#media-planning

#media-planning

Mind Map is a new media planning tool that enables advertisers to target audiences when they are most likely to engage. Created by omnichannel advertising platformAzerion, it is based on understanding how people feel and what they are doing when exposed to media on different channels, so that campaigns can be designed to reach them when they are most cognitively and emotionally receptive.

Early on in my own career, I was lucky enough to spend some time with Nick Kendall when he was head of planning at BBH and running the IPA Excellence Diploma. He gave some very simple advice that I didn't fully appreciate at the time. He said, 'no matter what, keep going.' Only all these years later do I realize how good his advice was, so I'm passing it on.

Kantar's latest media data is a wake-up call for marketers: they are not their audience. As 2026 planning kicks in, it's time to burst the think bubble, spot the gaps, and seize opportunities to better connect with consumers. Consumers are not marketers. Again: consumers are not marketers. Why repeat? Because findings from annual global ad equity study suggest marketers need to be reminded not to conflate their own experiences with consumer truths.

Audience planning has long relied on segmentation. It's how we bring structure to the chaos - turning abstract brand personas into something targetable and measurable. But the way we define audiences hasn't kept pace with the way people actually behave. Today's media environment is fragmented, fast-moving, and deeply personal. People don't consume content in neat, linear ways. They're scrolling, streaming, skipping, switching. And yet, much of our audience strategy is still based on static, retrospective data: a collection of pre-built segments, often designed for another time, place, or platform.

LightBoxTV and Starcount's partnership combines advanced audience insights with TV planning, ensuring emotionally relevant media strategies that align with consumer values.

Dollar General has tapped iProspect as its paid media agency of record to enhance media planning and efficiency in advertising expenditures.

ADWEEK has selected the jury for the 2025 Media Plan of the Year Awards, featuring senior leaders from agencies and brands to judge entries.