It is generally acknowledged that people living in Finnish Lapland like to gouge money from people from the south. It seems that every price gets an extra zero at the end. Is this unfair stereotyping?
Not completely.
How many Finns know that a recent Porsche commercial was shot in Finnish Lapland? Or that about 20 international film crews are there at this moment shooting commercials?
Not very many, that's for sure.
Probably only the local reindeer herders know about it. After all, they are almost the only local people that the production crews have had to be in contact with, in order to get some reindeer into shot.
The international crews handle everything else on their own. Director Antti Jokinen claims that the crews bring everything from home - even their sandwiches.
The same attitude is faced by domestic production crews.
Could someone please tell entrepreneurs in Finnish Lapland that raising prices is not the way to make money. The way to do it is to offer reliable service, which attracts bigger clients to the area.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 20.4.2007
