Being one of the countries with the highest level of internet penetration, Sweden has moved most of its media outlets online. As a result, big national newspapers gained new readers and the importance of local press has been gradually declining. The most read newspapers are quality-orientated Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet. There are no ties between political parties and Swedish media, which is reflected in Sweden’s third place in the world’s media freedom ranking.
Swedish society puts a strong emphasis on equality – also in the way they communicate. They address people by their name, no matter their age, social status, or the situation, and usually communicate in an open and direct way. Language-wise, English is commonly known in Sweden, especially in the business world.
The starting point when it comes to budgeting for PR services is to make an estimate of the scope of work. Depending on what the client’s goal is, the agency proposes certain activities and makes an estimate of how much time it will take to perform. Hourly rates are the other major variable. They are linked to the competence required of the consultants to perform each task. An hour of work by a consultant who designs a communication strategy will cost more than a junior consultant who compiles a news feed. However, agencies often use average prices. In Sweden, the hourly rate basis is around 150€ and 300€, but it depends how big (or small) the PR agency is.
When it comes to a project, the final cost is often the number of hours multiplied by the hourly rate. For example, the price for a press release in Sweden is around 1,700€ (ad hoc). If the project becomes an agreement for a longer period of time, the cost of major activities (such as events and major campaigns) will be converted into a monthly cost, so that the customer pays a sum each month. In Sweden the monthly cost for ongoing PR activities is around 3,500€ and 4,500€. For a launch pack of PR activities – a 3 months entry project for startups launching on a new market – you need to pay around 6,300€.
Crisis communications is often more expensive since it requires round-the-clock availability of a consultant. Therefore, crisis management is something that is paid for every single hour, often with high costs.
Four PR was established in 2010 by Martin Ruist and Fredrik Stengarn in the city of Örebro in the very center of Sweden. The agency employs seven people with offices in Stockholm, Örebro, and Karlstad.
The agency specialises in helping international companies to communicate in Sweden and Scandinavia, regardless of the industry. It worked with Hyperconnect, Surgical Science, and Sympa, to name a few.
Four PR is a member of the American-Swedish Chamber of Commerce, as well as of the Chamber of Commerce in both Mälardalen and Karlstad.
- Media relations are based on mutually beneficial interactions between journalists, editors, and public relations specialists. Their purpose is to communicate a client’s relevant and newsworthy message in a suitable media outlet – press, TV, radio, and the Internet.
- Social Media management is managing a client’s online presence on platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. This service starts with a consistent strategy preparation to, later on, create and publish appropriate and eye-catching content on the aforementioned platforms.
- Content writing is producing marketing content such as blog posts, press releases, webpages or whitepapers to reach the targeted audience. It aims to increase traffic to a client’s website and to fulfill certain marketing objectives.
- Event presence is an opportunity to showcase a client to the general public and/or prospects and expand their network. It also includes inviting key media workers and thus aims to increment the client’s visibility in media.
- Market research is often useful to prepare a brand to enter a given market. In such a case it consists of a thorough analysis of the presence of the brand and its competitors, as well as their presence in the media and social networks. Research – e.g. surveys – can also be commissioned to a research agency to obtain valuable content that can attract the attention of the press and the client’s target audience.
- Media training aims to guide a client on how to interact with media. It improves their communication skills and provides them with tools to deliver an effective and credible message helping to get more media coverage.
- Reputation management is shaping positive public perception and opinion about a client. It consists in an active and regular monitoring of client’s mentions, mainly online, and reacting to them.
- Crisis management starts with creating a plan and strategy in case an unexpected PR crisis arises. Its goal is to minimise the impact of negative publicity and media mentions, as well as to reduce the potential damage the crisis may cause to the client.
