A career in media planning

The role of a media planner is diverse, fast-paced and comes with a great deal of pressure. To succeed, you’ll need good communication skills and commercial flair.

What’s this career about?

Media planners are key players in the advertising and marketing industry. They advise businesses on how to transmit advertising messages using various types of media, including radio, television, the internet and billboards.

It is the work of a media planner to study different types of media to determine where, when and how businesses should advertise their products. To do this, they collect data on products, services, consumers and sales methods. This is done by studies, surveys and interviews to analyse consumer demand and opinions.

Using data and mathematics, they determine the least expensive and most effective way businesses can get product messages to target audiences. They also apply their knowledge of media and communication platforms to identify the most appropriate mediums for building awareness of a client’s brand.

Future marketing decisions of a company are always based upon the findings of these planners. For example, these studies aid managers in deciding whether to introduce a new product or service, or change an old one. These are also useful in choosing the best name and package for a product and deciding how to advertise the item.

A thorough knowledge of current media trends is important to excel in this field. A media planner should be a good negotiator and be able put forth his/her terms and conditions persuasively.

Media planners usually work in a research team with statisticians, specialists who design survey questions, interviewers, data processing specialists, and a variety of other personnel.

PLUS!

• How do I get there?
• Key skills
• Institutes
• Employment prospects
• Pay packages

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