Hi, I'm Saskia Baaij Verhoeven


Hi,
I’m Saskia.

About me

I’m a senior marketing leader who brings creativity, strategy, social and digital execution together to help brands grow and connect with their audiences. Whether it’s building a new marketing team, developing a brand’s marketing strategy, launching an integrated campaign across markets or reshaping brand storytelling to resonate with digital communities – I’m all in.

With 10+ years in entertainment and 8+ years at creative agencies, I’ve led global marketing teams, built brand identities from scratch and delivered campaigns that spark real connection. My roots are in entertainment storytelling, so I naturally think in episodes, series and communities. I’m a specialist in social media (organic and paid) and I thrive where creativity meets strategy and where audience insight and data drive action.

What I do

Saskia met blauwe ketting in close up pratend met twee dames

I help brands grow with smart strategy and bold creative.

I combine digital-first thinking with hands-on leadership. I know how to build high-performing teams, how to scale creative output using AI and data-insights, and how to craft storytelling that feels human, relevant and real. Coming from entertainment, I’ve learned how to keep audiences hooked and how to translate that into social-native, full-funnel marketing.

Some things I'm known for:

Building: teams, brands, campaigns, marketing operations

Leading: senior teams across strategy, creative, social, content and media

Operating: across markets (NL, EMEA, Africa, SEA), across time zones, across cultures

Creating: strategy that drives growth, campaigns with a clear purpose and high impact

Optimising: workflows, content systems, campaign creative and the way marketing and creativity work together

Social: building organic and paid social ecosystems rooted in entertainment-style storytelling that people actually want to watch and share

My take on marketing

Saskia aan sta-tafel met dame pratend voor muur met groene klimop

I believe great marketing starts with great messaging. The right words, images and ideas; tailored to platform, audience and moment, make all the difference. I love that part: finding the human insight within the data, shaping it into a creative idea and bringing it to life across the marketing funnel.

My background is in entertainment storytelling, where the rule is simple: if it’s not good, people scroll past. That’s where I learned to build social-first ideas (organic and paid) that earn attention, keep audiences engaged and turn viewers into fans and customers.

Marketing only truly performs when it blends strategy, creativity and execution. That means being laser-sharp on the where and the when, but also bold on the what and the how. That’s where the magic happens.

I use AI and data not just for efficiency, but for creative firepower. It helps scale output, personalize messaging and optimize in real time. I’ve seen how this approach can transform performance and I’m all about it.

Expertise

Saskia staand bij trapleuning met blauwe bloemen begroeiing op achtergrond

My expertise sits where growth strategy, entertainment storytelling and social media meet. I’m especially strong in social (organic and paid) built on years of launching content and campaigns for entertainment brands in a digital-first world.

Growth Marketing & Strategy on Global Scale

I help brands grow by connecting smart strategy with bold creative. This is where business goals meet storytelling and where real results happen. My entertainment background helps me shape narratives that travel across formats, platforms and markets.

  • Brand & Ad Creative Strategy Crafting brand narratives and ad concepts that connect with audiences and elevate brand perception. I define growth strategies that are scalable and built around audience insight, brand ambition and platform potential – with social (organic and paid) as a central stage, not an afterthought.
  • Target Audience Strategy Defining and activating audience segments using data and culture-led insights. I craft brand and campaign narratives that connect with the right people at the right time – from ad concept to full-funnel messaging. I deep-dive into audiences, translating data and cultural context into actionable audience profiles and journeys that guide content, social and media decisions.
  • Funnel and Channel Strategy Conversion gets maximized if the right connection is made at the right moment in time. I map funnels and channels that work together, driving awareness, consideration, conversion and retention with the right mix of content and media. Social channels, organic and paid, play a key role across the funnel, from first touch to repeat engagement.
  • Tailored Messaging Approach Through data insights on channels, funnel, brand, product and its audience a tailored messaging approach can be drafted. Creating platform-specific, insight-driven messaging that resonates and converts, from short-form social video to performance ads and CRM touchpoints.

Marketing Operations

Building and optimizing teams, tools, and workflows to drive performance and scale creative output in multiple languages (15+) and across continents. I bring structure to creativity; building the systems, workflows and tools that allow creative teams and campaigns to thrive.

  • Campaign Planning & Execution From the big idea to go-live: planning and leading campaigns that deliver measurable results. I set up and streamline operations that support marketing teams to scale fast and execute flawlessly using automations for support. I use data to sharpen decision-making, whether it’s through dashboards, creative testing or performance loops.
  • AI Content Creation Leveraging AI to enhance creative output, personalize storytelling and scale content efficiently. I bring AI into content creation, using tools that increase output, speed and personalization without losing the human touch.
  • Creative Services Management Leading internal creative teams and external agencies to deliver high-quality assets on time. I believe in a quality partnership with in-house teams and their agency partners to deliver assets that are on-brand, on-brief and on time.
  • Digital-First Storytelling Telling brand stories built for the way we live now: always-on, mobile-first, culture-aware. Flipping the paradigm where digital is the starting point, building IRL experiences with a digital enlargement in mind maximizing eyeballs and (cost) efficiencies.
  • Organic & Paid Social Ecosystem Maximizing reach and impact by combining organic content with paid media smartly and efficiently. Clear and authentic storytelling that harnesses the language of the audience and its platform it is on will deliver above average return on the campaign assets. Ensure both long term storytelling and customer loyalty works seamlessly with short term commercial gains.

Leadership & Team Development

Saskia achter een iPad in overleg met twee collega's

A growth mindset isn’t just for the business; it’s for people too. I believe in building strong, inclusive teams that love what they do.

  • Mentoring and development Helping team members to grow their confidence, skills and ownership is what I hold to be the key to their next level. Mentoring and coaching as a leadership tool is paramount for a trusting culture that unlocks the team's potential to drive growth for the business.
  • International Team Leadership I lead international teams with empathy and clarity, ensuring collaboration works across borders, time zones and cultures. From cultural differences to communications styles it is important to centralize the human differences within the business goals and targets. It is within the confines of this variance that innovation and creativity thrive.
  • Data-Driven Culture & Feedback Feedback-driven cultures, where data, honesty and curiosity drive better results. I believe in being direct on performance, kind on the person, that’s how you create a safe and thriving space to grow.

Experience

  • 06/2023 - 08/2025

    SkyShowtime Amsterdam

    General Manager in-house creative agency - SkyShowtime - 06/2023 - 08/2025

    Promoted by the European streaming service (e-commerce subscription based 200fte scale up). Accountable for building and leading the in-house creative studio, safeguarding brand consistency, scaling processes, budgets and the external partner ecosystem across multiple EU markets.

    • Built a scalable in-house marketing creative department (design, video, copy, operations) with agency partner roster for development content across international markets.
    • Responsible for brand development and campaigns; codified toolkits and brand design governance from central to local teams, and executed 360 Hero campaigns across BTL, ATL, digital, PR, social, CRM and always-on digital marketing within 20 EU markets, increasing claimed familiarity brand recognition of 27% and aided awareness by 30% within 18 months post launch.
    • Implemented AI-driven workflow automation increasing 8+ languages and output by 25%.

  • 07/2022 - 06/2023

    SkyShowtime Amsterdam

    Social and Digital Director - SkyShowtime - 07/2022 - 06/2023

    Hired to be responsible for digital marketing, social, CRM and always-on growth against performance and brand KPIs.

    • Owned digital brand growth across 22 countries; stood up full‑funnel framework, media strategy and creative/content standards.
    • Rebalanced DME toward higher‑yield channels with measurable CAC/LTV improvement and audience growth, made KPI dashboard w. daily/weekly checkins and Q reporting.
    • Built a dual‑focus team (6FTE) spanning acquisition, analytics and social storytelling and built retained agency support network.

  • 04/2019 - 06/2022

    Paramount International Amsterdam

    VP Digital Strategy EMEA/APAC/Africa - Paramount International - 04/2019 - 06/2022

    Promoted by the global entertainment company. Led digital transformation and regional strategy, including AVOD/social growth, guidelines and operating model for Spike TV, MTV, Comedy Central en Nickelodeon.

    • Management team of 6 marketing and content professionals in central HQ capacity. Worked with 35+ international colleagues thru matrix org, producing & delivering content for web & social in local markets.
    • Developed and executed digital transformation strategy based on owned & 3rd party data combined with consumer insights (quant&qual)

  • 11/2014 - 03/2019

    Viacom Amsterdam

    Managing Director Youth & Music Benelux - Viacom - 11/2014 - 03/2019

    Promoted within Viacom (now Paramount), a global media network from brand and marketing leader across MTV, Comedy Central within EMEA to P&L owner for Youth & Music (incl. MTV); drove brand, content and commercial growth.

    • P&L owner; led marketing, programming, talent/music, partnerships and distribution; launched local IP that increased audience and engagement resulting in +40% GRP’s, +200% AVOD and +350% social growth
    • Ran frontline activation with distribution partners; ensured on‑brand execution in‑market driving proposition awareness +20%.
    • Owned 360 brand and content campaigns across EMEA from data insights into concept to launch; senior stakeholder alignment across regions.
    • Protected brand distinctiveness while adapting to local cultural context.

  • 08/2011 - 10/2014

    Creative Agency iris Worldwide Amsterdam

    Communications & Project Manager - Creative Agency iris Worldwide - 08/2011 - 10/2014

    Hired after a freelance project by the international creative agency. Responsible for content production (photo/video), toolkits, and international project delivery for D2C brands such as Heineken, Philips Hue, adidas and NGO Stivoro.

    • Produced the pro‑bono STIVORO anti‑smoking campaign (“Smoke‑free Generation”)
    • Delivered design toolkits for FMCG and sports brands; ensured packaging/retail consistency and speed of localisation.
    • Produced content for adidas and Heineken sponsorship platforms; engineered assets to be modular for markets.

Feedback

Saskia combines sharp strategic vision, creativity and serious digital know-how with an energy that lifts every project. She makes brands feel relevant and human, while mentoring teams in a solutions-focused, collaborative way that any company would be lucky to have.

Eleanor Dimmock Digital Marketing @ Netflix. Ex Sky, Google Power Programme

Saskia is a talented and passionate brand executive who has been the driving force behind the Northern European Comedy Central and MTV brands. Result-oriented and deeply tuned into her audiences, she combines strong digital marketing skills with outstanding people leadership – I loved working with her and would happily be her colleague again.

Olaf Hovers Senior Marketing Manager ODIDO

Saskia is focused, proactive, endlessly energetic and a real secret weapon for any team. She delivers projects seamlessly while relentlessly pushing for better work, and her organisation and positivity mean people naturally want to follow her lead.

Chris Friend Managing Partner, Superson

The best entertainment marketing happens when marketing and creative truly collaborate – and Saskia is the rare leader who is fluent in both. A strategic marketer who speaks the creative’s language, she consistently backs the bold ideas that move the brand and the business, and is a trusted partner in shaping concepts without ever losing sight of the brief.

Arjen Noordeman Creative Director | Branding, Marketing, Strategy, Design, Content