Media planners need a combination of education, experience, and skills. A bachelor’s degree in advertising, communications, marketing, or media can help, as can courses in accounting, marketing, and statistics. Entry-level positions at advertising agencies can also provide opportunities for advancement. Strong communication, negotiation, business, and problem-solving skills are essential, as is knowledge of the entertainment industry and media trends.
To become a media planner, a combination of education, experience and skills is usually required. It has become increasingly common for companies to hire media planners with at least a bachelor’s degree, although this is not always necessary. Also, previous work experience in a field related to media planning can help someone become a media planner.
Media planners usually work in advertising agencies. Their main job is to carry out a complete advertising campaign and find out the best means, times and places to present the advertising. For example, a toy advertisement would likely be more effective if it appeared during children’s television programming, as opposed to late-night television. Figuring this out is up to the media planner.
There are a variety of disciplines to study to become a media planner. A bachelor’s degree in advertising, communications, marketing, media, or another liberal arts field can be helpful in becoming a media planner. A degree may not be necessary, but it will likely increase the opportunity to get a job in the field.
There are also classes that people can take that can be helpful in the process of becoming a media planner. This could include courses in accounting, marketing, and statistics. Psychology, creative design and information technology can also bring benefits. Some of these courses may form part of a degree program, but others may not. An internship at a marketing or advertising agency can also be a useful way to gain industry experience.
Another way to become a media planner is to get a low-level job at an advertising agency. Entry-level positions can create opportunities for advancement. An example might be getting a job as a media planner’s assistant, which would provide the opportunity to work with a media planner and learn the basics of the job. Getting this type of work also builds connections with others in the industry, which can also help a person become a media planner.
Skills specific to a media planner job are also important. For example, media planners work with clients and the media, so strong communication skills and a social persona are beneficial to a potential media planner. Additionally, negotiation, business, and problem-solving skills can be essential aspects of the job. Knowledge of the entertainment industry and understanding of the world of advertising are also generally required skills. The media planner must be able to discover the target audience and be aware of media trends; this can usually be done using strong research skills.
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