What does a media planner do?

Through planning, buying and optimising advertising campaigns, a media planner oversees the entire lifecycle of all mediums of media campaigns. Media planning specialists are well sought-after, given that companies typically rely on reaching out to their target audiences through various sources of media. By conducting market research and devising relevant marketing strategies, a media planner is the deciding factor when it comes to a company’s media outlet mix. From understanding the core values of the audiences and making appropriate media proposals to executing the media campaign and tracking its performance, a media planner works towards boosting brand awareness and customer loyalty.

You might hire a media planner to:

  • Research and evaluate the market, and curate strategies as per the specifications of the target audiences and their consumer habits
  • Outline the details of the campaigns, from media distribution and campaign timelines, to budgets and spending
  • Monitor the costs and the media spending and ensure that budgets are strictly adhered to
  • Track the performance of the media campaigns and evaluate their success
  • Devise and present campaign proposals to clients, in order to expand business as an ad sales planner
  • Stay on top of the prevailing media trends across all digital platforms such as social media, television, magazines and radio, as a cross-media planner

Intro

[Company X] is all about understanding consumers, and getting the right products and services across to them in the cluttered media space that the world occupies. In order to do so, building engagement and a personal connection with the target audience is vital. We’re on the lookout for a highly analytical media planner to spearhead our media marketing campaigns. Our company is seeking a strategic media planner, who is intuitive and futuristic in their approach. We want someone who can strike the perfect balance by effortlessly channelling their creative skills to the campaigns, while strictly adhering to budgets and numbers. With a fresh outlook and perspective on life, the ideal media planner candidate must bring their A-game to the table, without any hesitation to get creative or experimental.

Objectives of this role

  • Identify the right target audience and understand the spaces that they occupy in media
  • Reach out to the target audiences effectively through detailed media plans and strategies as a cross-media planner
  • Create impact and media disruptions through the campaigns
  • Instill a feeling of brand awareness, customer loyalty and trust among the consumers, through the campaigns
  • Adhere to stringent timelines and budgets during all stages of the campaign lifecycle, from planning and execution to performance tracking   

Responsibilities

  • Select relevant media outlets after studying where the target audiences are most present within the scope of a media planner
  • Curate detailed media plans that cover campaign timelines and budgets
  • Supervise and track the media campaign across all its stages and keep a log of its performance
  • Follow both online and offline media trends to understand the global inclinations when it comes to advertising
  • Provide results and statistics of the campaign performance to the clients in the form of comprehensive reports

Required skills and qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, mass communication, media studies or a related field of study
  • Prior experience working as a media planner or in a similar job role
  • Sound knowledge of media buying, social media platforms and advertising laws
  • Proficiency in analytical tools and campaign evaluation metrics

Preferred skills and qualifications

  • Demonstrated experience of working in a team under tight deadlines
  • Experience in digital media planning, budgeting and campaign management
  • A flair for statistics and maths