Beyond the numbers: Has media planning forgotten the consumer?
Opinion
In our pursuit of ever more granular data, have we truly improved consumer understanding, or merely swapped one set of acronyms for another?
For decades, GRPs were the lingua franca of media buying. A blunt instrument, perhaps, but one that served its purpose: delivering reach and frequency against a target demographic.
We planned, bought and reported on the sheer volume of eyeballs and ears we could secure. It was a world focused on media delivery, often with the consumer as a somewhat abstract, aggregated statistic.
Then came the data revolution. The rise of digital platforms, sophisticated analytics and tools promised a new dawn. No longer were we limited to broad strokes.
We could delve into psychographics, motivations, online behaviours, purchase intent and even the nuances of how different audience segments felt about everything from sustainability to streaming services. This was a transformative shift. A veritable goldmine of human insight waiting to be unearthed.
Yet, as we navigate this data-rich landscape, a nagging question persists: in our pursuit of ever more granular data, have we truly moved the needle on consumer understanding, or merely swapped one set of acronyms for another?
Has media planning, in its embrace of data, inadvertently forgotten the very consumer it seeks to understand?
The paradox is stark
We have unprecedented access to who our consumers are, what they do and where they spend their time online. We can segment audiences with surgical precision, identifying niche groups with shared interests and behaviours. But the risk, as always, lies not in the availability of data, but in its intelligent application.
Are we using data to truly empathise with individuals or simply to create more efficient targeting segments for programmatic buys?
Our industry has a habit of chasing the next shiny object, sometimes losing sight of the fundamental principles. We can become so engrossed in the dashboards, the pivot tables and the endless streams of data points that the human behind the numbers fades into the background.
We might know that 35% of our target audience are “Eco-Conscious Explorers” who over-index on podcast consumption, but do we truly understand why they are eco-conscious, what drives their exploration, or how a podcast truly fits into their daily media diet?
Indeed, this focus on the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ can sometimes overshadow the ‘who’ and the ‘why’.
Mike Follett, in his piece ‘So what is your f***ing job media planners?’, dissects the evolving role of the planner. He talks about understanding business problems, defining strategy and leveraging data.
Yet it’s striking that, amid this astute analysis of our expanding remit, the words ‘audience’ or ‘consumer’ are conspicuously absent.
This isn’t a criticism of Follett’s article, but rather a potent illustration of our industry’s collective blind spot. Are we, in our pursuit of sophisticated metrics, inadvertently drifting further from the very people we are ultimately trying to persuade?
This is where the consumer gets lost. When metrics become just another input or optimisation point for a media plan, rather than a springboard for genuine human insight, we risk creating campaigns that are efficient but emotionally hollow.
We might hit our target, but we might not move them. The planner’s role, which has expanded from media selector to business advisor, must also evolve to become the ultimate consumer advocate.
Of course, this isn’t to say that the pursuit of better metrics is misguided. The rise of ‘attention’ as a key measurement, for instance, offers a far more nuanced understanding of engagement, trust and quality than mere impressions. It helps us understand if our message is truly cutting through the noise.
But even attention, in its purest form, is a means to an end. Ultimately, our job remains one of persuasion – of inspiring action, changing perceptions and building connections with people. And you can’t persuade someone you don’t truly understand.
So, how do we ensure that the wealth of data at our fingertips doesn’t become just another set of metrics, but rather a powerful lens through which to view the human experience?
Beyond the dashboard
Encourage deeper dives. Don’t just accept the pre-packaged segments. Challenge the data, cross-reference it with qualitative research and seek to understand the underlying motivations.
What stories does the data tell? What questions does it provoke?
Empathy as a core skill
We must actively cultivate empathy within our planning teams. This means moving beyond demographic profiling to truly stepping into the consumer’s shoes.
What are their daily struggles, their aspirations, their moments of joy and frustration? Data provides the “what,” but we must seek the “why.”
Strategic application, not just targeting
Use data not only for media channel selection but also for idea generation, message framing, and understanding the entire customer journey.
If we know our audience values authenticity, how does that inform our choice of platform, our tone of voice and the content we appear against?
The planner as interpreter
Our role is to be the bridge between the numbers and the narratives. We must translate complex data into actionable, human-centric insights that create truly effective communication.
The tools we have today are extraordinary. They offer an unparalleled opportunity to connect brands with people in meaningful ways. But the power lies not in its ability to segment, but in its potential to illuminate the rich, complex tapestry of human behaviour.
Let’s ensure that in our pursuit of data-driven efficiency, we never forget the beating heart of our industry: the consumer. The future of media planning depends on it.
Caroline Manning is chief design officer at Initiative and writes monthly for The Media Leader.