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MEDIA BRIEF

The media brief can be referred to as a checklist for the media planners to help them prepare media plan for a client organization. Media planning is not an isolated function but an integral part of an overall campaign planning. Hence a media planner needs to have a thorough knowledge of all the variables. What is an ideal media brief? In other words, what should it contain to help the media planner in making an ideal plan to help facilitate decision-making at the client’s end? With the proliferation in the media and media markets becoming more complex, given the heterogeneity of the target audience, special efforts are made to prepare the media brief. A good media brief should ideally include the following:


 Marketing information checklist: This should reflect the marketing objectives and proposed strategies, product characteristics, distribution channels, brand category, expenditure level and ad. expenditure of close competitors, ad. expenditure for the current, previous years and proposed appropriation.


 The objectives: The media brief must indicate the objective or objectives; the proposed advertising is trying to accomplish. This must clearly indicate whether the objective is to introduce a new product, increase awareness about the existing brand, reinforce the current position, reposition the current brand, relaunch a declining brand, elicit direct response, improve or enhance the company’s reputation or change the people’s attitude towards the company, brand or product category. It would also indicate the source of business, i.e., the target audience, profile of the current users, proposed users, etc.


 Product category information: It is pertinent for the media planner to have a thorough knowledge about the product category and the positioning of the brand being handled. This helps in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the brand and also helps in setting achievable targets. The information details with the following broad areas: category definition, competitive brands, market share of the various brands, sales volume of each brand, life cycle stage for brand/category (new, mature, stagnating or near extinct), market expansion opportunity, interest level (high/low), responsiveness to advertising, purchase cycle of the product-to help determine the scheduling pattern.


 Geography/location: The media brief helps the planner in knowing his media markets. In other words, for example, if the product is only available in the metros, then the planner will restrict his media options to only those vehicles, which reach the target audience in the metros. In case, however, the product is being launched on all-country basis, the media planner although keeping in view the holistic approach will also keep in mind the consumption pattern in various geographical locations for giving relative weightage to areas, where the product usage is more. Besides this, he will also keep in view the brand development index, sales volume and local market problems and opportunities.


 Seasonality/timing: Information regarding seasonality of the product is an important consideration for the media planner. In the Indian context, where there are extreme climates in different parts of the country at the same time, some products are season-specific. The sale of woolens is always there in the hilly areas especially, Srinagar, Himachal Pradesh and higher reaches of Uttar Pradesh, while in southern India, except probably in some parts of Karnataka, woolens are generally not available. The North experience severe cold for some months, hence one sees a spurt in advertising. Besides, the planner should keep track of the sales pattern, influence factors such as festivals, holidays and the weather, spending considerations, specific sales promotion drive, and client mandated spending constraint, etc.


 Target audience: A profile of those who buy the existing category as also those who buy competitive brands is a very important consideration for the media planner. Buying habits must also include information about buying cycles, purchase points, frequency of purchase, etc. This helps the planner to know the consumer characteristics by category, brand and competitor; demographics-age, income,
 
Media Planning and Buying is growing rapidly. Media planner earns a lot by selling media space and time. They are the mediator between advertising agency and media. They have very rich connection from both the sides. Though who are confused about their career,you can select this field and later on after few years, you will know the answer about it.
 
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