Media Planning Principles
The productive tension
Reachandfrequency
but reach first
The synthesis
The fundamental tension in media planning is between reach (how many different people see the advertising) and frequency (how many times each person sees it). Both matter, but they are not equal. For brand building, reach is the primary driver of growth because brands grow by reaching light and non-buyers, not by repeatedly exposing heavy buyers. Frequency faces diminishing returns — the first exposure creates the most impact, and each subsequent exposure contributes less. But frequency is not irrelevant: for activation, for complex messages, and for low-attention media, repetition matters. The evidence-based media planner prioritises reach but deploys frequency where the evidence supports it.
Learning objectives
- →Define the core media planning variables — reach, frequency, continuity, and recency
- →Explain why reach is the primary driver of brand growth
- →Articulate the law of diminishing returns on frequency
- →Distinguish between continuity and flighting strategies
- →Explain recency theory and its implications for scheduling
- →Describe the media planning process from audience definition to scheduling
- →Apply Sharp's principles of reaching all category buyers
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