Shaheen Samavati sat down for a chat with Jonathan Kaplinsky, marketing manager for the EMEA region at Hasbro. While Hasbro is commonly known as a toy company, it aims to create the world’s best play and entertainment experiences. Jonathan is responsible for coordinating the company’s content and marketing efforts in several export markets across Europe. In this interview, he shares his perspective on managing relationships with partners and consumers, implementing diverse forms of content and navigating the future of localization.

You can watch the full conversation in the video above or on our YouTube channel, listen to the podcast on Apple and Spotify, and read our recap below.

Key takeaways

  • Working in marketing allows you to combine business knowledge with creativity and leadership skills, and to play an integral role in driving a company forward.
  • Different types of content serve specific purposes. For example, Hasbro’s movies and TV shows promote brand awareness and engagement, while advertising assets support the sales of specific items.
  • Each regional market requires a unique media strategy, depending on which channels are most important to consumers. It’s vital to constantly review these strategies and change them as necessary to keep up with the market.
  • The localization of content will continue to be important, especially for B2C companies; even if consumers understand English, communicating in the local language results not only in greater understanding, but also a stronger connection with the brand.
  • Always reserve part of your budget for testing new advertising and content strategies. You have to challenge the way things are being done, and constantly try new things—that’s how you learn.


The reality is that there’s no one way of doing things. What works for you today may not work in three or six months’ time—you have to keep trying new things.

Rapid-fire recs

What apps or tools do you use in your job?

We use a lot of apps and tools from our partners so that we can consolidate all of our different needs in one place. This allows us to manage lots of different markets at once, and to coordinate with localization agencies and media partners. On a personal level, I spend about 90% of my time on Microsoft Teams for calls and meetings.

Also check out: Website translation and localization: All the tools and techniques you need

A book or resource you would recommend for marketers?

Building a StoryBrand” by Donald Miller. It’s a game-changer for your approach to communication and content creation. The main idea is that you have to position your brand as the guide for the hero, not as the hero itself; the hero in the story is the consumer. You have to show them that you’re providing a tool or guidance to get them where they want to go.

Miller also explains that in the first 30 seconds of looking at a company’s website or advertising, the consumer needs to understand what they’re offering, why it’s relevant and how to get it. Although this advice might seem obvious, the book gives clear recommendations that will actually change your results.

Also check out: Top 8 content and marketing books to read right now (according to experts)


Connect with Jonathan and Shaheen on LinkedIn.

This post was edited by Melissa Haun, a freelance content creator based in Lisbon.


For more insights into the latest trends in EMEA marketing, check out:

Maximize growth through ABM – Andreas Mosegaard Villumsen, EMEA marketing manager

The art of demand generation – Ertan Benzes, EMEA and India digital marketing director

The year of online events – Tiffany Mayne, EMEA head of marketing at GB Intelligence

To see the full transcript, click on page number 2 below.