Sweden is one of the most progressive digital trailblazers worldwide, and this passion for digital innovation also transcends into the world of advertising. In 2021, online advertising spending in Sweden reached a record 5.9 billion Swedish kronor, making it the only Scandinavian country to rank among
. Not only that, but data also highlighted that Sweden was one of the largest
, outperforming much larger players in the ad business such as Germany and France. This focus on modern marketing techniques coincides with the rapid changes in consumer behavior. Sweden's tech-savvy consumers are spending more time with online content than ever, and looking at the impressive share of e-commerce users, it is safe to assume that companies will intensify and diversify their digital advertising activities in the future.
What are the most popular digital ad formats in Sweden?
Swedish advertisers can choose from an ever-expanding range of tools and formats to showcase their brands online. In 2021, display was
Sweden's top digital ad format, accounting for more than a third of online ad investments. Based on the latest data, an estimated 2.23 billion Swedish kronor were spent on display ads that year, up from just below two billion in 2020. This recent upward trend in spending can also be found across search, social media, and various other digital ad formats as the Swedish ad sector resumes its post-pandemic recovery. One trend that will become even more pronounced in the future is the focus on mobile. Roughly 45 percent of digital ad spend flowed towards mobile campaigns in 2021, and according to the latest forecasts, mobile will overtake desktop as the
leading advertising device in Sweden within the next three years.
Spotlight on social media
The Nordic countries have some of the highest
social media penetration rates in Europe. Based on the latest estimates, more than 90 percent of the Swedish population access social media regularly, forming a vast potential customer pool for digital advertisers to dip into. In 2021,
social media ad spend in Sweden stood at nearly 1.5 billion Swedish kronor, which translated into roughly 25 percent of total digital ad spend. Survey findings also showed that more than half of responding consumers over the age of 16 followed at least one brand on social media that year, highlighting how quickly platforms like Instagram have evolved from mere photo-sharing apps to powerful marketing playgrounds. When asked which media offered the most relevant ads, a majority of consumers listed Meta-owned platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. At the same time, many respondents also stated that two of these sites displayed too many ads; a sentiment that companies should keep in mind when creating their social roadmaps.
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