Improving Travel Blogger Co-operation in Finnish Companies: Case Nordic Bloggers’ Experience Finland 2014
Erkamo, Silja (2014)
Erkamo, Silja
HAAGA-HELIA ammattikorkeakoulu
2014
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2014113017525
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2014113017525
Tiivistelmä
This paper introduces the reader to different ways social media has changed tourism marketing and public relations and examines in more detail the co-operation between Finnish companies and international travel bloggers. Travel blogger co-operation is a form of word-of-mouth marketing, made possible by the emergence of social media.
This thesis is commissioned by Innastus Ltd. and the objective of the study is to examine how Finnish companies could maximize the marketing benefit derived from travel blogger co-operation. Development suggestions for Nordic Bloggers’ Experience Finland, a travel blogger program first organised in Finland in 2014 that serves as the case study in this thesis, are presented. The framework for the study is based on earlier research on word-of-mouth marketing in the online environment.
Case-based qualitative research method was chosen for this study and in-depth interviews were arranged with representatives of partner companies and organisers of Nordic Bloggers’ Experience Finland 2014 in late May and early July of 2014. In addition, feedback from bloggers and partners who participated in Nordic Bloggers’ Experience Finland 2014 is used to compliment the interview data.
The results indicate that blogger co-operation is still a new area of public relations for companies in Finland and that the level of knowledge about the subject and skills for execution varies among companies. Based on the study, allocating enough time for the planning phase of the co-operation, matching the right blogger with the right company and utilizing the material produced by bloggers are important factors for successful blogger co-operation from the company point of view. Two profiles of companies involved in blogger co-operation can be drawn from the results: companies that believe blogger co-operation is a meaningful public relations activity that can bring in customers indirectly and companies that believe blogger co-operation is not an essential public relations effort but more of an image-building activity that doesn’t necessarily bring in customers. Also a ten-point list of development suggestions for Nordic Bloggers’ Experience Finland is included in the results.
This thesis is commissioned by Innastus Ltd. and the objective of the study is to examine how Finnish companies could maximize the marketing benefit derived from travel blogger co-operation. Development suggestions for Nordic Bloggers’ Experience Finland, a travel blogger program first organised in Finland in 2014 that serves as the case study in this thesis, are presented. The framework for the study is based on earlier research on word-of-mouth marketing in the online environment.
Case-based qualitative research method was chosen for this study and in-depth interviews were arranged with representatives of partner companies and organisers of Nordic Bloggers’ Experience Finland 2014 in late May and early July of 2014. In addition, feedback from bloggers and partners who participated in Nordic Bloggers’ Experience Finland 2014 is used to compliment the interview data.
The results indicate that blogger co-operation is still a new area of public relations for companies in Finland and that the level of knowledge about the subject and skills for execution varies among companies. Based on the study, allocating enough time for the planning phase of the co-operation, matching the right blogger with the right company and utilizing the material produced by bloggers are important factors for successful blogger co-operation from the company point of view. Two profiles of companies involved in blogger co-operation can be drawn from the results: companies that believe blogger co-operation is a meaningful public relations activity that can bring in customers indirectly and companies that believe blogger co-operation is not an essential public relations effort but more of an image-building activity that doesn’t necessarily bring in customers. Also a ten-point list of development suggestions for Nordic Bloggers’ Experience Finland is included in the results.