Key takeaways
- A good media plan ties every channel and dollar to a business goal, an audience and a way to measure results.
- Review how the budget is split, how success will be measured, and what fees, data costs and incentives sit inside the buy.
- Agree on measures and approval rules before the plan runs, not after the results come in.
Most media plans arrive as a spreadsheet of channels, dates and costs. The questions below help any business leader judge whether the plan serves the business before it's approved.
What a media plan should answer
Before the line items, a plan should make clear what the media needs to achieve, for which audiences, and how you'll know it worked. If those answers aren't on the first page, the details that follow are hard to judge.
Five things to check
1. The objective behind each line
Every channel should have a clear role, such as building awareness, driving consideration or converting, with a measure that fits that role.
2. How the budget is split
Look at where most of the money goes and why. Ask what would change if the budget were 20% lower, and which lines would be cut first.
3. How success will be measured
Check that the measures go beyond platform-reported results. Ask whether tests, such as holdouts, are built in to show what the media added.
4. What sits inside the cost
Ask for a breakdown of working media, agency fees, tech and data costs, and any rebates or incentives the agency receives. Ask too whether any inventory is bought by the agency and resold to you, known as principal media.
5. What you're agreeing to
Confirm flight dates, cancellation terms and minimum commitments before you sign off.
Set the rules before the plan runs
In a 2026 ANA survey, only 57% of marketers said their companies have guidelines governing principal media, and 90% cited uncertainty about whether recommended principal media is in their best interest as their top concern. The ANA recommends setting approval and transparency requirements in agency agreements before such transactions occur.
The same principle applies to the whole plan: agree what will be reported, how often and against which measures, before money is committed.
Common questions
What should a media plan include?
Objectives, target audiences, budget by channel and over time, the role of each channel, how success will be measured, and a full breakdown of costs, including fees and data charges.
How do I know if my media plan is working?
Agree on measures that fit each channel's role before the plan runs, and use tests you control, such as holdouts or geographic tests, alongside platform reports.
Should someone independent review our media plan?
It helps when budgets are large or results are unclear. An independent reviewer has no stake in where the money goes, so the review stays focused on whether the plan serves your goals.
Questions to ask your agency
What is each channel in this plan meant to achieve, and how will we measure it?
How much of the budget is working media, and how much is fees, tech and data?
Do you receive rebates or incentives from any media in this plan?
Is any of this inventory bought by you and resold to us?
From Insight to Impact
Want an independent read on your media plan?
We review plans with no stake in where the money goes, so the advice stays focused on what serves your business.
