This free online course explains how to conduct market research and develop marketing campaigns as a media planner.

Marketers use professional planners and the media-planning process to decide where, when, how and why to run adverts. Media planners use their skills to select cost-effective ads and efficient media content to maximise return on investment (ROI). They help marketing teams to identify market trends and consumer behaviour before they strategise and develop effective marketing campaigns to promote the brand's message to the target audience. An advertising strategy is a blueprint for increasing sales of goods and services. This marketing course provides some time-tested and effective media planning and advertising techniques.

We first show how to dissect the marketing briefs from clients and create agency media briefs that meet their advertising needs. We then go through the steps in media planning and explain the purpose of media buying and the method of media scheduling. The course then compares the strengths and weaknesses of various forms of media, including print, broadcast and digital. We also identify the players in the television industry and unpack the methods and metrics used to measure the size of television audiences to help you make smart media planning decisions and meet your advertising objectives.

The course then explains how to identify the most localised and cost-effective media for specific marketing promotions. We answer questions like ‘what form of advertisement is mostly consumed outside the home environment?’ and ‘what are the forms of local transit media?’. We delve into a wide range of media planning topics, including unconditional media like sponsorships, merchandising, cinema advertising and branded entertainment. This marketing course teaches you how to become a highly rated media planner and a successful, result-oriented advertiser. Sign up to master market research and media planning.