Q&A With Our Senior Media Account Manager, Stephanie Deenmamode

In this blog series, we interview Senior Media Account Manager, Stephanie Deenmamode to discuss her role in managing the media team, her passion for marketing, and her tricks for staying on top of and implementing advertising trends.

Stephanie Deenmamode, Senior Media Account Manager, Neue Media

Neue Media: Steph, you have over eleven years of experience within the media industry, can you please talk us through your professional history?

Stephanie Deenmamode: I’ve completed a professional degree in marketing at the Chartered Institute of Marketing in the UK and have since finished a master’s degree and postgraduate research degree in sustainability.

I started my career in advertising, working on the publisher side and transitioned through to a marketing analyst role within the luxury real estate sector. Throughout this role, I worked closely with international media partners across Europe, Africa and Asia. I eventually moved back to the agency side and joined a global media agency to work for a nationwide Australian retailer and other multinational brands.

Three years ago in June 2021, I was lucky enough to join the Neue Media team to work closely with our Media Director and Co-founder, Vanessa. Moving back into the property industry has been extremely rewarding as I’ve worked on projects through to completion and experienced the finished property at the end of the campaign.  

NM: What inspired you to study marketing at university?

SD: I was interested in studying marketing as it’s a dynamic industry and is constantly changing. In the marketing field, you always have to be aware of what’s going on around you to craft compelling messages and campaigns that will shape consumer perception and brand loyalty. During my time in the industry, I realised that working in marketing meant I could combine my creative skills with my analytical skills. 

NM: You have a depth of experience on both the in-house and agency sides. What draws you towards agency work?

SD: I find agency work to be a lot more dynamic, as you get to work across multiple clients and be involved in every aspect of the campaign. In an agency position, you work on a campaign from inception through to completion, being exposed to every part of the project.

NM: You have been at Neue Media for over three years now. Can you share a favourite campaign or project you have worked on during that time?

SD: Every campaign is unique in its own way, and I enjoy working on many diverse projects. However, some large-scale campaigns are exciting as you have the opportunity to implement a range of tactics, combining outdoor media, radio, and digital platforms. I’ve enjoyed working on all aspects of these campaigns to see how different channels integrate to achieve the best results for my clients. These types of projects are also longer lasting, so you can see the project develop through all its stages while developing a strong relationship with your client.

As for smaller campaigns, they require more strategic planning to ensure efficient budget allocation. You can also get a clearer picture of what works and what doesn’t as the data analysis is less complex.

NM: How do you incorporate emerging advertising trends, such as new platforms, audience insights or creatives into your recommendations for clients?

SD: I always keep up to date with advancements within the media industry so that Neue Media can be at the forefront of any new platforms or trends. To successfully implement new trends into our clients' campaigns, our team aims to understand the data and research behind the trend. We also create mock materials to visualise how the trend would realistically look for our clients' campaigns, to determine whether it’s suitable.

NM: Speaking of advancements in the industry, what has been the most exciting change you have noticed during your time in the media, advertising, and marketing field?

SD: The most exciting and drastic change is the growth of artificial intelligence (AI). It allows us to hyper-target our ideal audience for campaigns and provides more precise campaign data.

Growth in AI is also impacting our property clients in their operations. At an REA event earlier this year, industry experts explored the ways AI can be successfully implemented in the property industry to streamline processes. One company was using AI as the sales agent for their property, answering and directing calls.

NM: Do you have any exciting campaigns coming up that we should keep an eye out for?

SD: We have a few projects that are reaching their next stages and some upcoming launches in the CBD and inner east Melbourne.