Media planning is a chain of decisions aimed at answering the question: “What is the best way to deliver an advertising message about a product or service to potential consumers?” While this is a broad definition, it effectively captures the essence of media planning.
Some of the questions a media plan must address include:
- How many potential consumers do I need to reach?
- Which media channel(s) should I use to deliver my message to the target audience?
- How many times should potential consumers see the advertisement within a month?
- During which months or seasons should the advertisement be broadcast?
- In which markets or regions of the country should the advertisement be visible?
- What budget should I allocate for each media channel?
These are just a few of the many questions that need answers, each requiring a unique decision and approach. Once all these questions are addressed, they are organized into a written document called the “media plan.” After approval from advertisers, the selection and utilization of media channels begin. This plan also serves as a guide for media purchasing.
Interpreting media planning as merely answering a list of questions would be a mistake. Each question represents a unique constructive problem that requires careful resolution.
While these constructive problems are often simple, there are times when reevaluation, research, and reliance on data become necessary. For instance, the question “Which day of the week should I broadcast my TV ad for maximum impact?” is relatively straightforward and can often be answered with experience. However, the question “Which media channel will best drive my potential consumers toward a definite purchase?” demands a deeper investigation. This involves analyzing past experiences, leveraging data, and combining this information with knowledge of psychology, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and linguistics.
Answering such complex questions requires reading, observing, researching, engaging in social life, working with data, understanding foreign languages, and, most importantly, education.
Thus, while media planning might seem simple at first glance, it involves making decisions that provide the best solutions to a series of intricate problems, requiring both education and experience. A planner might find a solution to a problem, but that solution might fail if other factors are not considered holistically.