Interviewer Briefing

 

About the Podcast

SkandinavienLive is a new German- and English-language podcast dedicated to the people, ideas, and stories of the Nordic region - Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands - directed to the German-speaking markets.

We're not doing news or political commentary. We're telling human stories - conversations that reveal how people think, work, and live, and what they've built along the way.

SkandinavienLive is hosted by Matthias Aßmann, joined throughout the series by renowned guest hosts who bring their own expertise and networks to selected episodes.

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Guest / Interview Partner

Our Interview guests are Nordic personalities who embody Nordic values - things like closeness to nature, sustainability, quality of life, design sensibility, cultural heritage honesty, and quiet ambition - and who have made a genuine impact in their field, often carrying that influence onto the international stage. Think: outdoor pioneers, entrepreneurs, cultural figures, designers, musicians, sustainability leaders, and changemakers whose work says something larger about the region and its way of thinking.

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The goal of every interview: give listeners a genuine window into why this person's work matters - and what it reveals about the Nordic mindset.

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Alongside the main-format interviews, we also produce a shorter format called Spotlights. These feature particularly outstanding individuals - people with real passion for what they do, who carry that passion in an engaged, sympathetic, and infectious way. Spotlights are shorter and punchier, built to capture a person's energy and story quickly, without needing the full 30–60 minute arc. They're ideal for guests with a strong, focused story to tell, or where a shorter, high-impact format better suits the guest's availability or the nature of their work.

 

Tone & Approach

• Relaxed, conversational, personal - not an interrogation, not a press conference

• Focus on life stories, motivations, and perspective, not headlines

• Curiosity-driven: the guest's passion carries the conversation

• Blend of information, entertainment, and cultural exchange​

 

Format

• Length: 30–60 minutes per episode

• Setting: predominantly live, in-person meetings (face-to-face over remote/studio setups where possible)

• Languages: German and English

• Launch: October 2026

• Target audience: German-speaking listeners in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)​

 

Audience Profile

Our core listener is best described as:

• Educated and curious - enjoys long-form content, reads books, engages with ideas rather than just headlines

• Genuinely interested in the Nordic countries - not casually, but as a recurring theme in their life: travel, culture, history, values, design, innovation

• Outdoor- and nature-oriented - cares about nature preservation, spends time outdoors, resonates with a simpler, more grounded way of living

• Design- and quality-conscious - appreciates Scandinavian aesthetics, craftsmanship, and thoughtful minimalism

• Open to slower, deeper content - prefers substance over sensationalism; drawn to authentic stories and perspectives rather than trends

• Likely demographic: professionals, creatives, and lifestyle-conscious adults (roughly 30–60), often with above-average education and disposable income for travel or outdoor gear, who see the Nordic region as aspirational - both as a place to visit and as a model for how to live and work​

 

In short: think of the listener as someone who might read a longform magazine piece on Nordic design over coffee, has a well-worn hiking jacket, and has one of the Nordic Countries on their travel list - not for a quick city break, but for what the place represents.