A day in the life of a media planner: Medialab Group
Feature
Media planning can feel like an elusive practice to those outside of agencies. In our ongoing series, Medialab Group’s Malachy Brown takes us through his daily routine.
Hi, I’m Malachy Brown, and after a very recent promotion, I’m now an account manager at Medialab.
My journey kicked off two years ago through the agency’s bootcamp scheme, a six-week training course on media planning and buying, with no qualification needed to apply. There were 12 of us when we started who were all completely new to the media world and quickly trained up to get involved with planning, reporting, analytics, and strategy from the beginning. It was a brilliant introduction to the industry.
Fast forward to today and I’m a key member of the team, working across a mix of fintech and travel accounts, with a big focus on planning, optimisation, and performance. No two days really look the same, which isn’t unusual as media changes quickly, so a lot of my role comes down to staying agile and reacting to what’s happening in the market.
Morning ritual and choosing my commute
6:30am
My alarm goes off and the immediate, non-negotiable start to my day is a cup of tea. It’s part of my autopilot routine every morning.
I’m a bit of a basketball nerd, so while my brain is waking up, I’ll stick on highlights from the games overnight.
7:45am
Time for the commute. I live in south east London, so my journey plan depends on the day.
If the weather’s nice, I’ll take the scenic route, taking the DLR as it’s a great bird’s eye view of London. If I need to get in quickly, I’ll go via the Overground and Elizabeth Line instead. The views aren’t great, but sometimes an earlier morning start is needed!
As soon as I stop onto the train, I’m straight onto the news and LinkedIn. I like to keep track of everything happening across the media world – from fresh campaign launches and partnerships to wider industry conversations. Whilst I know a lot of people try to avoid the “doom scroll” on their journey to work, for me this gets the creative juices flowing long before my feet touch the office floor.
Data dives, market shifts and outsmarting the competition
9am
One of the biggest challenges in media is simply how quickly everything moves. You come in each day and there’s usually something new happening, whether that’s a market shift, a platform update, or a campaign performance that needs attention.
10am
A massive chunk of my day is spent checking campaign performance and identifying exactly where we can optimise activity. Because Medialab’s data-driven approach is key, we count on Apollo – our proprietary marketing intelligence platform. Most of my work is focused around offline channels, particularly TV. I’m regularly checking how campaigns have performed over the previous few days to identify opportunities to optimise and improve results.
11am
Lately, I’ve been setting some time aside each day to work on a really interesting project with an external partner: automating our competitor reporting.
Competitor analysis is a major part of media planning, especially in finance where brands are constantly battling for attention. Injecting automation and AI into that process is a gamechanger; it frees up precious time to focus on the strategic side of the work rather than getting bogged down in repetitive admin.
AI and lunchtime loyalty
12pm
Midday means it’s time for an internal training session on AI tools and workflows.
The shift in how embedded AI has become at the agency over the last two years is massive. It’s completely normal for us to have sessions on mastering tools like Google Gemini and NotebookLM for our day-to-day tasks. There’s a real focus here on building an internal AI ecosystem, so it integrates naturally into how teams operate.
The biggest benefit? The time it gives back. It means we can spend way more energy focusing on optimisation, competitor analysis, and strategic planning instead of getting stuck in repetitive processes.
1pm
Lunch usually involves heading out for a walk with a few people from the agency. We’re based two minutes from Oxford Circus, so there are loads of good spots nearby. But if I’m treating myself, I’ll almost always end up at HT Harris for a sandwich or pasta. I am fiercely loyal to that place.
Collaborating and reacting
2pm
The office itself is highly collaborative. We’ve got regular catchups across planning, analytics, and client teams. Personally, my preference is to catch up in the afternoon. It gives me the chance to clear down my inbox and check campaign performance first, meaning I can come to the table armed with actual insights and feedback.
3pm
A typical day sees me catching up with clients at various times, and client interaction is a huge part of the role. Working closely with fintech clients means there are constant conversations happening around performance, planning, and future activity. The finance category is especially interesting because it’s fiercely competitive at the moment. You can see it everywhere across TV, BVOD, and out-of-home. Brands are pushing hard creatively, and there’s a genuine appetite to test newer channels and formats alongside traditional media.
4pm
Easily one of the most rewarding parts of the job is when a fast-moving moment – like a new campaign launch or a sudden news cycle – creates an opportunity for a client to react in real time.
There have been times where a casual conversation in the morning has turned into a reactive opportunity with content going live the very next day. This is usually where we see teams come together under pressure, moving rapidly from idea to execution halfway through the day. Seeing the client genuinely happy with the outcome is always incredibly satisfying.
Switching off. Screens down, apron on
5.30pm
The social scene at Medialab is great. We recently had a company pub quiz night at the office which was a laugh. The teams were completely mixed, meaning I was sitting with board members and colleagues from entirely different parts of the business that I don’t always get to cross paths with day-to-day. It was really fun (even if I wasn’t on the winning team) and I love how inclusive the socials are.
But on the nights we don’t have an event lined up, it’s all about trying to properly disconnect from screens for a bit. I absolutely love cooking, so I’ll normally try making something decent in the evening.
If I’m really trying to unwind, I’ll head to the gym or sauna to properly switch off for a while. Though, let’s be totally real: there’s also a very good chance I’ll have Location, Location, Location playing in the background while I cook. It’s a guilty pleasure, but it’s easily one of my favourite ways to relax after a busy day.
Malachy Brown is an account manager at Medialab Group