The Kvarken Council’s work in developing the cross-border region between Finland and Sweden is generating great interest. 14,536 people visited the website in 2024, and the newsletters achieved an impressive open rate of 38.3%.
Statistics show a growing interest in the Kvarken Council’s cross-border activities. Users mainly come from Finland and Sweden, but surprisingly, visitors from countries like Ireland have also shown great interest. Moreover, the newsletter’s open rate of 38.3% is significantly higher than the average open rate across industries, which stands at 21.33% according to the newsletter service Mailchimp.
– The results show not only that our efforts for cross-border regional development are attracting attention, but also that we‘re reaching our target audiences with relevant and engaging content. In a time when the information flow is overwhelming, it’s crucial that our communication succeeds in highlighting the Kvarken region’s opportunities and initiatives both within the Nordics and at the European level. This strengthens the region’s position as an important actor in Nordic cooperation, says Johanna Häggman, the Kvarken Council’s Communications Manager.
Kvarken Council’s Work Engages
Website visits lasted an average of 3 minutes and 20 seconds, of which just over one minute was active time involving clicks and scrolling. The remaining 2 minutes and 18 seconds were registered as passive time in the statistics – despite the name, this likely indicates that visitors were actively reading and absorbing the content on the pages, which is a very positive sign of engagement. The most popular pages were the homepage and the news page, indicating strong interest in both general information and current events.
The Kvarken Council has participated in a large number of events and meetings alongside digital communication, often as a presenter or speaker. Highlights where the organization acted as co-organizer include the Wasa Future Festival, the Annual General Meeting, and the visit from the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency. These events gathered together over 250 participants.
Effective Communication Platform
The Kvarken Council’s communication is built on a coordinated structure where articles are published on the website, shared via newsletters, and spread through social media. The visual identity is consistent and used across most projects.
– By using established platforms, we shorten the start-up phase in new projects and initiatives to convey our concrete work – the follower base is already in place. Newsletters reach a broad network of regional actors, decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and media. To increase efficiency, project websites are usually built under kvarken.org, which saves time and resources and allows us to focus on content, explains Häggman. Only in exceptional cases, for example when a partnership desires its own graphic identity or when the area of action demands it, are separate websites or specific graphic profiles created, such as the marketing page for the Bothnian Coastal Route tourism project.
In 2024, the Kvarken Council was active in seven EU-funded projects and two initiatives without external project funding. In addition to more traditional ways of communicating our results, we had some special initiatives, such as 11 information and marketing newsletters for Bothnian Coastal Route (read more on the project page) and a successful video campaign about sustainable aviation within the FAIR 2 and New North projects (read more about the successful campaign and its results).
Region’s Future Reaches Decision-Makers
There is still a strong need to raise awareness about ongoing projects and development initiatives, such as the fixed link over the Kvarken, i.e. the Nordic Connector, and advancements in sustainable aviation. The information should reach not only the region and its residents but also decision-makers across the Nordics, in the Nordic capitals, and at the EU level.
The Kvarken Council actively organises and participates in meetings and seminars
Strategic communication efforts will therefore continue with full strength. Personal meetings, targeted information events, and thematic seminars are especially important for reaching decision-makers at different levels. These forums will remain key tools for building understanding and increasing awareness of the region’s development needs. Our engaged politicians and their valuable efforts in information dissemination are also extremely important in this context, and we are happy to assist with background materials and content if needed. All projects led by the Kvarken Council share a common ultimate goal: to develop the region and contribute to a more vibrant Kvarken region where people want to live, stay, and work.
We continue to strengthen the cross-border voice for the Kvarken region’s future through strong communication.
Would you like to contribute ideas or feedback? Contact our Communications Manager! You can find the contact details here.
