Customer Service

The art (or science) of media planning and placement

Is it art, or is it science? An advertising colleague and I recently got into this friendly debate concerning media planning and placement. He asserted that it was a science, citing the research component that is an essential element of any well-developed media plan. Acknowledging research as a vital step, I maintained that media management is an art. Certainly, undeniably, negotiating with media salespeople is an art developed and finessed over time. But the planning aspect is an art as well. Understanding reach and frequency and how to maximize the effectiveness of various media working together is an artful skill. And deciding which media or placement to say “no” to is best left to an artistic master.

Actually, this was the one point upon which we unequivocally agreed. Media planning and placement, in its entirety, is best left to a master.

I’ve observed many business owners trying to save money by handling their media decisions on their own. Invariably they fall into the many pitfalls that loom for the inexperienced.

• Spending too little. Advertising sometimes seems like an optional expense. After all, it can be challenging to prioritize spending on ad placements over paying for items such as rent, utilities and payroll. Too many business owners I encounter, especially those with brand-new businesses, simply budget too little on the advertising line item to be effective. Perhaps they presented business plans to their banks for the capital to start their companies. As the dollars needed mounted, they searched for ways to “trim the fat.” Or, possibly, the concept of having to promote the product or service never even occurred to them. I’m not sure that any of our local bankers would do this, but any financial institution that approves and finances a business plan without insisting upon an adequate allocation to advertising is doing its client a terrible disservice.

• Spending too much. As you might imagine, this scenario is much rarer, but I still see it from time to time. Spending too much can happen intentionally or blindly. I recently did some short-term consulting with an organization that was spending double what I would have recommended as necessary to achieve the objectives. But what truly amazed me about the situation was that they were spending four times what they’d expected to spend and wanted to be spending. Truth was, each advertising decision was made independently, with no regard for a total budget or overall strategy.

• Spreading the dollars too thinly. This happens to the inexperienced buyer who is unable to make the hard decisions. There is almost never enough money to effectively purchase every media option that could deliver your target audience or a portion of it. The novice will try to do just that—dividing the dollars to share the wealth. The result is usually so diluted that none of the investments produce the desired awareness, traffic or sales.

• Buying their favorite media. I can’t tell you how many times a business owner has shared with me that they buy XYZ radio station because it’s their favorite. Never mind that the business owner is a white, 50-year-old man trying to sell Nintendos and Xboxes to teenagers and college kids. Conversely, I have also heard the assertion that, “I hate (insert any: radio, TV, cable, newspaper, magazines, billboard, etc.), so I won’t buy it/them.” A savvy media buyer purchases media because it is favored by the target audience. Enough said.

• Throwing them a bone. This is the practice of buying from the salesperson who is the _______ (fill in the blank: nicest, cutest, most talkative, most aggressive, most annoying). The idea is that if you buy this small schedule from that person, everything will change. The nice ones will think you are nice too. The cute ones will think you are cute. And the rest of them will just go away. But refer back to the opening of this example. Let’s continue the dog analogy. By throwing them a bone, you are only feeding and encouraging them. Actually, you are training them to understand that you will help provide for them. Plus, if you have multiple media you support in this manner, you may also be spreading your dollars to thinly to be effective. Evaluate the media choice objectively, and if it isn’t right for your marketing goals, just say “NO!”

• Trusting someone who is tied financially to a particular medium to make objective recommendations. Objectivity is the key, and it is hard to maintain it when your paycheck grows as your sales do. Working with an advocate who is independent from all media is your best chance to obtain a balanced, goal-focused advertising plan.

These pitfalls can be treacherous for businesses with budgets of all sizes, but they can be especially costly for smaller businesses. I tend to think that the less you have to spend, the more important it is to spend your dollars as wisely as possible.

So this brings us back to the question: Is it art or is it science? I guess I will concede that it is probably a little of both. Either way, it takes time, effort, patience and practice to build a schedule that will stay on strategy, on target and in budget. Be it art or science, it is best crafted by the experienced, objective mind of a master.