mediabuying

Mediabuying, also known as media buying, is the process of purchasing advertising space and time on media outlets to reach a target audience, aligning with a broader media plan and campaign goals. It encompasses selecting channels, negotiating rates, and securing inventory across traditional and digital media, as well as coordinating flighting and optimization.

Practitioners, often called media buyers, work within advertising agencies or in-house marketing teams. They collaborate with media planners to translate objectives into a media mix, negotiate with sellers, and optimize campaigns during flight. The role may involve long-term relationships with publishers and ongoing optimization based on performance data.

Key steps in mediabuying include defining objectives and budget, profiling the audience, and selecting media channels (TV, radio, print, out-of-home, as well as digital formats such as display, video, social, and search). The media plan is designed with goals for reach, frequency, and timing. Inventory can be purchased as guaranteed or non-guaranteed, direct or programmatic. In digital, pricing and evaluation use terms such as CPM (cost per thousand impressions), CPC (cost per click), and CPA (cost per action). Purchases may be made as direct deals, programmatic guaranteed, or RTB (real-time bidding), often facilitated by DSPs (demand-side platforms) and ad exchanges; publishers may offer negotiated direct buys.

Optimization and measurement involve monitoring performance against KPIs, adjusting bids or creatives, scheduling, and reporting. Considerations include viewability, ad fraud, brand safety, and privacy compliance, including data protection and user consent requirements.