In the field of advertising, media planners, often known as brand planners or brand strategists, construct ad campaigns for a variety of clients. The media planner consults with customers to assist them in making decisions about the course of a particular media campaign.
The primary goal of a media planner is to coordinate the placement of their client’s advertising content in multiple media venues in order to optimize advertising reach among the client’s target demographic. Television, social media, radio, billboards, print, and direct mail are all examples of these mediums.
Some media planners additionally evaluate advertising performance on the back end, informing clients of their campaign’s return on investment and whether they’re getting excellent value for their advertising spending.
Take Psychometric Test To Know Your Best Career
Media planner duties and responsibilities
Media planners are responsible for a variety of tasks. These include evaluating and interpreting advertising data in order to assist customers in improving their marketing efforts. The following are some of the responsibilities:
- Analyzing data, thinking creatively, and developing unique tactics to ensure that client marketing efforts reach their target demographic as efficiently as feasible.
- Evaluating the impact and acceptability of various media types used to target specific markets depending on the demands and desires of their clients
- Creating multiple marketing strategy options based on the client’s objectives
- Analyzing and recommending improvements to the client’s post-campaign results
- Working with internal and external partners to assess, implement, and maintain a media strategy.
- Gathering and analyzing data from a variety of media sources, including newspapers, radio, periodicals, television, films, social media, and the internet, as well as outdoor posters and digital billboards.
- Working closely with customers to understand their needs, desires, and goals, and then selecting which media channels are most appropriate for certain campaigns.
- Developing or suggesting specialized media tactics to attract and keep clients and customers, increase brand recognition for the client, and maintain and improve customer happiness and loyalty.
Media planner salary
The income of a media planner varies depending on their area of specialization, experience, education, certifications, and other considerations.
- Annual Median Salary: $48,885 ($23.5 per hour)
- Annual Salary in the Top 10%: More than $62,000 ($29.81/hour)
- Annual Salary in the Bottom 10%: Less than $36,000 ($17.31/hour)
Education, training, and certification
To work as a media planner, you don’t need any additional training or a graduate degree, though many organizations may require a bachelor’s degree or specialty in a specific field.
Education:
Most businesses prefer applicants who have earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and media studies, business or management, marketing, advertising, English, journalism, operational research, statistics, or a similar field.
Work experience:
You might be able to get an entry-level job in media planning even if you have no prior experience or training. However, because advertising and marketing are extremely competitive fields. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to get very far in this field without a degree or significant professional experience. Employers prefer candidates who have worked in marketing, media asset management, or a comparable profession in the past.
Know Your Best Careers Take Psychometric Test
Media planner skills and competencies
A willingness and eagerness to learn about the world of advertising is the most important requirement for a media planner. But a few other skills and knowledge sets might help candidates stand out in the crowd, such as:
1. Social Skills: Because the job entails working with and entertaining clients. It is critical to have an interest in and the ability to communicate with coworkers and clients.
2. Marketing knowledge: Understanding how marketing and advertising work is also essential. The first issue to consider is: How can a client—whether it’s a large consumer goods company like Starbucks or a nationwide nonprofit service organization like Planned Parenthood—the best brand itself?
3. Entertainment media knowledge: After that, media planners must have a thorough understanding of the entertainment industry (from network TV shows like “Good Morning America” on ABC-TV to niche TV shows like “Chopped Junior” on the Food Network). Media planners can’t place advertising correctly until they know what kind of audience is drawn to what kind of show.
4. Online media knowledge: The media landscape in the twenty-first century is vastly different from that of the twentieth. Media planners must be familiar with not only which national TV shows, big magazines, and newspapers. Not only this, but also all of the websites, blogs, and social media offerings available to consumers.
5. Computer skills: The job of a media planner include conducting research utilizing a variety of internet databases. So having basic computer skills is a must.
Job outlook
From 2016 to 2026, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts high job growth for market research analysts. They predict that job growth for this field will be 23%. This is substantially faster than the average for all occupations. Increased use of market data and research across numerous industries is driving the growth.
Despite the fact that the market research area, which includes the media planning profession, is predicted to expand. Employment competition is expected to be fierce.
Work environment
Media planners usually work in an office setting, though they may have to travel to client locations on occasion.
Work schedule
Working hours for a media planner are similar to those of other advertising and marketing experts (between 35 and 40 hours per week), except when deadlines are approaching or you’re required to give presentations or attend meetings outside of your normal working hours to accommodate your client’s schedule.
