Have we lost the art of media?
Opinion
Our young talent is lacking the foundational thinking that turns a media planner into a strategic partner. We are all responsible for nurturing a generation to think, not just do.
In our ongoing recruitment efforts, a consistent pattern has emerged: many candidates at the executive and manager levels exhibit strong executional capabilities — but at what cost?
They are fluent in media platforms, quick to optimise for clicks, impressions or views, and adept at navigating campaign dashboards. On paper, they tick many boxes.
But when we dig a little deeper, asking how they might approach a brief with conflicting objectives, how to calculate true incremental reach across multiple channels, what commercial outcomes their campaign is driving or explain the meaning of basic terminology for TVR/GRPs, the answers too often fall short.
There is a strategic gap that’s quietly widening within our industry and it’s one we can’t afford to ignore.
The ‘why’, not just the ‘what’
The rise of automation and AI has undoubtedly transformed media for the better. We are working faster, accessing deeper insights and making more data-informed decisions than ever before.
But in leaning in to these efficiencies, we risk losing the foundational thinking that turns a media planner into a strategic partner. Understanding the “why” behind the numbers, not just the “what”, is more important than ever.
Most candidates today are highly proficient in the use of media buying and analytics platforms — more so than many of us veterans in the trade. But few demonstrate a strong grasp of broader strategic context, how different channels interplay to deliver real-world business results or how to question a media brief that focuses on metrics over outcomes.
Key planning concepts like unique reach, frequency capping or calculating media’s role in a sales funnel are often misunderstood or missing altogether — a frightening concept for someone who spent their early career having this drummed into them.
Bring back critical thinking
This piece is not about nostalgia for a pre-digital era. It is about recognising that, as automation handles more of the “doing”, our value as media professionals increasingly lies in our thinking — the fundamental element that will set agencies apart in a world of automation.
It is our ability to connect the dots, to interpret a client’s commercial objectives and shape media strategies, that actually shift the needle and make us stand out in a sea of sameness.
We need to bring critical thinking and commercial acumen back to the centre of media planning and buying.
When everything is optimised by default, who is asking whether the right metrics are being optimised in the first place? When briefs are taken at face value, who is challenging the client’s assumptions or guiding them towards more measurable business outcomes?
It starts from the top
This is not a knock on the emerging talent in our industry. The hunger to learn is there.
What is missing is the systematic investment in developing those strategic muscles on the job through mentoring, cross-industry learning and development programmes and on-the-job training of what the automated systems are telling us in the real world.
We also need to reframe what “expertise” looks like. Being a platform specialist is useful. But being a commercially minded advisor who understands the broader media ecosystem and can build a business case for a media investment — that is invaluable.
As leaders, we must take ownership of this evolution. We can’t expect new starters to magically absorb strategic thinking without the right scaffolding in place.
It begins with equipping our line managers not just with people management skills but with the technical and commercial understanding required to spread this knowledge.
Too often, we promote great executives into management roles without ensuring they themselves have mastered the foundational principles. The result? A waterfall of executional focus with little strategic depth, leaving junior staff to fend for themselves when it comes to developing critical judgement and answering clients’ more challenging questions around effectiveness.
True strategic impact
We are all responsible for nurturing a generation of media leaders who can think, not just do.
There’s no turning back from automation, nor should there be. But our future advantage won’t come from being the fastest to hit “optimise”; it will come from being true strategic, commercially attuned and trusted partners to our clients and which another agency cannot replicate overnight.
Together as an industry, we need to create space for curiosity and reward people who ask better questions, not just follow processes. We need to build teams where executional excellence is a foundation, but strategic impact is the ultimate goal.
If we get this right, we will do more than improve campaign results. We will reshape what it means to be a media expert in the modern era, protecting our industry and our people for the long term.
Lisa Morgan is managing director at Generation Media