Decoding Media Planning

There is a need by most agencies to layer in their own special sauce into media planning. The goal is to differentiate themselves from other agencies. To create a level of distinction their clients can be proud of. Often times the special sauce is so confusing that their own media planners need training to decode.

I blame this movement on the clients they represent. Why? Often times clients look for agencies that offer something different. They force the hand of these agencies to come up with something to offer that makes them stand out. Shouldn't the focus be on the client's business and how these agencies are able to translate into a comprehensive media strategy/execution in line with business goals? From what I am told business challenges are often clear, it is a matter of how you address those challenges.

With that I in mind I say media planning is quite simple. You evaluate the business, review the consumer experience/challenges and develop a connection strategy between the two. The connection should be obvious and simple. Only a few agencies are recognizing these simple connection. Consumers are humans not complicated beings. We are not algorithms that need deciphering. We like what we like so find what we like and connect with us there.

Consumer media choices are becoming limitless. As technology evolve and innovate , audiences will become more fragmented. As such, scale is no longer just one medium reaches all but organizing the different touch points to reach consumers with a continuous-complete brand story?

There need be no secret sauce or all encompassing statement to define our media strategies. It's what do our consumers want and how can we tell them were to go get what they want. Long gone should be the elaborate decks and long presentations. We should be able to articulate a strategy in one slide. And clients need to learn how to be comfortable with that.