HAMK’s International Students Help Local Companies Grow Through Data-Driven Marketing – and Gain Real-World Experience

Second year International Business students of Häme University of Applied Sciences recently participated in Marketing with Data, a spring semester project where theory meets practice in a real-world setting. The aim was to bridge the gap between theoretical studies and real-life experience by having students work directly with real companies on current marketing challenges. By analysing data and applying digital marketing strategies, the students helped businesses to enhance their social media platforms and visibility, while also developing their own skills and gaining valuable experience.

Three students who took part in the course, Ruwanthi Hanarasinghe, Yovini Hetti Pathiranage and Ľuboš Halvon, shared their experiences about the project. “Marketing with data was a new area for me, so this was a good experience to put theory into practice and see how to do it for a real-life website for real companies,” Yovini said.

During the course, students worked on projects that involved working with different local companies, including a cruise company, a golf club, and an escape room business, to support them by handling marketing challenges through data analysis. This project gave students technical skills in analytics, SEO, and social media strategy, as well as, a real-world insight into client communication and project management.

From Ideas to Action: Students See Their Strategies Come to Life

When Ruwanthi and her team started working with the golf club, their website was still being developed and the company implemented many things that the students suggested to them, which brought a sense of achievement and satisfaction to the students. “We are so happy that they have taken into consideration our suggestions. Their social media presence was very low, they had only Facebook and Instagram, and they only posted their content only every two weeks or so.” she shared.

Working with the cruise company was an interesting experience and involved a large amount of data, according to Yovini. The company provided lots of information for the group to work with, which made it easier to identify what are the key issues that the company had to fix on their website and social media. The group created a content calendar for the cruise company to help them maintain engagement during periods of lower demand throughout the year. “For example, we gave a suggestion for a growth hacking experiment, where they can give promotions and discounts to those who book cruises for the summer, but they book them during the winter months, so they get a discount.” Yovini explained.

Success in the Project Doesn’t Come Without Challenges

Despite the project being exciting, it also brought lots of challenges to the students. They explained how vital it was to get feedback from the company they were working with and that the lack of communication caused some issues during the work. Since marketing with data was a new area for the students, they had to overcome the challenges of analyzing large amounts of data and the limitations of available information. Time constraints added to the pressure, with several participants noting that a full semester would have been more appropriate for such an in-depth project.

For Ľuboš and his team, the work with the company also started smoothly and they gained lots of information that helped them to start the work. However, challenges emerged in the second part of the project when the client could not attend the group presentation. The team received follow-up feedback which was somewhat unclear and difficult to interpret without direct discussion with the company. This lack of clarity affected the final presentation, as some client expectations were not fully met due to misunderstandings. Overall, the obstacles with communication made the process more complicated for the students.

The students were also asked what would they change about this project. They found it important to receive more guidance and theory in the beginning and to dedicate this as the main project of the semester rather than having multiple small projects run at the same time.

The Final Takeaway: Professional Growth Through Real Projects

Although the project presented its challenges, Marketing with Data turned out to be a highly rewarding experience for the students. They gained practical skills in data analysis, digital marketing, and client communication, while also learning to navigate real-world business environments. Being able to see their ideas and strategies coming to life gave them a sense of achievement, and they finished the project with a deeper understanding of how their ideas can impact a company’s success. In the end, the project not only helped students build important skills but also gave them a unique experience that will guide them in their future careers.