Media planning and buying that makes every impression and impact count
The right message is only effective if the right people see it. Whether you’re
building awareness, promoting a service, launching a campaign or encouraging
action, media planning plays an important role in helping your message reach
the people who need to see it.
At SBW, we combine audience insight, media expertise and integrated
communications experience to create media strategies and plans that support
wider campaign objectives. Because we understand how insight, strategy, creative,
media and digital activity work together, we’re able to identify the channels,
messages and opportunities most likely to connect with audiences and deliver results.
For more than 20 years, we’ve helped Welsh Government, Public Health Wales,
NHS organisations and purpose-led brands connect with audiences through
effective, well-targeted media campaigns.
Why media planning is about more than buying media
Media planning isn’t just about choosing channels or buying advertising space.
The most effective campaigns start by understanding who you’re trying to reach,
where they’re most likely to encounter your message and what will encourage
them to take notice.
That’s why successful media planning looks beyond reach and impressions.
It considers timing, context, trusted channels and how different media can
work together to help campaigns connect with the right audiences. The most
effective media plans don’t operate in isolation. They support wider communications
and marketing objectives, helping organisations make the most of their investment.
Our approach
Every campaign is different, but one thing stays the same: The best media plans start with understanding who you’re trying to reach.
Before we start thinking about channels, budgets or media schedules, we take the time to understand the audience, the challenge and what success looks like. That helps us create media plans that are focused, effective and built around real-world behaviours.
Audience insight and media strategy
Good media planning starts with understanding where audiences spend their time, what influences their decisions and how they’re most likely to engage with a message. We use audience insight, segmentation and channel expertise to shape media strategies that help campaigns reach the right people in the right places, at the right time and in the right context.
Integrated channel planning
Different channels play different roles. We bring together TV, VOD, radio, audio, search, social media, display, out of home, press and community channels to create joined-up campaigns that reach audiences at the right moments.
We also look at how channels can work together, helping organisations make the most of creative content, campaign assets and media investment.
Media buying and optimisation
Once a plan is in place, we manage the buying, implementation and optimisation of media activity across traditional and digital channels. By monitoring campaign performance throughout delivery, we can refine budgets, targeting and placements to help activity perform as effectively as possible.
Once a plan is in place, we manage the buying, implementation and optimisation of media activity across traditional and digital channels. Drawing on years of experience, strong relationships across the media landscape and an in-depth understanding of channel performance, we help clients make the most of their investment.
From negotiating competitive rates and identifying added-value opportunities to refining budgets, targeting and placements throughout delivery, we focus on ensuring media budgets work as hard as possible. By continuously monitoring campaign performance, we can optimise activity in real time and maximise impact.
Measurement and evaluation
Understanding what worked is just as important as delivering the campaign itself. We use campaign analytics, audience data and evaluation to understand performance, identify opportunities for improvement and help shape future activity.
Our work
These examples show how we’ve helped organisations get the
right message in front of the right people at the right time.
Why SBW?
Great media planning is about more than buying advertising space. It’s about understanding
audiences, making informed decisions and ensuring every pound works as hard as possible.
By combining audience insight, strategic thinking and channel expertise, we create media plans
that support wider campaign objectives and help organisations make the most of their investment.
Our experience spans television, radio, digital, social, outdoor and specialist media channels.
Combined with long-standing relationships across the media landscape, this helps us negotiate
competitive rates, identify added-value opportunities and access the latest innovations, ensuring
clients benefit from both effective planning and smart buying.
Frequently asked questions
A media planning and buying agency helps organisations decide where, when and how to reach their audiences. This includes selecting the right channels, planning activity and managing media bookings to help campaigns achieve the best possible results.
We use audience insight, channel performance data and campaign goals to identify the channels most likely to help your campaign succeed with the budget available.
Yes. We plan and buy media across digital, social, search, television, video on demand, radio, audio, out of home, press and other channels.
Yes. Much of our media planning experience comes from behaviour change, public health and public awareness campaigns. We use audience insight and channel expertise to help important messages reach the people they need to.
We tailor our approach to each campaign. Depending on the objectives, we might measure awareness, engagement, website activity, conversions and other indicators of campaign success.
Yes. We regularly plan and buy media as part of wider campaigns that bring together creative, PR, stakeholder communications, digital activity and evaluation.
Media planning is most effective when it’s connected to wider communications activity. By aligning media strategy with audience insight, creative development, digital activity and campaign objectives, organisations can make better use of their resources and create campaigns that work harder.
Yes. We have extensive experience supporting Welsh Government, Public Health Wales, NHS organisations and other public sector bodies with media planning and buying services.
Let’s start with the challenge
Whether you have a clear brief, an idea you’d like to explore or a specific
objective in mind, we’ll help you understand your audience, identify the
right approach and create communications that work harder.
Get in touch to start the conversation
Leticia
Managing Director
Rich
Head of Client Services
