Importance of Creating a Media Plan

Posted by Sunder Singh on August 16th, 2016

A media planner is somewhat similar to a writer who forms the screenplay for a film. A media purchaser is like the actor who takes the film to life. A politician with a good message who flops to get votes loses the election. Similarly, a good media idea that is poorly executed will not succeed because in most of the cases execution is everything.

A media plan might be excellent, but then again will it be performed with similar zeal? Will the program be implemented on budget with the right media vehicles, at the right place, at the right time and with full communications impact? If not, the strategy might not look so brilliant any longer. Media planning, media buying, and media selling are all equal communications partners in driving ROI.

Why is Purchasing Underestimated?

Since all of the disciplines (planning, buying, and selling) are of equal in importance. Most of the media textbooks dedicate just a few pages to the art and science of media procurement and no pages to media selling. Customers probably place the utmost importance on the cost effectiveness of the purchase negotiated on their behalf.

Most of the academics believe that media planning is more conceptual, more creative and research oriented, as well as provides better mettle for the mind. But then again these assumptions aren't essentially so. Media purchasing at its best necessitates honed negotiation skills that could be a course in psychology. Purchasing also it involves an understanding of the communications procedure that rivals media planning. Besides media buyers need knowledge of the research documentation how different media variables, such as commercial affect performance plus advertising effectiveness.

Taking the Right Decision

It is ironic that a good number of clients have the opposite belief wherein buying is more crucial than planning. After all, that is where the rubber hits the road, and the money is spent.

In the present day and time, media buyers won't just be answerable for buying TRPS or clicks at the least possible price, but then again must learn how to "purchase communication, not TRPS, according to a lot of experts. Beyond CPM, how can a buyer’s communications efficiency be maximized? Program participation, attention levels, contextual considerations, commercial positioning and a host of other features have a greater influence on communications efficacy than media weight and CPMs. TRPS are not TRPS.

On the whole, it is pretty crucial for businesses to create a media plan that works the best for them.