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What is Media Buying?
Media buying is buying media placement for advertising to promote your message. Media buyers set up placements, times, and frequency and maximize and manage budget spend to reach your goals.
A full-service media buying agency will manage traditional and digital ad buys, including print, linear TV, outdoor (OOH), terrestrial radio, social platforms, streaming services, paid search, and OTT/CTV (direct and programmatic).
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Why can’t I manage media buying myself in-house?
It takes years of experience, relationship building, strong negotiating skills, and staying versed in the ever-changing aspects of advertising, digital marketing, and the tools and platforms involved.
Media services are managed by a team with varied skills, from the planners doing the research and managing vendor relationships to the account team, who work with you regularly to understand your needs and goals, and the buying team, who directs the negotiations, platform management, setup, tracking, analytics, and reporting.
A media buying agency can also access industry expertise, cutting-edge tools and technologies, bulk buying discounts, and enhanced campaign management and reporting.
The initial setup investment can be very high in terms of planning, cost, and resources to have an in-house media buying team.
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What media do you manage?
Digital and Traditional advertising channels:
• Linear TV ads
• CTT/OTT
• Streaming Audio
• OOH/DOOH
• Print
• Terrestrial Radio
• Paid Search
• Paid Social
• Display Ads
• Programmatic Buying
• Sponsorship ads -
What is your cost?
There are a variety of ways media agencies charge for their services.
Some will use a project-based fee based on your media needs, while others will manage the cost with a retainer fee.
There is also a more standard commission fee based on a percentage of your media spending and your budget level. Depending on the type of media you're purchasing, this may be covered in the direct cost from the publisher or channel.
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What is the difference between OTT and CTV?
- Connected TV (CTV) refers to any television that is connected to the internet and used to stream video. This includes smart TVs and TVs connected through external devices like TV sticks and gaming consoles. While smart TVs can access the internet directly, devices such as Amazon Firestick, Roku, Xbox,are also used to stream video content on a TV.
- Over-the-top (OTT) is like CTV in that ads are displayed alongside streaming video content but are delivered across all devices, such as mobile, desktop, and tablets. For example, if someone is served an ad while watching Hulu on their phone, this is considered an OTT ad environment.
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What is programmatic advertising?
Programmatic advertising is a digital advertising practice that uses AdTech software to automate digital ads' purchase, sale, delivery, and measurement.
In this automated process, digital ads are served across sites and apps, capable of reaching users across all devices, including TV, mobile, desktop, and even connected home devices such as Sonos speakers.
For advertisers, programmatic takes the guesswork out of “where” their audience can be reached and allows for greater focus on the “who,” ensuring the ad is shown to the right people at the right place and time.
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What are trends and emerging media technologies?
Programmatic buying, artificial intelligence for ad optimization, omnichannel campaigns, advanced audience segmentation, and data privacy regulations impacting targeted advertising are all trends and emerging technologies used in media buying services.
- Programmatic buying automates purchasing digital ad space, using algorithms and data to optimize placements in real-time. It uses Demand-Side Platforms (DSPs) to buy ad impressions on websites, social media, or apps based on audience targeting.
- AI and machine learning technologies use data patterns to make informed predictions and recommendations for media buying and ad placements.
- Omnichannel marketing integrates advertising platforms (TV, mobile, social media, websites, and more) to create a seamless consumer experience across multiple touchpoints.
- CTV refers to devices that allow viewers to stream video content on television, while OTT refers to content delivered via the internet (e.g., Netflix, Hulu). Ads served on these platforms are highly targeted and non-skippable.
- Advanced Audience Segmentation uses data from various sources (web behavior, CRM data, third-party data). Media buyers can segment audiences into smaller, more specific groups for targeted campaigns.
- With Privacy Regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), there are stricter rules on how consumer data can be collected, stored, and used in advertising.
- Shoppable ads are interactive ads that allow consumers to purchase products directly from the ad, without leaving the platform. These are especially popular on social media and video platforms.
- AR and VR create immersive ad experiences, allowing consumers to engage with products virtually, whether through filters, games, or virtual try-ons.
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