Where We Choose to Be Says Something About Who We Are

That’s exactly what Kommunalbanken, a Norwegian bank, has done.

Instead of spending their advertising budget with Google and Meta, they made a decision two years ago to prioritize Norwegian, editor-led media.

It’s really quite simple: they chose responsibility.

When Values Guide the Way

For the bank — and for any company — advertising isn’t just about where an ad appears. It’s about how you present yourself as a public institution. And maybe even more importantly: what you stand for.

By choosing media outlets with editorial responsibility, the bank is also choosing to support Norwegian journalism. It’s a value-driven choice. A way of saying: We want to contribute to an open, informed society. We want to be associated with trust — and have control over where our messages are shown.

Credibility — and Even More Credibility

What’s encouraging is that this isn’t just the right thing to do — it works.

Kommunalbanken is seeing better results when their ads appear alongside editorial content. The message carries more weight. It earns greater trust.

And trust matters. Especially for a bank managing billions on behalf of society.

The mix of channels we choose for our messages says something about the values we stand for.

Small Choices That Mean a Lot

In online newspapers, journalism is the priority — and advertising doesn’t get lost in the noise. News articles are designed with ad visibility in mind, so the messages are actually noticed. We spend just a little longer looking at ads on news sites than we do on social media.

We admire this bank for making such a bold choice — and we’re thrilled to see how well it’s worked out for them.