What the rest of the world can learn from the Swedish approach to the influencer economy

The rise of the influencer economy has transformed the way individuals and businesses engage with their audiences. Its importance cannot be understated: by 2027, Goldman Sachs estimates that the creator economy will be worth over $480bn per year – almost double what it is now.

Sweden, known for its innovative and progressive approach to various aspects of society, has emerged as a frontrunner in shaping and regulating the influencer landscape. By blending creativity, authenticity, and transparency, the Swedish influencer culture has valuable lessons that the rest of the world can learn from – providing increased value for both the creator and the companies they work with. We knew from Boxbollen’s inception five years ago that influencers would be a key aspect of our growth strategy, and how influencers can – and should – impact a brand.

Before we launched worldwide, we saw firsthand the impact that creators had on Boxbollen sales. Though this was of course helped by the fact that our product is very visual and very fun to use, when it came to launching in other countries we knew we had to make the most of local influencers. In doing so, we grew our business by 350% in 2022. With the influencer economy set to boom in the next few years, knowing how to best utilise it is vital.

One of the cornerstones of the Swedish influencer economy is the emphasis on building genuine relationships with audiences. Swedish influencers prioritise authenticity over purely commercial gains. They strive to connect with their followers on a personal level by sharing personal stories, values, and experiences. This approach fosters a sense of trust and loyalty among their audience base.

This focus on authenticity has been a breath of fresh air in an era of sponsored content and paid partnerships. By maintaining transparency and clearly disclosing collaborations, good influencers manage to strike a balance between promotional content and maintaining trust. This approach helps foster a more genuine and sustainable relationship between influencers, brands, and their audiences, which in turn converts to sales.

When looking for creators to collaborate with when we launched globally, we knew we wanted profiles that had that genuine engagement with their fans, who in turn appreciated the authenticity given by their idols. In the UK, we turned to sports profiles such as Steven Gerrard and Jesse Lingard, as well as emerging comedic creators such as Chunkz. This allowed us to diversify our audience whilst ensuring that the sponsorship would resonate with fans.

In the U.S., we understood that home-grown talents have far more of a global appeal than typical U.K. influencers, which is why we chose to work with celebrities such Khloé Kardashian and Snoop Dogg. They are massive in their home territory, but also have a global following who admire their work. These two in particular are known for being fairly outspoken, therefore their fans are aware that their sponsorship opportunities are likely because of their genuine appreciation of the product. This is key to building authenticity within the audience.

Once Boxbollen had gained notoriety from these sponsorships, we saw a tremendous amount of organic content generated online. The most impressive of these was from Bill Gates, who was given a Boxbollen for Christmas by his daughter Phoebe. She uploaded a clip of him using it to TikTok, and it quickly blew up. What better advert for a brand than to be used by the man who can buy everything?

With authenticity at the heart of influencer campaigns, you can ensure that the audience will value the product being advertised. Many Swedish influencers have cultivated this trust, and it has paid huge dividends for fans, creators, and brands alike. By searching for talents who have that level of trust from their fans, you can ensure longevity for your brand, and in turn inspire a wave of organic sales.