Understanding Public Relations Practices in Iceland

When it comes to public relations in Iceland, most people remember the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland in 2012, which caused massive disruption across the country. The PR campaign carried out by the Icelandic government together with the main interest groups at the time is still fondly remembered. Iceland faced a bleak future after the volcanic eruption, as tourists would have cancelled their trips to the country for fear of the worst. This would have had serious consequences for the country’s economy and the country’s only airline, Icelandair, would have had to suspend its flights. It was the skilful PR campaign that prevented this from happening. That is the power of public relations.

Public Relations Cost Money

If you thought it was easy to launch a PR campaign for a cause or purpose, think again. It costs a lot of money. You need to sign up with all sorts of media outlets to get the message out to as many people as possible. With the expansion of social media platforms and digital channels in different genres, there are now just additional channels. The 2012 PR campaign to bring people back to Iceland cost the treasury 4.5 million euros. This campaign was successful, but there is no guarantee that all PR measures will bring the desired results.

PR a Must for Promoting Tourism

Public relations work in Iceland is largely determined by the need to boost tourism in the country. Film production units continue to be an important area. Although Hollywood is the biggest source in this category, there are many other countries where films are produced in large numbers, especially from Asia. These film production companies need to be wooed to shoot their films in Iceland. The Icelandic government may have its programmes to promote the country as a favourable destination, but there are other places in the country that are also interested in the influx of film production teams. These could be the hospitality industry and other related businesses that would benefit greatly from the film crews' stay and activities.

Other Creative Artists Also Wooed

In addition to the film production teams, there are a number of artists and professionals from other fields, such as photographers and videographers, writers and novelists, who will find ideal places for their work in Iceland. The campaigns focussing on public relations in Iceland also take these people into account and address their messages. There is a new category, the over-the-top OTT channels, which sign contracts with production companies to produce exclusive programmes for their platforms. These include Netflix, Prime and others. Many have already used Iceland as a filming location.

Some Financial Benefits Too

The main reason for film production companies from Hollywood and other countries to shoot their films in Iceland is that the Icelandic government offers a refund of 20% of the costs incurred by the teams when filming in Iceland. This is a big bonus for them.

Another public relations tool is the fact that electricity costs in Iceland are quite low and plentiful. This is intended to attract industries to set up here. Those industries that use more electricity in their processes favour such locations.

The PR companies therefore have special campaigns such as Film in Iceland and Invest in Iceland. These are then developed, well packaged and broadcast on the appropriate channels.

Some of the PR campaigns in Iceland have to be conducted abroad, e.g. in the USA, the UK and in important European countries such as Germany, France and Italy. Either special teams are formed or local agencies from these countries are commissioned to carry out the PR campaigns.

If you need personnel to do campaigning or any other activity in Iceland, contact Swapp Agency.