Media planning
Deciding where, when and how often a campaign should appear to reach its audience efficiently: channel mix, budget split, timing, reach and frequency goals. The strategy half of media; buying executes what planning decides.
Where it's used
Used for every campaign and for annual budgets. Good for connecting business goals to reach, frequency and channels before any money is committed.
How to calculate it
Impressions needed = People to reach × Frequency
Budget = Impressions needed ÷ 1,000 × CPM
Worked example
Illustrative numbersThe target audience is 1,000,000 people. You want to reach 60% of them, three times each on average, at a blended CPM of $8.
People to reach
1,000,000 people × 60% = 600,000
Impressions needed
600,000 people × 3 exposures = 1,800,000
Budget
1,800,000 impressions ÷ 1,000 × $8 = $14,400
What it tells you
This gives you a first number to debate. The last points of reach cost far more than the first, so expect it to rise.