Media Planner
Controller Job Description
Media planners, also known as brand planners or brand strategists, work at advertising agencies and create ad campaigns for various clients. The media planner works with clients to help them make decisions about how a particular media campaign will unfold. The media planner’s main focus is to orchestrate the placement of their client’s advertising copy into various media venues that maximize advertising reach toward the client’s target audience. These venues include television, internet, radio, billboards, print, and direct mail. Some media planners also track the performance of advertising on the back end, letting the client know the return on investment for their campaign, and whether they’re receiving good value for their advertising dollars.
The job can be very social because it entails working with and entertaining clients, so an interest in and ability to socialize with colleagues and clients is paramount. Also important is an understanding of how marketing and advertising works. The first question to ask yourself is this: How can a client–either a big consumer product company like Starbucks or a national nonprofit service organization like Planned Parenthood–best brand itself? Media planners must know the entertainment world in depth (from network TV shows like “Good Morning America” on ABC-TV to niche TV shows like “Chopped Junior” on the Food Network). Unless media planners know what kind of audience is attracted to what kind of show, they can’t place ads appropriately. And, because the media landscape in the 21st century is vastly different than it was in the 20th century, media planners need to know not just which national TV shows and large magazines and newspapers to target, they also have to be familiar with all the websites, blogs and social media offerings available to consumers. The media planner job involves research using several online databases.
Most employers prefer candidates to have a college degree in areas such as communication and media studies, business or management, marketing, advertising, English, journalism, operational research, statistics, or other related areas. You may be able to land an entry-level position in media planning with no training or prior experience. However, considering that advertising and marketing are highly competitive, it’s highly unlikely that you could progress very far in this career without a degree or a considerable amount of industry experience. Employers look for those with previous experience in marketing, media assets management, or a related field.
Typical duties of a Controller
• Collect and analyze market data
• Identify target audiences and understand their behavior and habits
• Determine the best media outlet mix for our campaigns
• Optimize ad campaigns according to geographic exposure, frequency, time spans and more
• Allocate budgets and monitor costs
• Follow media trends of online and offline outlets (TV shows, magazines, blogs, radio programs)
• Evaluate the success of media strategies and campaigns
Skills:
• Proven experience as a Media Planner; experience in digital media is preferred
• Broad knowledge of media channels
• Familiarity with campaign evaluation metrics and media buying
• Working knowledge of analytics tools (e.g. GfK MRI, MOAT, Nielsen IMS)
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills
• An analytical mind with an aptitude for statistics and math
• Strong decision-making skills
Qualifications: BSc/BA in Marketing, Business Administration or similar field