Media planning vs. media buying

Common misconceptions around media planning and buying

Although the two disciplines are very closely related, there are common misconceptions about the traits associated with each area and the standing with which they are held in the industry. These can be summed up as:

• Media planning = intellectual, creative, and research-based.
• Media buying = money-oriented, deal-making.

This assumption is wrong. No media planner operates without one eye on the eventual budget, and a media buyer needs at least as much of an understanding of the (cross-format) communication process.

What do media planners do?

If you were sitting behind our media planner’s shoulder (first with a cup of tea and Welsh cake in hand), you’d see how this role is all about your advertising strategy. A media planner’s job is to decide on the ‘why’, ‘where’ and ‘how’ of your advertising spend.

Before you invest a penny, a great media planner will go deep into research to find the best channels for your campaign.

This includes:

• Market research
• Audience analysis
• Monitoring your competitors
• Tracking consumer behaviour

Media planners will then use this information to optimise your campaign. Beyond channels, we’ll also go into the details around the exact timing and formats you need to reach your target audience in a way that makes them pause.

If you’re ready to get started on your media plan, whether it’s featuring in glossy magazines, on TV or stopping the social scroll, we’re skilled media planners with years of experience getting results. Find out more about our media planning and buying services here.

What do media buyers do?

At this point, our media buyer rolls up their sleeves and takes over (although as a clue for later, we do this all in the same team at Hello Starling). Your media buyer executes on the plan, maximising your budget to reach as much of your target audience as possible. 

A big part of this role is negotiation. Skilled media buyers won’t just buy advertising space - they’ll also want to negotiate the best possible rate for you.

By working with a media buyer, you’ll also benefit from their relationships with media vendors. Often, we’ll know just who to ask to get you that billboard or have first refusal on any premium placements that come up.

How media planners and buyers work together

Ironically, media planning is (erroneously) held in higher esteem in the industry, while (equally wrongly) media buying is often held in higher esteem on the client side. It’s understandable, perhaps, since the buyer is the one who is spending their money on the surface at least.

If we zoom out though to look at your entire campaign, you’ll see that planners and buyers rely on each other. After all, a plan isn’t worth much without great execution. Likewise, as FBI negotiator Chris Voss says, ‘You fall to your highest level of preparation.’ Execution without a plan is just being busy, and can be costly too.

When media planners and buyers work together, each brings their own skills, giving you a strategy that’s as creative and ambitious as it’s actionable and effective.

We combine roles here at Hello Starling. Simply, we see them as so closely related that both aspects are better served by the same team. Media planning vs. media buying? Two disciplines, one outcome.
 

Media planning and buying strategy objectives

With UK advertising revenue set to exceed £40 billion in 2025, media planning and buying teams are working hard to deliver brand messaging to their target audiences, all the while factoring in placement, timing and budget.

Together, media planning and buying aim to help your brand:

• Maximise your budget to hit your campaign goals.
• Reach your target audience wherever you need to reach them.
• Gain measurable insights so you can evaluate and learn from the campaign.
• Stay agile as the market and consumer behaviour change over time.