The Main Function of an Advertising Media Plan

Advertising media planning can help you achieve your strategic objectives.

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What Is an Advertising Plan?

• An advertising media plan is a strategy for marketing your business through certain media channels to achieve a business goal, such as raising brand awareness to obtain new customers. Maximizing your chances of success depends on careful research and implementation, as well as your knowledge of media buying and basic marketing strategies.

Function

• The main function of a media plan is to create an advertising campaign that will achieve your strategic objective. Specifically, an advertising media plan defines your strategic marketing objectives, chooses media channels suitable for achieving those objectives and identifies the specific advertising tactics that will achieve your objectives given the limitations of the chosen media channels.

Strategic Marketing Objectives

• Without a clear objective, you can't form a marketing plan, according to "Marketing Plans: How to Prepare Them, How to Use Them." a book by Malcolm McDonald and Hugh Wilson. A typical marketing objective is to gain new customers, but companies sometimes have other goals, such as to restore goodwill after a scandal, announce a name change or declare a new commitment. The marketing objective is the guiding force of your campaign, so each subsequent choice must take your overall objective into account.

Choosing Media Channels

• If you don't target the right people, it won't matter how well you execute other elements of your plan, according to "Advertising Media Planning: A Brand Management Approach,” a book by Larry D. Kelley and Donald W. Consider your intended audience while choosing media channels. For example, if your goal is to catch the attention of young housewives, magazines that cater to the elderly are unsuitable. Instead, you might use market research to identify radio and television shows that young housewives enjoy so you can buy advertising time. Other examples of media channels include billboards, newspapers, direct mail advertisements, brochures and branded items, such as matchbooks, pens or refrigerator magnets emblazoned with your marketing message.

Tactics

• Your choice of specific tactics -- for example, the wording, color and location of a print advertisement -- depends on the general requirements and limitations of the medium. Consequently, unless you have extensive experience, hire a marketing consultant or advertising agency to obtain expert insight. For example, to juggle an image for the listening audience, a radio advertisement might require sound effects, background music, an expert announcer and evocative writing, according to “Marketing Communications.” a book by Ludi and Steve Bird. Each element requires expert insight to ensure it conforms to the radio station’s specifications as well as supporting effective marketing strategies.

Planning a campaign

Getting started Campaign objectives Target audience Campaign research Risk assessment Campaign timelines Ad & media agencies Engaging an ad agency Working with media planning agencies Communications strategy Campaign implementation Monitoring & evaluating

Role of advertising & media agencies

• The providers you will require will depend upon the scale of your planned advertising and the skills of your internal teams, as well as your planned communications activities.

• Communications service providers may include designers, photographers, advertising agencies, media planning/buying agencies, public relations, event management and digital agencies.

• The majority of the major advertising campaigns undertaken by Government agencies or typically use the services of at least one private advertising agency.

Role of an advertising agency

• The advertising agency will propose the best creative tactics to convey your messages and achieve the campaign objectives. They will recommend the advertising concepts and may also include a variety of “below the line” advertising options, e.g. events or presentations, handouts, website, collateral (posters, stickers, brochures).

• Once you have agreed on the approach to be used, the advertising agency responsibilities would typically involve all aspects of the production of the advertising materials and despatch of materials to the media. Advertising agencies typically charge head hour costs plus any third party production or other services they commission..

Role of a media agency

• A media agency (or media planner) is responsible for the strategic recommendation of media activity for your campaign. Working from your brief the planning process involves analyzing the audience objectives and balancing the reach, frequency and costs of media options to deliver a detailed media plan that maximizes advertising exposure and impact.

• Planning should demonstrate a coordinated approach to different media and illustrate the thinking behind the proposed approach. Media planners work closely with advertising agencies to ensure the client's advertising budget is well spent, as well as adhering to the overall campaign strategy.

Which media agency do I use for my campaign?

• Media planning services are provided by the Government Master Media Agency, Mediacom and a range of specialist agencies. All advertising space must, however, be booked by Mediacom.