The pioneering Nordic luxury business and service design agency SANDAWES is pleased to announce its official launch.

SANDAWES starts to develop Nordic luxury for global markets. The most promising areas and sources of Nordic luxury are health technology and tourism, northern nature, clean air and quietness, as well as handcraft and Scandinavian design, which have already been recognized abroad.

Finnish service culture needs transformation

The founders of SANDAWES, Ainomaria Parikka and Riina Latvala, have done extensive research on luxury markets and consumers. There is tremendous untapped luxury potential in the Nordic countries, especially in Finland. The particular areas of interest and advantages are northern nature, the cleanest air in the world, and sauna culture, which provide a strong basis for developing Nordic luxury offering.

We have also luxurious and innovative products in Finland, and the quality of handcrafted products in Finland is very high. The problems of companies targeting high-end markets usually stem from low quality service, or weak brand and marketing skills. Digitalization has also been too slow.

- When it comes to luxurious firms in hospitality industry, customers rate the interiors and view as five star, food may reach four stars, but even at its best, service hardly gets more than three stars, says Latvala.

- The development of strong brands, and commercializing for example health tourism, require both service design and business design. It is of utmost importance to consummate every touchpoint of the brand so that the customer perceives the brand as luxury, Parikka points out.

Everyone can benefit from luxury

Parikka and Latvala identify opportunities in established companies, which could enter luxury through business and service development, as well as in start-ups, that are able to build the right kind of organization culture for luxury from the beginning.

- Finland has considerable resources and know-how for international luxury markets. The most important issue is to have an effect on predominant paradigms to change attitudes, that prevent achieving global quality standards. Companies also need to start collaboration to reach synergy benefits, notes Latvala.

- The new Nordic luxury attracts wealthy consumers to Finland. Luxury strategies improve firm performance and customer experiences, and best practices can be applied to any companies. Luxury sector development also creates new employment, reminds Parikka.

More information: Ainomaria Parikka, ainomaria@sandawes.fi