INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

21MBA4M2
MODULE 5
Syllabus: Module 5

Media planning & Media Strategy

Developing Media plan, identifying, Demographic, Psychographic, and Geo-demographic
Targets, Socio-Economic Classification in Indian context, Translate Marketing objective to
communication objective, Role of media planner, and understand marketing and promotion
process model. Media buys – Reach Frequency, GRP and TVR, how purchase of media slots
differ across TV, Radio, Print, OHH and Online, media scheduling and media tactics,
advertising spends allocation across categories geography and time. Factors influencing the
choice of Media and their investment decision

Developing Media Plan

A media plan is a blueprint for how a company will reach its target audience with its advertising
message. It should include the following elements:
1. Audience: Whom is the message targeting? Why is the message relevant to them? How is
the message serving them?
2. Marketing budget: How much is available to spend on delivering the message?
3. Conversion goals: What action should the message encourage the audience to take? How
will that action support the strategy?
4. Definition of success: What key performance indicators should be tracked? How do they
support the strategy? How will they be measured and reported? What is the anticipated
return on investment?
5. Message frequency: How often should the message be shared? How much is too much?
6. Message reach: How many people should receive the message? Where do they live? Is the
message platform scalable? How reach is measured depends on the platform being used to
deliver the message. It is important for media planners to understand the nature, uses, and
usefulness of every available form of media.
Steps to Developing a Media Plan
A sound media plan ensures that the content has the best chance to effectively perform the
function for which it was created. Without a well-conceived media plan, the marketing team is
operating without a rudder. Success, if it comes, is a matter of luck rather than precise
execution.

The 9 Steps of the Media Planning Process:

The nine steps of the Media Planning process are:
1. Review Media Brief
2. Develop Media Strategy
3. Conduct Research
4. Send RFPs
5. Formulate Media Plan
6. Analyse Media Plan
7. Prepare Media Authorization
8. Request Media Authorization
9. Approved Media Plan!

Review Media Brief

The first step of the Media Planning process is to review the Media Brief.
A good Media Brief is critical to effective Media Planning. It defines the goals and parameters
of the media investment. It defines the purpose of the advertising. It specifies the target
audience. It defines how success will be measured. It sets the budget.
Many start the Media Planning process without a Media Brief or with one that is hastily
prepared. If this is the case, you should stop right here and develop your Media Brief.
It’s like building software. Everyone is anxious to start coding, but the project is doomed for
failure if you don’t start with clear requirements that are consistently understood by the entire
team. You want everyone pulling in the same direction – towards the goal of the project.
It’s important for the entire Media Planning team to review the brief together:
• Are the requirements clear?
• Are the goals clear and measurable?
• Are the goals attainable?
• Are the constraints – e.g., budget – well-defined?
• Is the target audience well-defined?
The Media Brief review is your best opportunity to avoid wasting a lot of time because of
misalignment on media goals. As the old saying goes, “a stitch in time saves nine.”

Although everyone is anxious to get started on the Media Plan, every hour spend on the Media
Brief will save you many hours on the Media Plan.
Develop Media Strategy
Now that that your goals are clearly understood, the next step in the Media Planning process is
to develop a high-level strategy.
What is the best way to reach the target audience? What are the best times to reach the target
audience? What is the optimal media mix? These are the types of questions your media strategy
should answer.
There’s no standard format for a media strategy. Like any strategy, you’ve lots of room for
creativity. Just keep in mind the purpose of the media strategy is to augment the Media Brief
and guide the creation of the Media Plan.
Conduct Media Research
With the Media Brief and media strategy in hand, the next step of the Media Planning process
is to conduct media research.
For offline media, this often takes the form of market research. Tools like Nielsen will help
you to understand the size and demographics of each market.
For digital media, there are myriad research tools available. Google, Facebook, and other
platforms include market research tools in their interface. And there are tools specific for
different techniques and channels. For example, there are many new tools available for
influencer marketing.
Some Media Planning tools, such as Bionic Media Planning software, include the ability to
research media options. At a basic level, this includes a searchable directory of media
programs. At an advanced level, this could include advanced tools like an AI-powered media
recommender that suggests media for consideration.
Send RFPs (Optional)
An optional phase of the Media Planning process is sending requests for proposals – RFPs – to
media vendors.
To be honest, I’m not a fan of the RFP process. As Doug Weaver says, “it’s the fiesta nobody
loves.” The RFP is a time-consuming, heavyweight process for both Media Planners and ad
sales teams. The RFP can be eliminated with access to good research tools. These tools don’t
eliminate the need for communication with the vendor; in fact, it should increase quality
communication with media vendors.
That said, the fact is the RFP still serves a useful purpose to gather information. The RFP can
also be used to “outsource ideation” to media vendors (i.e., source fresh ideas).
If you’re going to run an RFP, it’s best to have an RFP management system in place. Running
an RFP through email with Excel spreadsheets can be an administrative nightmare:
• Finding vendor email addresses
• Sending multiple emails
• Tracking responses and pinging non-responders
• Gathering, evaluating, and compiling proposals
• Importing proposals into your Media Plan
A good Media Planning software, like Bionic, will include a solid RFP management tool that
automates your RFP workflow.
Note that RFPs can also be used in the Media Buying process. However, in Media Buying, the
RFP is more about price negotiation and less about information gathering.
Formulate Media Plan
Now for the best part of the Media Planning process – formulating your Media Plan!
The Media Plan is the cornerstone of Media Planning. Your Media Plan will rigorously specify
the audience, location, timing, reach, frequency, cost, and goals of your media placements for
your advertising campaign
The Media Plan is a complex, but somewhat standard layout.
No special tools are required to create a Media Plan. You can create a Media Plan in Excel, as
many do. However, you’ll find that Excel breaks down with scale or complexity:
• Scale problems come when you have many clients, many media planners, or many
campaigns – all good things that happen when you grow.
• Complexity problems come with sophistication – when your placements are complex
(e.g., packaging, flighting, weekparting), when you’re itemizing costs for fee
transparency, when you’re estimating KPI goals for media accountability, etc.
When you reach scale or complexity, you’ll want to replace excel with a real Media Planning
system, like Bionic.
Analyze Media Plan
With your Media Plan drafted, the next step in the process is to analyze your Media Plan.
The purpose of the analysis is to ensure your Media Plan meets the requirements of your Media
Brief and your media strategy.
You’ll want to ensure each of your placements and the Media Plan as a whole meets your goals.
Because you established a good Media Brief up-front, you already have a concrete set of
efficiency goals. For example:
• Delivery efficiency that is measured in cost per thousand impressions (CPM) or cost
per point (CPP).
• Engagement efficiency that is measured with KPIs like cost per click and cost per
conversion.
• Engagement effectiveness that is measured with KPIs like clickthrough rate and
conversion rate.
• Results effectiveness that is measured with KPIs like Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and
Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI).
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Goals that are measured with a DEI scorecard.
You’ll want to compare the spending to your budgets. You’ll want to compare the KPIs in your
Media Plan to the goals set in your Media Brief and strategy. You’ll use your DEI scorecard to
see if you’re in compliance with your corporate objectives.
You’ll also want to run various pivot reports to analyze your media spending patterns. You
want to ensure you’ve put the right media investment into each of your channels, markets,
creatives, and other categories. These reports are known as “Allocation Charts.”
You can analyze your Media Plan manually using Excel. However, good Media Planning
software will automate your analysis.
Don’t be alarmed when you find problems during your analysis. This is perfectly normal. In
fact, it’s rare to “nail it” on the first draft. You should expect to go through a number of
iterations of your Media Plan before everything looks good.
With your carefully analyzed Media Plan in place, you’re ready for the next step in the Media
Planning process – preparing for Media Authorization.
Prepare Media Authorization
The purpose of the Media Authorization is to get formal sign-off on the Media Plan. By that, I
mean an actual signature from the budget holder (which these days is an electronic signature).
If you’ve all agreed on the Media Brief and the Media Plan aligns with the brief, the Media
Authorization should be smooth. However, as with any big expenditure, you’ll need to create
a formal presentation, which includes:
• Media Brief
• Media Strategy
 • Relevant Research
• Advertising Flowchart
• Media Plan
• Media Authorization form
A good Media Planning tool will automate the process of generating all the documents
supporting your Media Authorization. An advanced tool like Bionic will even generate your
PowerPoint presentation!
Request Media Authorization
The (hopefully) final step of the Media Planning process is the Media Authorization.
Strive for Instant Approval
The Media Plan is typically presented in a meeting – either in person or online – with the budget
holders. The lead Media Planner reminds everybody of the previously agreed upon Media
Brief, then walks through the media strategy, media research, and Media Plan.

Identifying Demographic, Psychographic, and Geo-demographic Targets

1. Demographic: Demographic characteristics are objective and measurable characteristics
of a population, such as age, gender, income, education, and occupation.
2. Psychographic: Psychographic characteristics are subjective and psychological
characteristics of a population, such as values, lifestyle, interests, and attitudes.
3. Geo-demographic: Geo-demographic characteristics are geographic and demographic
characteristics of a population, such as region, city, zip code, and household type.
Companies use demographic, psychographic, and geo-demographic data to identify their target
audience. This information can be collected through,
a. Market Research Firms
b. Census Data
c. Third-Party Data Providers
d. Online Analytics Tools
e. Social Media Insights
f. Customer Surveys and Feedback
g. Market Segmentation Tools
h. Competitive Analysis
i. Industry Associations and Reports
j. Consulting Firms and Agencies
k. Publicly Available Reports and Studies
l. Psychographic Segmentation Tools
m. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Socio-Economic Classification in Indian context
The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has developed a socio-
economic classification (SEC) system for India. The SEC system is based on three criteria:
education, occupation, and monthly household expenditure.
The SEC system divides the Indian population into 12 categories:
• Upper Crust
• Upper Middle Class
• Middle Class
• Aspirants
• New Rich
• New Middle Class
• Securing Middle Class
• Struggling Middle Class
• Lower Middle Class
• Working Class
• Poor
• Destitute

Translating Marketing Objective to Communication Objective

The marketing objective is the overall goal of the advertising campaign. The
communication objective is the specific message that the company wants to communicate to
its target audience.
For example, a company's marketing objective might be to increase brand awareness
for a new product. The communication objective might be to communicate the product's
benefits and features in a way that will make consumers want to learn more about it.
Role of Media Planner
The media planner is responsible for developing and implementing the media plan. They work
with the marketing team to understand the marketing objectives and target audience. They then
select the media channels that will reach the target audience most effectively and efficiently.
The media planner also negotiates media rates and buys media space. They also track the
performance of the media campaign and make adjustments as needed.

Understand Marketing and Promotion Process Model

The marketing and promotion process model is a framework for developing and implementing
a marketing plan. It consists of the following steps:
1. Market research: Identify the target market and understand their needs and wants.
2. Marketing objectives: Define the goals of the marketing plan.
3. Marketing strategy: Develop a plan for how to achieve the marketing objectives.
4. Marketing mix: Select the marketing mix elements that will be used to implement the
marketing strategy.
5. Budgeting: Allocate resources to the marketing plan.
6. Implementation: Execute the marketing plan.
7. Evaluation: Measure the results of the marketing plan and make adjustments as needed.

Here is an example of how to use the marketing and promotion process model to develop and
implement a marketing plan for a new product:
1. Market research: The first step is to conduct market research to identify the target market
and understand their needs and wants. This can be done through surveys, focus groups, and
secondary research. For example, the marketing team for the new product could conduct a
survey of young professionals to learn more about their eating habits and what they look for in
healthy food options.
2. Marketing objectives: Once the target market is identified and their needs and wants are
understood, the marketing team can define the goals of the marketing plan. For example, the
marketing team for the new product might set the following marketing objectives:
• Increase brand awareness for the new product among young professionals
• Generate leads from young professionals who are interested in the new product
• Drive sales of the new product
3. Marketing strategy: The marketing strategy is a plan for how to achieve the marketing
objectives. It should include the specific marketing mix elements that will be used, such as
product, price, place, and promotion. For example, the marketing team for the new product
might develop the following marketing strategy:
• Product: The new product will be positioned as a healthy and convenient snack option
for young professionals.
• Price: The new product will be priced competitively with other healthy snack options.
• Place: The new product will be sold online and in select retail stores.
• Promotion: The new product will be promoted through social media, influencer
marketing, and public relations.
4. Marketing mix: The marketing mix is the combination of marketing mix elements that the
company will use to achieve its marketing objectives. The four elements of the marketing mix
are product, price, place, and promotion.
• Product: The product is the good or service that the company is offering to customers.
The product should be designed to meet the needs and wants of the target market.
• Price: The price is the amount of money that customers pay for the product. The price
should be set based on the cost of the product, the value that it provides to customers,
and the prices of competing products.
• Place: The place is the channel through which the product is distributed to customers.
Products can be distributed through retail stores, online retailers, or direct to consumers.
 • Promotion: The promotion is the communication that the company uses to inform
customers about the product and encourage them to buy it. Promotion can be done
through advertising, public relations, and sales promotion.
5. Budgeting: Once the marketing strategy and marketing mix have been developed, the
marketing team needs to allocate resources to the marketing plan. This includes setting a budget
for each marketing mix element.
6. Implementation: The next step is to implement the marketing plan. This involves executing
the marketing mix elements that were selected. For example, the marketing team for the new
product might create social media posts, work with influencers to promote the product, and
contact journalists and bloggers to generate media coverage.
7. Evaluation: The final step is to evaluate the results of the marketing plan. This involves
measuring the achievement of the marketing objectives. For example, the marketing team for
the new product might track website traffic, social media engagement, and lead generation to
measure the success of the marketing campaign.
Media Buys – Reach Frequency, GRP and TVR
• Reach: Reach is the number of unique individuals who are exposed to the advertising
message.
• Frequency: Frequency is the average number of times that an individual is exposed to the
advertising message.
• GRP: Gross rating points (GRP) are a measure of the total number of times that the
advertising message is exposed to the target audience. GRP is calculated by multiplying
reach by frequency.

For example, if your campaign has a reach of 100,000 people and an average frequency of
3, then your GRP would be 300,000.

GRP = Reach * Frequency

GRP is a useful metric for comparing the reach and frequency of different advertising
campaigns. It can also be used to track the performance of a campaign over time.

Here is an example of how to calculate GRP for a television advertising campaign:

Reach: 1 million people

Frequency: 3 times
GRP: 3 million
This means that the campaign reached 1 million unique individuals and each individual was
exposed to the advertising message an average of 3 times.

GRP can be calculated for any type of advertising campaign, including television, radio,
print, outdoor, and online advertising.
 It is important to note that GRP is just one metric for measuring the effectiveness of an
advertising campaign. Other factors, such as the quality of the advertising creative and the
target audience, also play a role in the success of a campaign.
• TVR: Television rating points (TVR) are a measure of the percentage of the target audience
that is exposed to the advertising message. TVR is calculated by dividing the number of
viewers who are exposed to the advertising message by the total number of viewers in the
target audience. To calculate TVR (television rating points) in advertising, you need to
divide the number of viewers who are exposed to your advertising message by the total
number of viewers in the target audience and multiply the result by 100.

TVR = (Number of viewers exposed to ad / Total number of viewers in target

audience) * 100

An example of how to calculate TVR for a television advertising campaign:

Number of viewers exposed to ad: 1 million people
Total number of viewers in target audience: 10 million people
TVR: 10%
This means that 10% of the target audience was exposed to the advertising message.
TVR can be calculated for any type of television advertising campaign, including network,
cable, and local television campaigns.

How Purchase of Media Slots Differ Across TV, Radio, Print, OHH and Online
1. TV: TV media slots are typically purchased on a CPM (cost per thousand) basis. CPM is
the cost of reaching 1,000 viewers. TV media slots can be purchased directly from TV
networks or through media buying agencies.
2. Radio: Radio media slots are typically purchased on a CPP (cost per point) basis. CPP is
the cost of reaching 1% of the target audience. Radio media slots can be purchased directly
from radio stations or through media buying agencies.
3. Print: Print media slots are typically purchased on a cost per page basis. The cost of a print
media slot will vary depending on the size of the ad, the publication, and the target
audience. Print media slots can be purchased directly from print publications or through
media buying agencies.
4. OHH: OOH (out-of-home) media slots are typically purchased on a CPM basis. CPM is
the cost of reaching 1,000 people. OOH media slots can be purchased directly from OOH
media companies or through media buying agencies.
5. Online: Online media slots are typically purchased on a CPM basis. CPM is the cost of
reaching 1,000 people. Online media slots can be purchased directly from online media
companies or through media buying agencies.
 Media
Purchasing Model Key Considerations
Channel

High reach, high production costs, limited targeting

TV CPM (cost per thousand)
options

Good reach, low production costs, limited targeting

Radio CPP (cost per point)
options

Print Cost per page Good targeting options, long shelf life, limited reach

OHH CPM (cost per thousand) Good reach, targeted placement options, short dwell time

High reach, targeted placement options, measurable

Online CPM (cost per thousand)
results

Media Scheduling and Media Tactics

Media scheduling: Media scheduling is the process of determining when and where to place
advertising messages. Media schedulers consider factors such as the target audience, the media
budget, and the advertising objectives when developing a media schedule.

Some common media scheduling strategies include:

• Flighting: Flighting is a scheduling strategy in which advertising messages are run in
intermittent periods. This strategy is often used to introduce a new product or to increase
brand awareness for an existing product.
• Pulsing: Pulsing is a scheduling strategy in which advertising messages are run at a
consistent level throughout the year. This strategy is often used to maintain brand
awareness or to promote a product that is in high demand.
• Continuous: Continuous scheduling is a strategy in which advertising messages are run all
year long. This strategy is often used for products that are in constant demand or for
products that have a long sales cycle.

Media tactics: Media tactics are the specific methods that are used to place advertising
messages. Media tactics can include television commercials, radio commercials, print ads,
outdoor ads, and online ads.
Some common media tactics include:
• Television commercials: Television commercials are a popular way to reach a large
audience. They can be expensive to produce, but they can be very effective at creating
awareness and persuasion.
 • Radio commercials: Radio commercials are a cost-effective way to reach a large
audience. They can be targeted to specific demographics and psychographics.
• Print ads: Print ads are a good way to reach a specific audience. They can be targeted
to specific demographics, psychographics, and interests.
• Outdoor ads: Outdoor ads are a good way to reach a large audience. They can be
targeted to specific locations and demographics.
• Online ads: Online ads are a good way to reach a large audience and to target specific
demographics, psychographics, and interests.

Advertising Spends Allocation Across Categories, Geography, and Time

• Categories: Advertising spends are typically allocated across categories based on the
company's marketing objectives. For example, a company that is launching a new
product may allocate more advertising spend to that category than to other categories.
• Geography: Advertising spends are also typically allocated across geographic regions
based on the company's target audience. For example, a company that sells products
only in the United States will allocate all of its advertising spend to the United States.
• Time: Advertising spends are also typically allocated across time periods based on the
company's marketing objectives. For example, a company that is launching a new
product may allocate more advertising spend to the launch period than to other periods.

Factors influencing the choice of Media and their investment decision

There are a number of factors that influence the choice of media and investment decision in
advertising, including:
• Target audience: The first and foremost factor to consider is the target audience. Who
is the advertiser trying to reach with their message? Once the target audience is
identified, the advertiser can choose the media channels that are most likely to reach
them.
• Marketing objectives: The next factor to consider is the marketing objectives. What
does the advertiser hope to achieve with their advertising campaign? Are they trying to
increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales? Different media channels are
better suited for different marketing objectives.
• Media budget: The media budget is also a significant factor to consider. Some media
channels are more expensive than others. The advertiser needs to choose the media
channels that fit within their budget.
• Media mix: The media mix is the combination of media channels that the advertiser
uses to reach their target audience. The advertiser needs to choose a media mix that is
effective and efficient.
• Media effectiveness: The advertiser needs to choose media channels that are effective
at reaching their target audience and achieving their marketing objectives. There are a
 number of different metrics that can be used to measure media effectiveness, such as
reach, frequency, and GRP.

Other factors: Other factors that can influence the choice of media and investment decision
in advertising include:
• Creative: The creative for the advertising campaign can influence the choice of media.
For example, a video ad may be more effective on TV than on radio.
• Seasonality: Some products and services are more in demand during certain seasons
of the year. The advertiser may want to allocate their advertising budget accordingly.
• Competitive landscape: Advertisers also need to consider the competitive landscape.
What are their competitors doing? They may want to choose different media channels
or different creative strategies to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

How to make the best investment decision in advertising

To make the best investment decision in advertising, advertisers should carefully consider all
of the factors listed above. They should also use data and analytics to inform their decisions.
For example, they can use data to understand their target audience, track the performance of
their advertising campaigns, and identify areas for improvement.
By carefully considering all of the factors involved, advertisers can make the best investment
decision in advertising and achieve their marketing objectives.
Here are some additional tips for making the best investment decision in advertising:
• Set clear goals and objectives for your advertising campaign: What do you want to
achieve with your advertising? Once you know your goals, you can choose the media
channels and tactics that are most likely to help you achieve them.
• Do your research: Learn about your target audience and the media channels they
consume. This will help you make informed decisions about where to allocate your
advertising budget.
• Track the performance of your campaigns: Once you launch your advertising
campaigns, track their performance so you can see what's working and what's not. This
will help you make adjustments to your campaigns as needed.
• Be flexible: The media landscape is constantly changing, so be prepared to adjust your
advertising strategies accordingly