Welcome to our blog! Here, we explore communication not just as our profession, but as an essential part of daily life. Our posts cover both perspectives, offering insights that resonate with both work and everyday interactions.
””It is necessary for us, as an external operator in Finland, to understand who the decision-makers are and to engage with the key ones. We also want to understand the prevailing attitude environment and the decision-making process.”
“We need to understand how the issues outlined in the government program are concretely progressing and what is going on.”
“We want to understand the lives of people living with the disease better and raise disease awareness among decision-makers.”
These are authentic comments from our clients, for whom public affairs is a natural and professional part of their business. These comments describe well how public affairs has become established practices also in Finland and what it can entail.
Since public discussion and decision-making can only be influenced by actively participating in it, there is a growing desire to get involved. Professional and high-quality interaction with decision-makers is a very natural practice, as decisions related to society are carefully prepared through public processes. For example, the role of the Finnish Parliament includes hearing experts and parties that are impacted by legislative changes, EU regulation and local decision-making. Companies and organizations, in turn, aim to better understand public decision-making and want to be heard on issues that are important for their activities.
For many international companies, Finland’s operating environment is relatively unfamiliar, and the language can be a barrier.Sending a Danish PA manager with broken English is not sufficient to navigate Finland’s regulatory landscape.
This is where communication agencies come into play.
Getting the right information across with different stakeholders requires goals, planning, and lots of work. At Ahjo, we have participated in several socially significant projects addressing issues such asdiagnosis or disease awareness, always with the aim of improving quality of life and advancing healthcare in Finland.
We work transparently and ethically on behalf of our clients. Our role includes stakeholder mapping, advisory services, and facilitating discussions with patient organizations, healthcare professionals, and policymakers. By bringing together people who might not otherwise meet, we help generate valuable insights and solutions to shared healthcare challenges.
To name some examples, for CSL Vifor, we organized peer workshops for patients with ANCA vasculitis. For Astellas Pharma, we produced a Nordic white paper publication, a roundtable discussion, and a public panel discussion at the SuomiAreena event. We have supported Boehringer Ingelheim with continuous social media communication to raise awareness of the diseases and guided people to credible information sources.
Additionally, Ahjo organizes the Nordic Health Talks event in collaboration with Nordic communication agencies, fostering cross-border connections and discussions about the Nordic welfare model.
The transparency register introduced in Finland last year has increased visibility into lobbying activities. Any political influence efforts involving more than five contacts must be reported in the register by communication agencies. We comply with these regulations and actively encourage transparency, as openness builds trust.
According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, conducted in 28 countries, trust in public decision-making is very low. This is precisely why broad stakeholder engagement and transparency are essential.
ABC for Public Affairs:
A. Map your allies, friends, critics and decision-makers carefully.
B. Clarify your goals and take proactive action.
C. Be transparent, report your activities, and measure success.
If we can help, feel free to get in touch or book a quick consultation!
