2026 Playbook: The top 7 Do’s and Dont’s for passion marketing

The game is changing fast. If 2024 was about stabilizing, 2025 has been about maturing. As we look forward to this year, the data is clear: the era of “gut feeling” influencer marketing is (finally) over.

We’ve analyzed the latest landscape, specifically focusing on the “steady strategist” mindset that defines our Nordic market. The verdict? Brands are moving away from vanity metrics and toward measurable business impact, long-term ambassadorships, and raw authenticity.

For brand owners and marketing directors in Finland and beyond, here is your strategic roadmap. These are the 7 moves to make and to avoid to ensure your brand doesn’t just participate in the conversation, but leads it.

The top 7 DO’s for 2026

DO shift to long-term “always-on” partnerships

The days of the “one-and-done” campaign are fading. In the Nordics, successful brands are increasingly treating influencers like long-term team members rather than temporary billboards. Together everything is more and it can be seen from the results!

Passiofy Tip: Think of sponsoring an athlete a full season, not just one match. Long-term repetition builds trust and engagement that a single post never can. Don’t just sponsor one event either. Stick with the same concept for years to come (we would love to tell you about our global Legends Weekend concept).

DO co-create, don’t just brief

Content co-creation is now the number one activation format across Europe, used by 64% of marketers (Kolsquare, The State of Influencer Marketing in Europe 2025).

Passiofy Tip: Your influencers and athletes know their audience better than anyone. Give them a framework, not a script. Let them tell your story in the voice their fans already love.

DO amplify with paid media (The Hybrid Model)

Organic reach is becoming a luxury (not least thanks to AI). The smartest brands are boosting high-performing influencer content with paid ad spend.

Passiofy Tip: Don’t just pay for the content creation; pay to ensure it gets seen. This hybrid approach maximizes the ROI of every piece of content you commission.

DO leverage the power of micro-influencers

Bigger isn’t always better. A massive 86% of marketers now collaborate with micro-influencers (Kolsquare).

Passiofy Tip: In sports and passion marketing, niche authorities often command higher trust and engagement than generalist celebrities. They don’t just have followers, they have fans. Fandom is the ultimate level of engagement.

DO measure what actually matters

Nordic marketers are data-driven pragmatists. We see a shift away from “likes” toward harder metrics like CPM (Cost Per Mille) and website visits.

Passiofy Tip: Demand reporting that ties influencer activity to traffic and conversions. (This is exactly why we use advanced tracking tools in our turnkey campaigns).

DO prioritize ethics and shared values

In the Nordics, transparency isn’t a “nice-to-have”. It’s a brand safety requirement. Audiences are savvy and they can smell inauthenticity from a mile away.

Passiofy Tip: Partner with athletes and creators who genuinely align with your corporate values (e.g., sustainability, inclusivity). Build a common story. Don’t try to fit into a story which is not aligned with your brand.

DO embrace short-form video

The video is the king, the queen, and the entire court. Short-form video (TikTok, Reels, Youtube and so on) is identified as the biggest opportunity for the year ahead.

Passiofy Tip: It is the perfect format to showcase training routines, game highlights, or raw behind-the-scenes moments that static images just can’t capture.

The top 7 DON’Ts for 2026

DON’T just rely on “gifting” campaigns

Just sending free products in exchange for visibility is losing traction fast (used by only 28% of marketers).

Passiofy Tip: Professional content creators and athletes expect professional compensation. You get what you pay for. Commitment and quality require a budget. Don’t be arrogant about the importance of your brand collaboration to the partner.

DON’T ignore the B2B potential

Influencer marketing isn’t just for consumer goods. LinkedIn is now used by 34% of marketers for B2B influence (Kolsquare).

Passiofy Tip: Use sports personalities to reach corporate decision-makers for sponsorships, corporate wellness programs, or B2B partnerships. The fandom effect works well also in B2B!

DON’T obsess over follower counts

Stop counting followers. It is consistently rated as one of the least important criteria for selection across Europe. In the world of AI that is also a “hard to trust” number.

Passiofy Tip: Look at audience demographics and engagement rates. A focused audience of 5,000 potential buyers is worth more than 50,000 disinterested onlookers.

DON’T leave contracts ambiguous

Ambiguity is a major pain point for brands and agencies alike. Make things clear and transparent!

Passiofy Tip: Ensure clear agreements on deliverables, usage rights, and exclusivity. (We can be your help and handle all the contracting for you).

DON’T treat influencers as a silo

Don’t isolate this channel. 49% of successful brands integrate influencer marketing with their broader PR and communication strategies (Kolsquare). Make passion marketing an integrated part of your marketing strategy.

Passiofy Tip: Your influencer and sports strategy should speak the same language as your press releases, events, and traditional ads.

DON’T demand “perfect” production

Avoid over-produced, “glossy” ads that look like TV commercials. Spend your money wisely.

Passiofy Tip: The market is moving toward “snackable,” authentic content. A raw, sweaty video of an athlete training often outperforms a polished studio shoot because it feels real. Just look at Finnish Subsoccer’s content and the results!

DON’T ignore data and tech

Gut feeling is not a strategy. It leads to bad directions. About one in three Nordic brands now uses dedicated tech platforms to manage influencers.

Passiofy Tip: If you are still relying on spreadsheets and manual emails, you are at a disadvantage. Data-driven discovery and tracking are essential for scaling effectively. We have all the tools you need. Let us help.

Ready to win in 2026 with us?

The landscape is maturing, but that just means the opportunities for smart brands are bigger than ever. Whether it’s finding the perfect athlete ambassador or executing a complex multi-channel campaign, you don’t have to navigate it alone. We push our professionals into new dimensions with making our Legends Weekend global and understanding influencer and sports marketings more deeply than ever!

Need a fresh perspective on your 2026 strategy? Book a Free Sparring Session with our strategists today. Let’s turn that passion into performance.