Media planning is one of the key divisions of most advertising agencies, and certainly is an important department at Martin Communications (MC). The media department at MC is headed by Colleen Jones. For over six years, Colleen has been strategizing media placements for our clients’ advertising campaigns. She is our specialist in determining which media outlet is the best for our clients’ target audience, negotiating prices and optimizing budgets, and performing campaign analyses.
What is a Media Plan?
A media plan is a document that outlines the strategy of how, when, where, and why an organization will distribute its media content to their target audience.
“Lots of creative thinking goes into creating a media plan,” notes Colleen. “When assembling a media plan, we get or determine all the pertinent details (overall results/goals, budget, timeline, audience demographics, geographies, messaging, etc.) and gather research (which could be historical data based on past campaigns, Nielsen/Scarborough data, or information from other sources).”
“Then it’s a matter of pairing up these parameters and the data we have available to us with the myriad of media outlets available for a campaign. There was a time there were only so many media channels available to coordinate (print, outdoor, direct mail, TV, and terrestrial radio), but digital has changed the game. There are now so many different places to reach the same audience that it becomes a balancing act to find the most effective and efficient way to reach the key audience, stand out from the crowd of other advertisers, and drive results.”
Colleen is a fan of multimedia campaigns that incorporate both digital and traditional medias because she still sees the value of the latter for certain campaigns. “I’m also a fan of ‘flighting’ media if/when limited by budget to help stretch it out without sacrificing the different audiences or platforms.”
A long-time client who had a particularly challenging and important campaign recently told her, “I’m not surprised, but I am surprised, that you captured everything and also targeted at the same time.”
Martin Communications does media planning differently
When asked about what sets us apart, Colleen explains: “I believe our flexibility is what sets us apart the most. Nothing is formulaic or cookie-cutter – each plan is always customized. We don’t recommend media based off what media platform will be best for the agency’s bottom line, but what will be best for the client’s goals and budget.”
“Another thing is that it’s a true team effort. As a full-service agency, we have the benefit of being able to see the whole picture, not just focused on where the media will run or an artistic vision that isn’t able to be used in paid media placements. Our team, including representatives from account management, design, and media departments hold kick-off meetings and brainstorming sessions to ensure the media placements come together with messaging that suits the media environment, meets the clients’ goals, and maintains their organization’s branding.”
“Most importantly, every one of us is deadline-driven making sure we keep timelines on-track, so media is launched on-time. Our flexibility again comes into play if we have to shift campaign dates due to unforeseen delays or sometimes ending early due to overwhelming success.”
Learn more about our department head!
Colleen didn’t start out her career in media planning but came to it through working at a publishing company. “Working in the Events and Expo teams at Journal Multimedia (then-parent company of the Central Penn Business Journal, Lehigh Valley Business, and Pet Age magazine, Best Companies Group and some other publications/entities) with internal print and digital teams enabled me to understand the sales and operations side of media. But the really great thing about that background in events was that we had responsibility for marketing our programs beyond the internal media platforms, so I learned to place outdoor, TV, radio, and social media as well” explains Colleen.
“My two favorite things about my position are:
- Every project requires strategic and resourceful thinking to find the best solution. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle to be assembled.
- Media platforms are constantly evolving. Audiences are always looking for something new and different (think TikTok) and audiences on each platform are changing (Facebook was once 20-somethings and now it’s primarily those age 40+), so it’s part of my role to stay on top of these developments and introduce them to our clients and help them make the appropriate shifts. I love that we were part of the beta testing for Spotify ads when they became accessible a few years ago, and that we are now doing that with Hulu as it launches new levels of accessibility for organizations that might have less budget to work with.”
Though many of us at MC have received a late-night email from Colleen, she isn’t all work and no play. An extrovert through-and-though, she loves to socialize. “My favorite thing is spending time with people going to a brewery, getting dinner (I don’t like cooking and I’m definitely not good at baking), dancing (I take hip hop and tap classes, and enjoy a good Zumba workout).”
She is also a globetrotter, recently returning from a well-deserved break and trip to London, England. “I love to travel! My life goal is to make it to all seven continents, and I only have two left – Africa and Antarctica. I also have 20 U.S. states left to visit (believe it or not, I’ve made it to the farthest ones – Alaska and Hawaii). And every year my husband and I take a snowmobiling trip in the Adirondacks – maybe someday we’ll explore rides elsewhere!”
Colleen is also active with the Betty J. Gantz Foundation for Performing Arts, a new nonprofit based in Middletown, PA, whose mission is to increase access to the arts in under-served, minority communities. She also serves on the board of the Mid-Atlantic Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (MASHSMD).
Learn more about our media services by clicking here, or even better, reach out and let’s chat!