From theory to practice: Aalto University students’ data-analysis for brand positioning development

Alma has been a partner of Aalto University since 2019 and during the partnership the university students have implemented various development projects benefiting Alma’s business. During spring 2024 two master’s level Business Analytics students at Aalto University School of Business, partnered with Alma Media to conduct an extensive brand positioning and customer demographic analysis of two car marketplaces: Nettiauto and Autotalli.com. 

The project aimed to address the unique situation where Alma Media owns two of the top brands in the car marketplace business segment. To continue developing the brands while keeping the overlap in mind, Alma Media needed to gain further information on how the marketplaces differ from each other in terms of their target groups and user preferences.  

Aalto University students Otso Lammi and Linh Nguyen conducted extensive background research, aided by expert insights from Alma Media’s mobility team, and combined this with cutting-edge marketing analytics methods. This was done by utilizing multiple linear regression and clustering methods on Alma Media’s data and supporting the analysis with additional research from external sources. 

The outcome of the project was a report detailing the data analysis results relating to customer demographics, segments, and behavior for both platforms, which were combined into actionable insights for Alma Media. – The study provided us with highly interesting insights, offering further support to our strategic choices, says Kirsikka Isohanni, Business Director of Mobility Marketplaces at Alma Media. 

– It was inspiring to see how the theories and methods taught to me during classes could be utilized to solve a real-world business research question. I feel like my professional skills have grown in a new way both in terms of analytics and turning the analytics into actionable insights thanks to the challenge, stated Lammi. 

– This project was more than an academic exercise; it was a true test of our ability to deliver value in a real-world setting. I am incredibly proud of the work we accomplished and thankful for the experience, which has prepared me for the complexities of crafting data-driven strategies in my future career, says Nguyen. 

In the picture: Kirsikka Isohanni (left), Elina Kukkonen, Johanna Frösén, Otso Lammi, Linh Nguyen, Erno Kalalahti, Mia Bonetti and Heikki Siljamäki. Photo: Aalto University / Annemari Rautio

Share article