SEGA of America (SOA) is one of the leading interactive entertainment companies in the world, with its HQ based in Irvine, California, and a dedicated EMEA publishing team in London.
The EMEA Product Marketing Manager (Sonic) is a newly created role and will join an expanding EMEA Product Marketing team to support the continued growth and development of SEGA of America titles to maximise the lifecycle of each launch across an ever-changing video games market. Reporting to the EMEA Senior Product Marketing Manager and collaborating closely with Sonic Brand and Product Marketing teams based in North America and other cross-functional teams based in EMEA, North America and Japan, you will product manage designated Sonic the Hedgehog video game products including back catalogue titles.
This creative and commercial role involves working in tandem with distributors & partners across the EMEA region to grow and maximise the potential of the Sonic video game franchise throughout each product life cycle. Another key part of the role will be to achieve campaign synergy with other wider Sonic brand activations and initiatives outside of the video game vertical.
We believe that delivering the best games relies on having the best people, so we are constantly investing in our people through our benefits package, flexible working, and our community-focused, people-centric culture. Our industry-leading compensation and benefits include competitive salary and bonus schemes, private medical insurance, private dental insurance, health screening, electric car scheme, home technology scheme, Microsoft package discounts, and much more!
Why You:
You will have considerable experience working with AAA games or IP’s within the gaming, media or entertainment industries and will have a proven track record in marketing campaign planning and execution (ideally at pan-European level), as well as strong expertise in the production and delivery of campaign assets for both physical and digital products.
You will be a proactive team player with excellent presentation skills and an understanding of current video games media trends and the Western games market.
Responsibilities Include:
Marketing planning and execution: collaborate closely with the Sonic Product and Brand Pillar team, devising and executing effective, innovative and best-in-class EMEA GTM Plans for the Sonic video game product portfolio to meet/exceed set commercial goals and marketing campaign KPIs. Identify campaign synergy with other wider Sonic brand activations and initiatives outside of the video game vertical to engage and acquire new players with the ultimate goal of growing the Sonic fan base.
Cross functional team collaboration: work with the PR, influencer, community, commercial, trade, events, digital teams, external campaign partners and many others to ensure all plans are planned & executed as per agreed KPIs.
Campaign assets production and localisation: collaborate with the Sonic Pillar team on the creative production of marketing assets (both physical and digital) to allow a timely delivery to agency and campaign partners. You will ensure all EMEA campaign material requirements are briefed in a timely manner to deliver the EMEA strategy effectively as per the campaign roadmap for each product.
Local territory distributor collaboration: meet local territory specific campaign requirements and work with distributors to develop BTL and trade plans maximising retail exposure for new releases and back catalogue. Collaborating closely with our local distributors to provide support across all channels and ensure the set GTMs are fully executed regionally is a key part of the role.
Commercial acumen: drive ongoing revenue with guidance of the commercial team to understand key sales opportunities for both new releases and back catalogue.
Data driven marketing: ability to analyse varieties of data, identifying marketing trends, and apply data to produce fact-driven recommendations. Strong analytical skills a must to measure campaign effectiveness/ROI and adjust as needed.
Budget management: manage large product budgets effectively, ensuring all spend is signed off, agreed and within budget, while maximising delivery and impact for all titles pre-launch, at launch and post launch.
First party partnerships: secure support from key First Party partners (Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, Valve etc.) throughout the product life cycle.
Trade marketing support: develop a working knowledge of each key EMEA market, including their retail landscape, consumer profiles, trade marketing activities and pricing economics. Support their local needs to drive retail sales pre and post launch.
Stakeholder management: develop and maintain productive working relationships with all teams within SOA to ensure marketing deadlines are achieved and commercial goals are met.
Consumer and trade shows: plan and devise content requirements for all planned consumer and trade shows.
Knowledge, Skills & Experience:
Minimum of 3-4+ years’ experience in a marketing role within gaming and or consumer products. Experience at a major game publisher or adjacent industry or category preferred.
Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience in the field.
Exceptional oral and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate a vision across various audiences.
Demonstrable record of delivering integrated cutting-edge marketing plans to a high standard, hitting planned dates and within agreed budgets.
Knowledge of the EMEA markets and differences in retail/media across the key European markets.
Proven experience in working with multiple agency partners from briefing to managing and modifying campaign plans throughout the product life cycle.
Ability to leverage quantitative analytic measures, build business cases to support initiatives and focus on KPI / ROI metrics.
Critical thinking skills and strong business acumen, with ability to quickly learn and apply learnings to daily decisions and executions.
Must be detail oriented & highly organised, possess good time management skills and be able to multi-task & prioritise in a dynamic environment.
Independent with drive to take initiative with limited supervision.
Ability to leverage facts and data to influence large groups towards unified decisions.
Proficient in PowerPoint and Excel.
Interest in and passion for video games or entertainment a must. Playing experience and knowledge of Sonic titles, and/or in-depth knowledge of Japanese games a plus.
Experience working with Japanese corporations (not required, but a plus).
Positive, professional, collaborative, and flexible attitude.
A team player open to flexible hours, willing to work with multiple cross-functional departments across multiple time zones.
Ability to work in-person Brentford, West London in hybrid model with some ad-hoc domestic and international travels as required.
Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging:
At SEGA, we celebrate diversity and believe in a diverse, inclusive, and equitable world in which everyone feels valued and respected regardless of what they look like or where they come from. Whether you’re a prospective employee or a full-time member of staff, we want you to feel involved and supported in all aspects of our work and to have amazing opportunities during your time with us regardless of your background. We welcome people regardless of age, race, ethnicity, disability, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, neurotype, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave.
SEGA is a place where staff have a voice which is integral to our success as a business. Our inclusive, passionate people are empowered to educate, inform, and build awareness through our inclusion and well-being staff-led values groups which include DEN (Disability Employee Network), RISE (Reinforcing Inclusion through Solidarity and Equality), Women at SEGA, PRIDE, SEGA Minds (group supporting mental health), Momiji (group that celebrates our Japanese heritage, language, and culture) and VIBE (our social and engagement committee).
