What Does a Media Planner Do?

A media planner is an advertising professional who is an expert in ascertaining the best placements for advertisement. Media planners are responsible for deciding the optimal combination of different media outlets like the Internet (through Banner Ads, Click-Through), Television, Radio and Print Media, to advertise for their clients. They develop the unfolding of the media campaign. Therefore, the media planner will decide whether the advertisement will appear on particular TV shows or in certain magazines. The goal is that the client's product must be advertised to the right audience.

Media planners work on a media strategy together with their clients. This strategy is important because it will position the brand well and reach the target market. A media planner can work for an advertising agency; others work as independent consultants and others for firms that have expertise in media planning services exclusively.

The willingness to learn about the advertising world is crucial at the entry level. An interest in socializing with people from a wide range is important. A deep understanding of how marketing and advertising works is important to devise strategies for branding. Also, an in depth knowledge of the entertainment world is essential. This is in order to assess the type of programs most suitable for the product to be advertised on. This means that among the functions of the media planner, reading and reviewing scripts of programs to be aired on TV is an important responsibility.

An example of incompatibility of the product with the media programme can be a sporting product being aired on a soap opera, because the type of people watching the soap opera may not be the kind of people who may be interested in the sporting product.

Brand Imaging is of great importance in the life a media planner. There would be certain products that can be marketed to a universal audience, whereas certain products need to be exposed to a narrowed down specific audience. This strategy will lead to better brand imaging.

No specific training is required to become a media planner, though a college degree can be extremely beneficial. However, most of the tricks of the trade are learnt on the job. Many of the successful media planners have started out with an entry level position and then have worked their way up. The most important skill one must have to be successful in this job is people skills. The ability to identify demographics and the competency to arrive at the core of a company's mission and products quickly, and to decide on best media strategy is primordial.