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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryBrand & Performance MarketingMedia Planning

Brand & Performance Marketing

Media Planning

Deciding where, when, and how much to advertise to reach goals.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Media planning is deciding where, when, and how much to advertise to reach marketing goals. Planners study the target audience, choose channels, set budgets, and schedule placements for the right reach and frequency. The resulting media plan guides media buying and sets the benchmarks used to evaluate campaign performance.