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Stanlei Bellan is chief strategy officer at Juice Media. Prior to Juice Media, he worked in roles at SB5 Ventures, Pereira O’Dell, and Blackwood Seven. He also co-founded the production company Imagilore.
Favorite project you’ve worked on? Working with Groupon, here at Juice Media, to help define their marketing mix. Groupon presented us with a challenge: determining the optimal media mix that effectively addresses both the top and bottom of the marketing funnel. We developed two marketing mix models focused on coupon activation and gross profit. This dual-model approach allowed us to tailor recommendations for driving both user engagement and profitability. The ongoing strategy provided Groupon with clear guidance and flexibility, meaning marketing efforts could quickly adapt to shifts in objectives or market conditions, ensuring resources were always optimally deployed.
What’s your favorite ad campaign? “Dumb Ways to Die,” conceived by McCann Melbourne for Metro Trains. It cleverly merges dark humor with a catchy tune to spread railway safety awareness. This campaign achieved unprecedented success at the Cannes Lions Festival, securing five Grand Prix, 18 Gold, three Silver, and two Bronze Lions—a record for a single campaign. It also expanded into mobile games, animations, and a full entertainment brand, further broadening its educational impact on safety around trains.
One thing we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile: I am very passionate about role-playing games, especially Dungeons & Dragons. Since my early teenage years and up until this day, I have been an active dungeon master, running adventures for both in-person and online gaming sessions. This hobby not only fuels my creativity but also enhances my storytelling and strategic thinking skills, which benefits my professional life in unexpected ways.
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What marketing trend are you most optimistic about? Least? I am really optimistic about AI in media attribution and advertising strategy, as it is already bringing a transformative approach to understanding and optimizing the consumer journey. We will be able to pinpoint exactly how each advertising channel will influence conversions, allowing for smarter budget allocation. AI’s predictive analytics will also revolutionize media buying, predicting ad performance and enabling real-time bid adjustments for efficiency. This will not only ensure a better return on advertising spend, but also foster a more dynamic, customer-focused advertising strategy.
I am less optimistic about immersive advertising in AR and VR due to significant barriers. The necessity for specialized hardware limits audience reach, and the novelty of AR and VR might overshadow the intended advertising message, potentially leading to strong engagement but weak brand recall.
What’s one marketing-related podcast/social account/series you’d recommend? My go-to marketing podcast lately has been Marketing Vanguard with Jenny Rooney. It stands out because it’s focused on innovation in the marketing field, bringing insights from leaders who are really pushing the boundaries. Jenny, with her deep background in marketing, facilitates engaging conversations with guests who share their experiences, challenges, and successes in the industry. It’s insightful, offering a mix of strategic thinking and practical advice, and it’s all presented in an accessible way.