Every year, the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) publishes their World Giving Index, ranking countries across the globe based on their generosity when it comes to charitable causes, both in terms of spend and time donated. We were not surprised to see that Norway stood out amongst European markets, having long seen that charities work particularly well in Norway.
Here are a few key facts from the report:
- Norway falls into the top 20 countries for giving globally (as well as Ireland and the UK and who take 5th and 6th place respectively).
- Norway is the top Nordic country for donating money.
- 65% of the Norwegian population donated to charity in 2017.
- Whilst global trends show equal giving between men and women, this is heavily skewed by region, with men more likely to give in countries like Pakistan, but women more likely to donate in Norway and Sweden.
- In developed countries, 50+ year olds over-indexed by 30% for charitable giving, higher than the global average.
All Response Media viewpoint
Aside from the population being pre-disposed to donate, there are also some media considerations that make Norway an interesting market for charities.
- Response rates: Whilst cost per thousands (CPTs) can be up to 50% higher than other European markets, we have seen up to 3x higher response rates for charity clients operating in both markets, leading to more efficient results.
- Availability and over-delivery: Low market spends in Q1 and during the summer, plus a market agreement not to reconcile over-delivery, mean lots of opportunities for extra value in the most cost-effective months.
For example, whilst perception is that TV viewership drastically decreases in the summer due to the longer days, the actual decrease is only about 15%, meaning that whilst many brand advertisers break from TV, there is the opportunity to sweep up extra GRPs at an efficient cost.
- Low risk and high share: Smaller universes mean tests are much less risky – a spot in ‘The Voice’ would only set you back from £2k-£10k in Norway, whilst delivering 13 TVRs with one spot. This allows response-focused advertisers to test more aggressively particularly in prime at low risk.
Entering a new market comes with its own challenges, but some countries do offer great media conditions for specific industries. With a receptive audience, the right TV opportunities and the possibility to test without huge budgets – Norway is definitely the way go to for charities.
*Sources: Nielsen Norway 2018, CAF World Giving Index 2018, RAPs charity client results Norway vs. The Netherlands.
