How to become a media planner ?

If you want to become a key player in advertising while still having a foot in the media industry, the profession of Media Planner may be the job for you. As a specialist in business and marketing, IPAG provides you with all the useful information about the role of a Media Planner: salary, training, tasks, required qualities and skills... Follow the guide!

What is the role of a Media Planner?

The role of a Media Planner is to plan and organize advertising campaigns on various media such as television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and the internet.

The Media Planner collaborates alongside advertisers to determine a strategy to promote their product or service.

To do this, the Media Planner must define communication objectives, select appropriate advertising channels for the target audience, and establish a coherent broadcasting schedule for each advertising campaign.

Then, they analyze the campaign results, collect numerical data to analyze its impact, and propose adjustments to optimize their effectiveness.

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The missions of a Media Planner

The tasks of a Media Planner follow a logical sequence, but mainly focus on meeting the expectations of the clients and the target audiences.

Firstly, the Media Planner relies on numerical data to schedule advertising campaigns. This data is provided, in particular, by quantitative and qualitative surveys on consumer panels, which they must then study to adopt the strategy.

This data then indicates which communication channels should be used for the campaign: display, web, television, radio... as well as the best broadcasting times and durations to reach the target audience of consumers effectively.

They then create a media plan and evaluate the impact of advertising campaigns in terms of cost and effectiveness, relying on statistical tools and market studies. They analyze the returns on investment (ROI) and adjust their media plan accordingly.

Training to become a Media Planner

• To become a Media Planner, you can pursue a degree in a business school, such as the Programme Grande Ecole at IPAG. This program prepares you for various marketing professions, particularly through the Marketing and Commercial Strategy specialization during the 4th and 5th years.
• At IPAG Business School, you can also consider a Bachelor's degree, a professionalizing Bac +3 diploma. The IPAG Bachelor's degree in Marketing and Digital Communication will teach you how to understand consumer needs and develop digital communication strategies, essential knowledge to become a Media Planner.
• Another recommended training path is in communication since advertising is part of this field. There are numerous communication programs at universities or business schools like IPAG. At the Nice campus, you can find a certified RNCP BTS in Communication. After obtaining this Bac+2 diploma, you will be ready to enter the job market and become a Media Planner.

Note that internships or apprenticeships can provide you with valuable professional experience highly appreciated by recruiters. Therefore, choose a program that includes internships and apprenticeships, as IPAG does.

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Salary of a Media Planner

The gross monthly salary for a beginner Media Planner can start at €1800 to €2500.

With several years of experience, a Media Planner can expect to earn up to €3000 gross per month. As for senior profiles, the salary can reach €45,000 gross per year.

It is important to consider that the geographical location significantly influences the level of remuneration offered. In the big cities such as Paris, the salary would be 10 to 15% higher than in other regions of the country. This discrepancy is due to the fact that the majority of media buying centers and advertising agencies are concentrated in major cities.

Career prospects

It will take several years of experience for a Media Planner to become a confirmed professional. As their role evolves, a Media Planner can then aspire to positions with higher responsibilities such as product manager, marketing manager, or director...

With experience, a Media Planner can also become a strategic planner. They are responsible for examining current or future trends in order to find and guide the concepts of advertising campaigns.

Required skills to become a Media Planner

Media planners must possess several skills to carry out their tasks successfully:

• They must have a solid foundation in communication and marketing.
• A good knowledge of various media is required.
• They must have good analytical skills and be able to make quick decisions.
• The Media Planner is required to provide results that are established through calculations and probabilities. Good skills for numbers and calculations is necessary!
• They must also have good negotiation skills to convince the sales teams of the targeted media.