• Subscribe to our newsletter
The Media Online
  • Home
  • MOST Awards
  • News
    • Awards
    • Media Mecca
  • Print
    • Newspapers
    • Magazines
    • Publishing
  • Broadcasting
    • TV
    • Radio
    • Cinema
    • Video
  • Digital
    • Mobile
    • Online
  • Agencies
    • Advertising
    • Media agency
    • Public Relations
  • OOH
    • Events
  • Research & Education
    • Research
    • Media Education
      • Media Mentor
  • Press Office
    • Press Office
    • TMO.Live Blog
    • Events
    • Jobs
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • MOST Awards
  • News
    • Awards
    • Media Mecca
  • Print
    • Newspapers
    • Magazines
    • Publishing
  • Broadcasting
    • TV
    • Radio
    • Cinema
    • Video
  • Digital
    • Mobile
    • Online
  • Agencies
    • Advertising
    • Media agency
    • Public Relations
  • OOH
    • Events
  • Research & Education
    • Research
    • Media Education
      • Media Mentor
  • Press Office
    • Press Office
    • TMO.Live Blog
    • Events
    • Jobs
No Result
View All Result
The Media Online
No Result
View All Result
Home Agencies Media agency

Was media planning really less precise before AI?

AI has allowed us to perform the more mundane tasks quicker, and refine the audience information to allow us to target consumers with a bit more nuance, writes Merissa Himraj for the AMF Board.

by Merissa Himraj
May 7, 2024
in Media agency
0 0
0
Was media planning really less precise before AI?

AI generated image of agency staff working with AI/Pikaso/Freepik.com

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Look around today and you cannot escape hearing about how AI is changing the media and creative industries almost overnight.

AI technologies are transforming media planning from a manual, labour-intensive process into a data-driven, dynamic, and agile discipline. By harnessing the power of AI technologies, media planners can deliver highly targeted, personalised advertising experiences that resonate with audiences, drive engagement, and deliver measurable results.

It’s a dream come true when there is a massive focus for marketers to hone in on and report on return on ad spend (ROAS) and return on investment (ROI).

Questionable?

So the assumption might be made that as we didn’t have this technology earlier, our media planning approaches prior to AI might be questionable.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Media strategy development, planning and deployment is a specific, data-informed specialisation that requires a blend of technical skill as well as creative artistry to hone the perfect approach to reach your specific consumer set.

Ask the extremely technical strategists, planners, buyers and insights team members, who pre-date AI, what it was like and how they targeted consumers, and you will be surprised that despite the ‘low-tech’ approach, the targeting mechanisms were sophisticated and detailed.

Scaled with AI

There has never been a broad-based strategic approach to media planning. Even when we were targeting the entire country, there were still very nuanced audience profiles being built. Precision audiences can now be scaled with AI, but they have always existed in some way or form within the media agencies.

This is evidenced by just how many analytics and insight specialists and data scientists sit within any of the media agencies today.

The media industry  at large, brands and media group companies invested and continue to invest millions of rands into data and research, bespoke technology solutions, audience research panels and attribution modelling and optimisation tools.

These in turn allow media teams to deliver unique segmentation models by brand to get the performance outcomes needed.  This is nothing new, but what AI has allowed us to do, is perform the more mundane tasks quicker, and refine the audience information to allow us to target consumers with a bit more nuance.

Not new, just better

This is improved precision marketing – it’s not new, it is just better.  With privacy laws being what they are, the dream of being able to target down to a precise singular identity might remain a bit out of reach as consumers start to understand and limit their access and their device access.

Media strategy and planning disciplines have always been responsible custodians of client budgets.  We have always been specific in the way we apply planning methodologies to build audiences that allow us to reach the most in-market consumers.

What AI has allowed us to do is be more specific faster. This in turn is giving us back valuable thinking time so that we can find more interesting ways in which to present brands to consumers for their consideration.

In this time-starved, cluttered environment it is the best use of both human creativity and technological advancement.

Contributed by Merissa Himraj, a member of the Advertising Media Forum. The AMF is a collective of media agencies and individuals including media strategists, planners, buyers and consultants through whom 95% of all media expenditure in South Africa is bought. The AMF advises and represents relevant organisations and aims to create open channels of communication and encourage and support transparent policies, strategies and transactions within the industry.


 

Tags: advertisingAdvertising Media Forumadvertising scaleAIAMFanalyticsartificial intelligencecampaigndatadata scientistsmarketingmediamedia planningMerissa Himraj

Merissa Himraj

he MediaShop is a creative and pro-active media specialist providing expertise in the fields of media, strategy, planning, digital and outdoor advertising. Merissa Himraj is a business unit manager at The MediaShop. We are a diverse group of innovative and highly skilled professionals who consistently add value to, and share knowledge with our clients. We're about 20 non-negotiable attitudes, actions, and behaviours that all staff sign personally to ensure the ongoing delivery of an excellent product.

Follow Us

  • twitter
  • threads
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Kelders van Geheime: The characters are here

Kelders van Geheime: The characters are here

March 22, 2024
Dissecting the LSM 7-10 market

Dissecting the LSM 7-10 market

May 17, 2023
Keri Miller sets the record straight after being axed from ECR

Keri Miller sets the record straight after being axed from ECR

April 23, 2023
Getting to know the ES SEMs 8-10 (Part 1)

Getting to know the ES SEMs 8-10 (Part 1)

February 22, 2018
Sowetan proves that sex still sells

Sowetan proves that sex still sells

105
It’s black. It’s beautiful. It’s ours.

Exclusive: Haffajee draws a line in the sand over racism

98
The Property Magazine and Media Nova go supernova

The Property Magazine and Media Nova go supernova

44
Warrant of arrest authorised for Media Nova’s Vaughan

Warrant of arrest authorised for Media Nova’s Vaughan

41
AI in sponsorship: Beyond the buzzword

AI in sponsorship: Beyond the buzzword

May 9, 2025
Upping the ante: Tracking the year-on-year growth of gambling in SA

Upping the ante: Tracking the year-on-year growth of gambling in SA

May 9, 2025
Seven Days on Social Media: Tonya’s in hospital, the nation’s in chaos and SA doesn’t care about Joshlin

Seven Days on Social Media: Tonya’s in hospital, the nation’s in chaos and SA doesn’t care about Joshlin

May 9, 2025
Social media platforms are replacing Google

Social media platforms are replacing Google

May 8, 2025

Recent News

AI in sponsorship: Beyond the buzzword

AI in sponsorship: Beyond the buzzword

May 9, 2025
Upping the ante: Tracking the year-on-year growth of gambling in SA

Upping the ante: Tracking the year-on-year growth of gambling in SA

May 9, 2025
Seven Days on Social Media: Tonya’s in hospital, the nation’s in chaos and SA doesn’t care about Joshlin

Seven Days on Social Media: Tonya’s in hospital, the nation’s in chaos and SA doesn’t care about Joshlin

May 9, 2025
Social media platforms are replacing Google

Social media platforms are replacing Google

May 8, 2025

ABOUT US

The Media Online is the definitive online point of reference for South Africa’s media industry offering relevant, focused and topical news on the media sector. We deliver up-to-date industry insights, guest columns, case studies, content from local and global contributors, news, views and interviews on a daily basis as well as providing an online home for The Media magazine’s content, which is posted on a monthly basis.

Follow Us

  • twitter
  • threads

ARENA HOLDING

Editor: Glenda Nevill
glenda.nevill@cybersmart.co.za
Sales and Advertising:
Tarin-Lee Watts
wattst@arena.africa
Download our rate card

OUR NETWORK

TimesLIVE
Sunday Times
SowetanLIVE
BusinessLIVE
Business Day
Financial Mail
HeraldLIVE
DispatchLIVE
Wanted Online
SA Home Owner
Business Media MAGS
Arena Events

NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION

 
Subscribe
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

Copyright © 2015 - 2023 The Media Online. All rights reserved. Part of Arena Holdings (Pty) Ltd

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • MOST Awards
  • News
    • Awards
    • Media Mecca
  • Print
    • Newspapers
    • Magazines
    • Publishing
  • Broadcasting
    • TV
    • Radio
    • Cinema
    • Video
  • Digital
    • Mobile
    • Online
  • Agencies
    • Advertising
    • Media agency
    • Public Relations
  • OOH
    • Events
  • Research & Education
    • Research
    • Media Education
      • Media Mentor
  • Press Office
    • Press Office
    • TMO.Live Blog
    • Events
    • Jobs

Copyright © 2015 - 2023 The Media Online. All rights reserved. Part of Arena Holdings (Pty) Ltd

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?