Advancing Finnish education globally through AI research

Region: Finland/Global

Client: HY+ (The University of Helsinki Centre for Continuing Education)

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The challenge

HY+, the professional development arm of Finland’s University of Helsinki, required a data-driven international marketing strategy to scale its global impact in adult continuing education and B2B development services.

To grow globally, the organisation needed to overcome three primary obstacles:

  1. Competitive positioning: Understand how international decision-makers evaluate education partners and where HY+ stood against global competitors.
  2. Stakeholder consensus: Unify internal stakeholders on target audiences, core messaging, and website positioning.
  3. Engagement optimisation: Identify friction points and gaps in communicating their expertise to prospective global clients.

Our solution

  • Combined strategic communications expertise, qualitative research and AI-assisted analysis to benchmark HY+ against leading international universities, education providers and consulting organisations.
  • Developed a tailored evaluation framework reflecting how ministries, education authorities, institutional leaders, and other high-value buyers assess potential education partners.
  • Used AI-powered analysis to identify content gaps, positioning opportunities, audience needs and competitive patterns across multiple organisations.

Our solution

  • Combined strategic communications expertise, qualitative research and AI-assisted analysis to benchmark HY+ against leading international universities, education providers and consulting organisations.
  • Developed a tailored evaluation framework reflecting how ministries, education authorities, institutional leaders, and other high-value buyers assess potential education partners.
  • Used AI-powered analysis to identify content gaps, positioning opportunities, audience needs and competitive patterns across multiple organisations.

What we delivered

  • AI-assisted competitive intelligence: We benchmarked HY+ against 15 national and international organisations using a tailored evaluation framework designed around the needs of international education buyers.
  • Facilitated strategy workshop: We guided stakeholders through a collaborative process to define website objectives, messaging frameworks, thematic priorities, and content opportunities.
  • Implementation roadmap: We translated insights into a documented action plan covering website development, content strategy, and future thought leadership initiatives.

The outcome

  • Competitive clarity: We established a clear view of HY+’s position in the international market, identifying strengths, gaps, and opportunities relative to leading education providers and development organisations.
  • Strategic focus: We helped the team move beyond broad “Why Finland” messaging towards a more focused positioning built around audience needs, buyer expectations, and potential areas of thought leadership.
  • Stakeholder alignment: We created a shared understanding across stakeholders of target audiences, website objectives, key messages, and content priorities.
  • Actionable foundation for growth: We delivered a practical roadmap that equips HY+ to strengthen its digital presence, refine its international outreach, and use AI-supported insights to guide future marketing and communications decisions.

The outcome

  • Competitive clarity: We established a clear view of HY+’s position in the international market, identifying strengths, gaps, and opportunities relative to leading education providers and development organisations.
  • Strategic focus: We helped the team move beyond broad “Why Finland” messaging towards a more focused positioning built around audience needs, buyer expectations, and potential areas of thought leadership.
  • Stakeholder alignment: We created a shared understanding across stakeholders of target audiences, website objectives, key messages, and content priorities.
  • Actionable foundation for growth: We delivered a practical roadmap that equips HY+ to strengthen its digital presence, refine its international outreach, and use AI-supported insights to guide future marketing and communications decisions.
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What our client loves

“Aspidistra helped HY+ clarify our messaging, customer segmentation and competitive positioning. While our initial focus was website development, the workshop also strengthened our wider international marketing strategy. I would recommend Aspidistra to any organisation seeking a strategic partner for international growth.”

Kimmo Kärpijoki, CEO, HY+ Ltd

Our learnings

This project demonstrated how AI can significantly accelerate strategic research by helping teams analyse large volumes of competitor content, spot recurring patterns, and test assumptions more efficiently.

However, the greatest value emerged when AI analysis was combined with journalistic insight, stakeholder dialogue, and facilitated workshops. While AI helped uncover opportunities and gaps, collaborative discussion and professional judgement were essential for turning those insights into a credible positioning strategy and actionable roadmap.

Looking to strengthen your international positioning?

Our learnings

This project demonstrated how AI can significantly accelerate strategic research by helping teams analyse large volumes of competitor content, spot recurring patterns, and test assumptions more efficiently.

However, the greatest value emerged when AI analysis was combined with journalistic insight, stakeholder dialogue, and facilitated workshops. While AI helped uncover opportunities and gaps, collaborative discussion and professional judgement were essential for turning those insights into a credible positioning strategy and actionable roadmap.

Looking to strengthen your international positioning?

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