What is a Media Plan?

A media plan holds the overview of all the media outlets and investments over time. It also shows the predicted results (viewers, clicks, downloads etc.). Usually a media plan is written for a specific campaign, like a launch of a new product.

 A media plan is written by a media agency. The media agency is tasked by the client with a certain outcome in mind.

Is there a difference between an online and an offline media plan?

Traditionally there is an offline media plan and an online media plan, as both types of media are very different in what can be tracked and analyzed. For instance, it is hard to measure the sell-out of a product through a TV campaign, but you could measure the risen awareness of the new product through a TV commercial and then derive the likelihood that the new product is being bought. While in online media it is standard to measure the click on the add and then – if the site is an e-commerce website – the sell-out. This shows the difference in online media and offline media: While online media usually goes straight to the point (sell out, add to a mailing list etc.), offline media is using other variables, like awareness, to reach their overarching goal, the sell-out.

Where is the difference between the media strategy and the media plan?

The media strategy comes first and defines strategically which media are being used for the campaign goals. It also describes the media mix based on the different types of media online and offline, Social Media or TV, etc. The mix usually is the result of the question: With which media can we arrive at the campaign goal. Media agencies model the results and put them into the media plan, ex. expected viewers for a TV commercial, or expected clicks on a online banner ad.

Where is the difference between a content plan and a media plan?

While a content plan is highlighting the piece of contents that are being published and put on websites, blogs, social media as content to share (non-paid media). The media plan is only holding paid media.

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