Media Planning
Media planning and budget allocation
Decide where the budget goes — before it's spent.
We build the media plan: which channels, what budget, which objectives and audiences — allocated against contribution so every rupee has a job.
Media planning decides where the budget goes before it is spent: which channels, which audiences, which objectives, in what proportion and over what period. Most budgets are planned by habit — last year's split plus a percentage — rather than by where the next dollar or rupee will earn the most.
We plan media against contribution: estimating the marginal return of each channel, reserving budget for tests, planning around seasonal peaks, and setting the measures each line of spend will be judged by.
The problem
Most media budgets are allocated by habit and last year's split, not by where the real opportunity and efficiency are. Without a plan, spend drifts to familiar channels while better ones go underfunded.
What we do
- Analyze historical channel contribution margins and headroom limitations
- Allocate budgets strategically across high-performance channels and funnels
- Define distinct target audiences, objectives, and optimal flighting schedules
- Build structured model scenarios with strict budget safety limits/guardrails
What you get
- A contribution-led, mathematically sound master media plan
- Specific budget allocations mapped across channels and funnel checkpoints
- Dynamic allocation scenario sheets and threshold safety guardrails
A media budget spent with absolute intent behind every single row.
Who this is for
- Brands planning quarterly or annual budgets across several channels
- Companies entering new markets and deciding how to split spend
- Teams whose budget split has not changed in years
What's included
- Channel roles and budget allocation by objective
- Marginal return estimates and test budgets
- Seasonal pacing plan
- Measurement plan and success criteria per channel
How a media plan is built
We start from the business target — revenue, customers or pipeline — and work backward to the spend each channel would need, using your historical cost per result and an estimate of how that cost rises as spend grows. Channels that are near saturation get less of the increment; channels with headroom get more. A defined share is reserved for tests, so the plan can learn rather than repeat last year.
The plan also sets timing: when to build audiences before peaks, how to step budgets up, and when to pull back after them. Each channel gets a role — demand creation, demand capture or retention — and the measure it will be judged by, so a brand campaign is not cancelled for having a weak ROAS and a retargeting campaign is not praised for an inflated one. We review the plan monthly against actual results and adjust allocations as the data changes.
Frequently asked questions
How do you decide how much to spend on each channel?
By estimating the marginal return of extra spend in each channel from historical data and tests, then allocating where the next unit of budget earns the most, while protecting test budget for new channels.
What is the difference between media planning and media buying?
Planning decides where and how much to spend; buying executes and optimises the spend day to day.
Can media planning use marketing mix modeling?
Yes, where there is enough history. MMM estimates channel contribution and saturation, which informs the plan.
How often should a media plan be updated?
Reviewed monthly against actual results and reworked quarterly or whenever performance, seasonality or business goals change materially.
Pricing: monthly retainers by region
Every engagement is a monthly retainer priced on scope — never a percentage of ad spend. The range depends on the number of channels, markets and the depth of tracking and CRM work involved.
| Region | Monthly retainer |
|---|---|
| United States | $2,500–$6,000 per month |
| India | ₹1,00,000–₹5,00,000 per month |
| United Kingdom | £2,200–£5,000 per month |
| United Arab Emirates | AED 4,000–AED 10,000 per month |
| Australia | A$3,000–A$7,000 per month |
| Canada | C$3,000–C$7,000 per month |
| Singapore | S$3,000–S$7,000 per month |
| Europe | €2,500–€5,000 per month |