Case: Ekberg
“Working with the Sugar Helsinki team has been very smooth and straightforward. The team quickly understood Ekberg, how we operate and what we want to achieve. The communication throughout the Japan launch and our other projects has been easy, friendly and professional. We have especially appreciated Sugar’s flexibility and proactiveness in moving things forward independently while keeping us involved.
With the help of Sugar Helsinki’s communication strategy, we could tell our story in Finland in a credible and interesting way. The great media attention showed that the story resonated beyond the launch itself and helped strengthen Ekberg’s positioning as the original bakery and café of Helsinki.”
– Martin Tkaczick, Chairman of the Board, Ekberg
CLIENT
Ekberg
SERVICES
Media communications
Brief
To announce the international expansion of Ekberg – Finland’s oldest bakery and café – into Tokyo’s renowned Isetan Shinjuku luxury department store.
The objective was to position Ekberg not just as a historic Helsinki institution, but as a bold global ambassador for Finnish food culture and craftsmanship.
Insight
Ekberg’s story deserves to be heard as part of the Finnish nation brand and culinary export narrative. The news was anchored in the genuine, nearly 40-year-long Japanese interest in Ekberg: this was not merely a new market entry, but the culmination of long-term dedication and demand. The story was woven around the traditions of a 170-year-old family business, Finnish craftsmanshipand a compelling international growth journey.
Toteutus
We developed key strategic messaging aligned with Ekberg’s objectives, tailored for specific audiences and media sectors: financial, news and lifestyle media, alongside key stakeholders. By delivering personalized pitches under embargo to top journalists, we secured multiple in-depth interviews ahead of the broader press release distribution.
Results
The story earned broad coverage across national and local media, hitting every key priority media including Yle, Helsingin Sanomat, Hufvudstadsbladet, Kauppalehti and Iltalehti – even amidst the tricky timing of Midsummer week.
Media coverage maintained a highly positive tone and drove strong engagement on social media. The narrative gained further traction post-launch, with Helsingin Sanomat publishing a second, in-depth feature highlighting Ekberg’s warm response in Tokyo.
14
Media features
(print & online)
22.7M
Total Editorial Reach
192K€
Estimated Media Value (EMV)
