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How Intersport Used Local Storytelling and AI to Become Norway’s Trusted Ski Expert

Goals and objectives

Intersport set out to reinforce its position as Norway’s leading ski authority by launching a campaign that felt both nationally unified and locally personal. The primary challenge was to make a large-scale initiative resonate on a regional level—ensuring that skiers in every part of the country saw content tailored to their environment and interests.

The campaign’s objectives were:

  • Enhance local relevance: Make a national campaign feel personally meaningful to skiers across all regions of Norway.
  • Leverage technology for customization: Use AI and Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) to align messaging with local conditions and preferences.
  • Boost engagement through community participation: Encourage Norwegians to share their favorite ski routes and stories.
  • Strengthen brand credibility: Position Intersport as the trusted expert in skiing through a blend of user-generated content and professional insights.

KPI's

  • Reached over 550,000 Norwegians in Intersport’s key regions.
  • Click-through rates peaked at 3.8% in certain areas, indicating strong local interest.
  • Readers spent up to 68 seconds per article, reflecting deep engagement.
  • Perceived expertise increased by 343%, significantly boosting Intersport’s credibility.

Target audience

Geography: Nationwide across Norway, with hyper-local adaptations for different regions.

Demographics:

  • Gender: All genders
  • Interests: Skiing, outdoor activities, sports, community engagement

Psychographics:

  • Lifestyle: Enthusiasts of winter sports and Norway’s natural landscapes
  • Values: Community-driven experiences, trust in expert advice, and a passion for the outdoors and skiing culture
  • Attitudes: Seek high-quality gear and reliable recommendations for outdoor adventures

Strategy

Skiing is deeply embedded in Norwegian culture—whether it’s racing down alpine slopes, gliding through forests, or enjoying family cross-country trips, nearly every Norwegian has a personal ski story. This campaign sought to celebrate that shared heritage while making it feel uniquely relevant to each region.

Unlike traditional national campaigns that often feel distant, this initiative achieved genuine local resonance through community involvement and data-driven content customization. By ensuring that the campaign spoke directly to each region’s ski culture and conditions, it transformed a broad activation into a highly personal and community-focused experience.

The campaign was built on the insight that skiing is both a national identity and a local passion. Regional relevance became the key to unlocking higher engagement and deeper brand trust.

Key strategic actions included:

  • User-first participation: Readers were invited to submit their favorite ski routes and stories via Amedia’s newspaper platforms.
  • Localized storytelling: User-generated content was combined with expert advice to ensure every article felt personal and regionally specific.
  • AI and DCO customization: Over 500 unique regional headline variations were created, with content dynamically adjusted based on geography and real-time snow conditions.

Creative idea

The creative concept centered on the idea that skiing is more than a sport in Norway—it’s a reflection of national identity. The campaign was executed through three creative pillars:

  • Community-powered content: Norwegians were encouraged to share their most memorable ski experiences, creating authentic and relatable stories.
  • Expert validation: Intersport’s store staff contributed professional advice and gear recommendations, reinforcing the brand’s authority.
  • Visually compelling storytelling: High-quality imagery of Norway’s varied ski landscapes was used to enhance local appeal and emotional connection.

Channels

  • Amedia’s digital newspapers: Featured interactive content articles with submission forms for readers to nominate their favorite ski routes, user-generated stories, and expert advice from Intersport’s staff.
  • Amedia’s printed newspapers: Included ski tips and QR codes directing readers to digital content for a seamless cross-platform experience.

Learnings

This campaign demonstrated that national campaigns can achieve hyper-local relevance when built around authentic community engagement. By combining user-generated content with regionally customized messaging, the campaign turned local nuances into strategic advantages.

  • Expert content builds trust: The blend of personal stories and professional advice elevated Intersport’s credibility as Norway’s go-to ski expert.
  • Data-driven optimization enhances relevance: The use of AI and DCO allowed the campaign to deliver timely, location-specific content that resonated with audiences regardless of local weather conditions.

Surprising Insights

One unexpected finding was the high engagement from regions with limited snowfall. This revealed that skiing remains a strong cultural aspiration across Norway, even in areas where snow is scarce. The emotional connection to skiing transcended actual snow conditions, highlighting the deep-rooted role the sport plays in Norwegian identity.