When discussing the process of our media and marketing strategies, we often refer to the balance of “Art & Science” that ultimately produces a sound, thoughtful media mix. Media planning and buying has always involved a level of both.
But what do we mean by that?
Looking back not even 25 years ago, broadcast television media buyers primarily relied on Nielsen survey data to provide guidance and rationale for our planning choices. These Nielsen “books” helped determine the best programming mix to reach a target audience, and ultimately estimate, with relative statistical significance, how many people tuned in to see our advertisements.
And during this age before the ubiquity of the personal laptop computer, media planners and buyers would need to forecast program ratings with some artistic flair, scratching away with a pencil, eraser, calculator, and good old-fashioned graphing paper.
The process involved pulling reams of data from various bound, paper sources, including:
- HUTs & PUTs (Households Using Television, People Using Television),
- Program Share (the percent of total viewers that were watching a network during a specific time frame),
- Demo VPVH (Demographic Viewers Per Viewing Household).
Flashback to the Nielsen pocket-piece!
Using this data, we could determine an expected rating and impression level for a 30-second-spot. There was a level of artistry to this – beyond scanning several weeks worth of numbers to determine your forecasted data point, other, less measurable elements were at play.
- How have previous programs performed in this time slot?
- What’s the program lead-in and lead-out (programs airing before and after)
- How popular is the program’s cast?
- What are other TV Networks airing during this time?
- Do I believe this program will succeed?
These forecasts would determine the agency’s value of programs and networks and ultimately guide the strategy going into intense pricing negotiations (another intrinsic art form). These negotiations often lead to creative executions beyond the 30-second-spot that could give a media plan an edge – such as program sponsorships and brand or product integrations.
Today, modern media planning is extensively scientific. Throughout the planning cycle, we are using specific and specialized data for research & planning, forecasting & reporting, attribution & optimization. Today’s digital platforms offer the ability to deliver, track, and measure media with a level of transparency and accuracy that did not exist 25 or even 15 years ago. It has significantly raised the bar on the expectations of justifying planning decisions and proving campaign success with quantifiable return on investment.
So how much room is left for the Art part of this equation? Plenty.
The access to data and visibility into performance has allowed marketers and agencies to level the playing field – step up, or step aside. And frankly, in many ways, it can bring a welcome sense of satisfaction in seeing attributable success – and failure – with less ambiguity: Iterate on the wins, cut the losses.
But just as important is to continue to test unproven ground. And that takes guts. And guts takes heart. There’s an Art in heart.
In order to stand out, today’s marketers must find creative ways to take advantage of data and insights in order to serve beyond the impression in meaningful ways – unique partnerships (see the likes of Liquid Death/Elf cosmetics) and collaborations can bring it to that next level. Data science can help us find the right audience. But when you do find them, you better have the artistry on hand to develop creative messaging that resonates!
The media landscape continues to expand and evolve. New platforms (Meta Threads, ByteDance’s Lemon8), new tactics (Linkedin CTV, Linkedin Games, short-form video), new ownership and hands-on management (Elon Musk much?), and even new policies present fresh challenges and opportunities every day. The exponential progress of AI platforms & tools and their application to all aspects of business is yet another example of the convergence of Art & Science – and Philosophy, for that matter.
Science and data can provide the backdrop and a solid foundation for guiding our decisions. But there is still a need for that Art – a certain “gut” instinct – in making compelling and creative planning decisions that stand out.
At the end of the day, when it comes to our campaigns, we still must ask, “Do I believe this program will succeed?” The right mix of Art & Science can give us reasons to believe.