How to become a media planner | Salary, skills, qualifications

As a media planner, you'll work in media and with creative agencies to maximise the impact of advertising campaigns through a range of platforms, such as television and digital.

You'll apply your knowledge of media and communication systems to identify the most appropriate mediums for building awareness of a client's brand.

You'll also use creative thinking and research to develop appropriate strategies to ensure campaigns reach their target audiences as effectively as possible.

While the role has similarities to media buyer, they are usually separate. However, in smaller agencies, they may be combined into one job.

Types of media planning work

Media planners work with a range of platforms and channels such as:

cinema
digital
out-of-home
radio
press
television.

Job titles vary and you may also be known as a communications planner, brand planner or media strategist.

Responsibilities

As a media planner, you'll need to:

work with clients and account teams to understand the business objectives and advertising strategy
research the client's target audiences and analyse their characteristics, behaviour, and media habits
liaise with creative agency teams, clients, and consumers to develop strategies and campaigns
make decisions on the best form of media to use
present proposals to clients, such as cost schedules
recommend the most appropriate types of media to use, as well as the most effective time spans and locations
work with colleagues, other departments, media buyers, and creative agencies to ensure the plans are achievable in terms of time scales and budgets
keep clients up-to-date with progress
maintain detailed records
evaluate the effectiveness of campaigns to inform future ones
manage client relationships to build respect and gain their trust
make and maintain good contacts with media owners, such as newspapers, magazines, and websites
stay informed on industry developments, including competitor activities
research new opportunities to expand within different media channels.

Salary

Junior media planners, or those just starting their career, can earn an average of £26,000.
As a media planner with three to five years of experience, your salary may range from £37,000 to £46,000.
Salaries for senior media planners are, on average, £55,000, while directors can earn in the region of £100,000.

Salaries vary greatly depending on the size and type of employer and location, with salaries generally higher in London. The salary will also depend on your skills and experience, as well as your track record and ability to plan successful campaigns.

Some agencies offer additional benefits such as bonuses, private healthcare and gym memberships.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You may need to work beyond the standard 9am to 5pm, especially when there are client deadlines to meet. As such, you'll be required to have a flexible approach to your working hours, especially as there may be occasions where you may need to travel, such as for in-person meetings.

What to expect

Most of your work is office-based, and you'll spend a lot of time collaborating with other teams and clients via email, telephone, and digital communication channels, including Teams or Zoom.
Jobs are usually located in London and other major UK cities, such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham.
The work is fast-paced and can be challenging, as you'll be working to tight deadlines on a number of projects at the same time. However, it can also be rewarding when you plan a successful campaign for your clients.
The job involves a lot of contact with clients and media owners, developing trust and building good working relationships.
You'll need to travel to meet clients, especially at the beginning of a campaign. Large agencies may represent national and international clients, so there may be opportunities to travel abroad.

Qualifications

Although being a media planner is open to all graduates and those with an HND, the following degree or HND subjects may increase your chances:

advertising
business/business administration
communication and media studies
English and journalism
management
marketing
psychology
statistics.

As a graduate, you can apply for roles, such as junior media planner, within a media agency. Larger agencies may have graduate recruitment schemes.

It's also possible to get in through a Level 3 Advertising and Media Executive Apprenticeship. Apprenticeships combine study with paid work, allowing you to train on the job whilst gaining a qualification. You can search for an apprenticeship using Find an apprenticeship.

A pre-entry postgraduate qualification is not required.

You may want to consider taking the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) Foundation Certificate aimed at industry newcomers with less than a year's experience in an advertising, marketing, or communications role.

Skills

You'll need to have:

strong research and analytical skills to interpret data using specialist industry resources
excellent interpersonal, negotiation and communication skills, for building strong relationships with clients, media owners and colleagues
the ability to think strategically
proficiency with numbers, for data and statistics analysis
report writing and presentation skills
general IT knowledge, specifically for databases and spreadsheets
the ability to work effectively under pressure in order to meet deadlines
excellent attention to detail
organisation and time management skills, as you'll likely be working on several projects at once, often for several clients
commercial flair
the motivation to keep up-to-date with current trends and developments in media research.

Work experience

Relevant work experience will improve your chances of finding employment. Doing an internship with an advertising agency will give your application an edge and is looked on favourably by employers. You'll get practical experience and will develop a network of contacts, which is useful when looking for jobs.

You can also look for work experience in other areas that will help you develop interpersonal skills, such as customer service, marketing, media, communications, and sales.

Contact agencies directly to see if they have any work experience, voluntary, or work shadowing opportunities. The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) has a list of member agencies that can be useful when making speculative applications.

You could also look for part-time work as an administration assistant in an advertising agency, which will give you an insight into the sector.

A strong and genuine interest in media, and an appreciation of the part it plays in advertising, is vital. A good way to support job applications is getting to know key aspects and terms used in the industry through organisations and websites such as:

Campaign - marketing, advertising and media news and analysis
IAB UK (Internet Advertising Bureau) - industry body for digital advertising
IPA - trade body and professional institute for the advertising, media and marketing communications industry.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

You could work for:

media agencies, which cover all media
new media agencies, which cover advertising through digital media, text messaging and the internet
full-service advertising agencies, which handle all marketing and promotional needs across multiple channels and platforms.

In full-service agencies, there tends to be a greater interaction between creative and media teams. In some agencies, the role of media planner and media buyer may be combined.

Some large companies and organisations will employ in-house media planners within their marketing department.

Media planners also find work in more specialist agencies, including:

brand content agencies
brand experience agencies
creative agencies
digital agencies
direct marketing agencies
out-of-home/outdoor agencies.

Look for job vacancies at:

Campaign Jobs
IPA Jobs Listings
national press and professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn.

Some independents recruit graduates directly, while several companies recruit through specialist agencies.

Speculative applications can be successful if you research the role and employer carefully. Explore the company's website and be aware of their current presence in the market.

Professional development

You'll do most of your training on the job, with support from more experienced colleagues. This experience is crucial for developing your skills and building practical knowledge of national and regional media.

You may start in a combined junior media/planner role, gaining knowledge in a range of departments before specialising in planning. If you're on a graduate recruitment scheme, you may get a formal training plan that includes rotations.

As a newcomer to the industry, you may be encouraged to take the IPA Foundation Certificate. The IPA also provides a range of courses aimed at more experienced professionals.

A key aspect of early training involves gaining an understanding of audience research figures, which provide consumer and media information. These include:

Barb Audiences Ltd - insights and analysis into what people watch
Google Analytics 4 - a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic
The Publishers Audience Measurement Company (PAMCo) - audience measurement for published media
Route Research - out-of-home advertising audiences
Radio Joint Audience Research (RAJAR) - measuring radio audiences for both commercial and BBC radio
Kantar Expert - audience measurement and analytics.

You'll need to stay up to date on industry developments throughout your career, and will have to be proactive in seeking out opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) and training.

Relevant courses in many aspects of advertising and marketing, including planning, are offered by such organisations as:

Career prospects

You'll usually start as a trainee media planner and will need significant guidance at this stage. Once you have between one and three years of experience, you can move into an executive media planner role. You'll be able to work independently, receiving only light-touch guidance, and will provide guidance yourself to trainees.

With three-to-five years of experience, you could move into a manager position, with responsibility for managing a team, small department, and/or a mid-sized account.

Senior positions bring added responsibility, often for multiple accounts and for the work of others. With five to ten years of experience, for example, there are opportunities to lead a large team and/or significant client or function. At the highest level, you could become a director with a focus on strategic planning.

You may choose to specialise in a particular area, such as insight or social media planning, or move into a strategic planning role in the broader advertising industry. There are also opportunities to move into fields such as data planning, research. or marketing.

Headhunting is common in the media industry, and you may move between employers to increase your salary and broaden your experience.