertising.
- “We are now ramping up visibility one step to maximise on the positive image the initiative is spreading about Sweden as a tourist destination," says Susanne.
To the very few, exclusively in Sweden, who have vaguely complained about Visit Sweden's, perhaps slightly odd, approach and timing, Susanne says:
- Here in fantastic, democratic Sweden with free speech, openness and tolerance we must not sit quietly. We should instead do everything we can to inform and attract more people to visit and enjoy Sweden, be inspired by our values and perhaps take some of them home with them after a successful holiday.”
Examples from publications around the world:
Swiss Neue Zuricher Zeitung: https://www.nzz.ch/panorama/schweden-lanciert-eine-neue-tourismus-kampagne-das-land-will-nicht-mehr-mit-der-schweiz-verwechselt-werden-ld.1762358?reduced=true
French Le Figaro with 34.7 million digital readers: www.lefigaro.fr/voyages/cela-ne-peut-plus-durer-la-suede-ne-veut-plus-qu-on-la-confonde-avec-la-suisse-20231024
American Forbes with about 27 million digital readers/month: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brittanyanas/2023/10/24/sweden-to-tourists-stop-getting-us-mixed-up-with-switzerland/amp/
Swiss 20 Minuten with about 3.5 million people in reach: https://www.20min.ch/video/schweden-vs-schweiz-so-hebt-sich-die-schweiz-von-schweden-ab-887188084156
Italian Corriere della Sera with about 3.4 million unique readers: https://video.corriere.it/video-virali/ora-basta-svezia-non-svizzera/8d5d6162-7258-11ee-a352-bdb9090063b6
Swiss Watson with about 1.8 million users: https://www.watson.ch/videos/!41197
Swiss Tages Anseiger with about 675,000 readers: https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/viraler-tourismus-spot-schweden-veraeppelt-schweiz-wir-schlagen-hygge-zurueck-261780902257
Swiss Radio FM1 with about 176,000 listeners: https://www.radiofm1.ch/videos/unsere-antwort-auf-schweden-154438051
Some of the many hundreds of comments Visit Sweden received during the first days of its #swedennotswitzerland initiative:
Due to GDPR, the individuals’ names have been omitted, but the comments are available on Visit Sweden's social channels.
"Absolutely love this campaign, Congrats Sweden! I hope that our Swiss authorities will respond appropriately to your launch of negotiations."
"One country, Swedenland!"
"You have IKEA, Switzerland had Ingvar Kamprad."
"Well done Sweden, I love this! Tak from Switzerland, hoping to visit again."
"Good campaign. Simple and funny. It's good for both countries. Cheers from Switzerland...!"
"I should receive Swedish citizenship in exchange for my Swiss one"
"You have Stockholm - We have Stockhorn (mountain)"
"Switzerland should support this division by launching the initiative "Switzerland (not Sweden)."
"Switzerland gets cheese and Sweden gets the cheese slicer."
"I am a Swiss citizen, and you have my full support."
"Here in Switzerland we get chocolate and cheese, you get meatballs and Minecraft."
"I would like to make it popular that, although the differences between Sweden and Switzerland are highlighted, we strive for fraternal cooperation. For example, Sweden has the furniture, Switzerland has the Swiss army knife to put it together."
Further press information
The full proposition can be read and signed at https://visitsweden.com/sweden-not-switzerland/ ... and hopefully, in the future, tourists will know that they are visiting Sweden (and not Switzerland).
Press Kit: Images and video material https://contentbank.visitsweden.com/selection/674f233f19c5645253134b7809d1cc17
Web: https://visitsweden.com/sweden-not-switzerland/
Original press release: https://news.cision.com/visit-sweden/r/uk-version--do-you-mistake-sweden-for-switzerland--you-re-not-alone--sweden-wants-to-end-this-confus,c3859893
Visit Sweden has an official assignment from the Swedish government to market Sweden as a destination. Our vision is that Sweden by 2030 is the world's most sustainable and attractive destination built on innovation. Now more than ever, purposeful travel needs to be meaningful, conscious and creating lasting value with regard to our guests, the local community and our planet.
Welcome to Sweden, a destination of a different nature.