Genius of Play Ambassador Spotlight: Edushape’s Yana Ernazarova

November 21, 2024 | Genius of Play Ambassadors serve as thought leaders within their own professional networks to share the power of play and act as key supporters of ongoing Genius of Play initiatives. This interview is part of an ongoing series that spotlights the members of The Genius of Play Ambassador program.

Yana Ernazarova brings more than a decade of expertise in consumer goods marketing to her role as chief marketing officer at Edushape. With a track record that includes transforming digital marketing with Pampers at Procter & Gamble, Ernazarova is also a passionate advocate for the power of play.

Toy News Tuesday editors sat down with Ernazarova about how she got her start in the toy industry, how she prioritizes play personally and professionally, and her role as a Play Ambassador for The Toy Association’s Genius of Play program.

I have worked in consumer goods marketing for over 10 years. I started my career and learned the fundamentals of marketing at Procter & Gamble, where I got to work on almost all of its largest brands, culminating in my work on Pampers in a global strategy team. At Pampers, I got to incubate new business models and marketing strategies, which were so impactful that they got reapplied across the company and all its markets. That’s how I saw firsthand the impact of a good marketing plan and the right organizational culture.

A few years ago, when I was offered to join Edushape — a 40-year-old educational toy company — as chief marketing officer and general manager of online sales, I was drawn to a similar opportunity to make a difference both within the organization and with our consumers.

I think play is fundamental! It’s a way we all learn without risk of failure, a way to rejuvenate, and, crucially, a way to cultivate relationships that are closest to us. Both children and adults need play.

I try to inspire others to prioritize play by bringing that playful energy with me wherever I go. Whether in a personal or professional setting, I always remind people around me that we have more to gain than to lose from experimentation and trying new things. That attitude usually helps people relax and ease into any situation at hand.

It was a great honor to be asked to be a Genius of Play Ambassador. I chose to participate because my personal values align and the platform that The Toy Association creates to communicate to the industry and consumers is important. Play is fundamentally a curiosity-driven approach to life and to our world. It’s that love of experimentation and desire to learn that I hope to spread far and wide as a Genius of Play Ambassador.

Play is becoming more inclusive, and I couldn’t be happier about it. Whether it’s the inclusion of wider age ranges, more open-ended play patterns, or a more intentional focus on mental health, these trends represent our society’s need for play to be accessible to all.

The trend that I am particularly excited about is increasing awareness of neurodivergence and intentional accommodation of different sensory needs in play. At Edushape, we’ve been proud to serve communities with special needs. I am happy to see that this cause is gaining traction. Understanding neurodivergence is enriching play experiences of more and more American families.

Our team at Edushape is currently focused on marketing to grow our reach and spread the message about the importance of play far and wide! We have always spanned across educational and consumer markets, so we are doubling down on serving both sets of customers through our innovation in toys and play patterns. Additionally, we are a global company, so adapting the message about the importance of play to different audiences globally is something I always keep in mind as a marketing leader.