Overview
Yamaha Motor Europe’s Finnish branch is responsible for importing Yamaha motorcycles, outboard motors, spare parts, and power products to Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. I worked as part of the Finnish in-house marketing team alongside the Marketing Manager and Pricing Specialist.
My role involved close collaboration with sales and product managers internally, Yamaha Motor Europe’s central marketing team, and local dealers. I coordinated organic social media, newsletters, paid campaigns, press releases, printed marketing materials (such as price lists and print advertisements), and maintained and updated websites for four local markets.
Objective
The purpose of my role was to support the marketing team during the busiest seasonal period and ensure the smooth execution of day-to-day marketing operations. My responsibilities focused on coordinating and producing marketing materials across social media, websites, newsletters, and press communications.
I was hired to handle the operational workload so that the Marketing Manager could focus on strategic responsibilities during the peak season. The role required fast turnaround times, close cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to manage multiple parallel projects under tight deadlines.
Approach
Brand Adaptation & Localization
Yamaha operates with distinct brand guidelines across different product segments. Most visual materials were provided by the European headquarters, making brand compliance clear and consistent. My key responsibility was local adaptation, particularly in written content.
This involved translating and localizing content for the Finnish market in a way that remained sales-driven but culturally appropriate and accessible. Finnish language structure and word length often required adjustments to layouts, especially in point-of-sale materials and social media assets, while strictly adhering to brand typography, colors, and spacing.
Content Production
I adapted and produced content for:
- Organic and paid social media posts
- Paid social media advertisements
- Price lists and product tables for print
- Website content and campaign pages
Materials created were also delivered for dealer use and added to the shared marketing materials bank.
Workflow & Collaboration
Typical workflows started with a brief from sales or product management, followed by scheduling, execution, and technical validation by product managers. Content from Yamaha Motor Europe included predefined social media schedules and paid campaign briefs, which I localized and translated for local markets.
A significant part of the role involved managing embargoed product launches. Embargo details were often released only shortly before launch, requiring rapid production of localized website content, press releases, and social media posts, all reviewed and approved by product management before scheduling.
Results
During a six-month period, I:
- Produced approximately 300 social media posts across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok
- Executed dozens of embargoed launches, including websites, press releases, and social media content
- Managed 2 paid social media campaigns
- Produced 3 newsletters, one of which directly contributed to the sale of five motorcycles (approx. €75,000 in revenue)
- Delivered all assigned tasks on schedule in a high-volume, fast-paced environment
One of the most rewarding outcomes was seeing active engagement from dealers and customers, who regularly shared and interacted with Yamaha Finland’s content.
Key Takeaways
This role reinforced that local market adaptation goes far beyond direct translation. Even when visual assets are centrally produced, successful marketing requires understanding cultural context, seasonal dynamics, and market-specific customer behavior.
I developed a strong understanding of brand consistency across languages and markets, and learned how to ensure brand integrity while adapting content for local relevance. The experience strengthened my ability to work efficiently within established brand systems while managing complex workflows under tight deadlines.