Being a Nimble Media Buyer isn’t Just About Being Quick
The word nimble has been tossed around the business world for some time, and in the unpredictable realm of media buying it remains highly relevant. The dictionary definition of nimble is more nuanced than a nursery rhyme about candlesticks, and the same goes for its application to business. To be effectively nimble, a buyer needs not only speed but also the ability to provide clients with both proactive planning and reactive responses.
Striking while the iron is hot (and the snow is cold)!
A nimble buyer is a proactive buyer. By seeking out opportunities and forecasting issues that might be down the road, a proactive media buyer is more likely to provide a platform for clients to succeed. After all, in today’s highly fragmented media world, there is no one silver bullet to meet all a company’s marketing needs.
One example where proactivity can really pay off (and even save some money) is when a snowstorm hits, especially a Snowpocalypse. During these mega-storms, local stations often bump regular programming—and sometimes the ads airing during them—to provide breaking coverage of the weather event. As a result, time slots shift, and viewer numbers and demographics change.
In situations like these, a nimble media buyer will recognize the opportunity and act quickly by considering the impact of these shifts on clients who have bought media time. If a client is going to be negatively impacted, you can be sure that a proactive media buyer will have a have ready-made snowstorm protocol. And although weather may not be within anyone’s control, preparation for inevitable weather events makes for swift, smart decision-making that ensures the client’s marketing strategy continues uninterrupted.
Responding to the unpredictable
Of course, your media buyer can only plan so much. Oftentimes, however, opportunities and client needs arise that the media buyer cannot predict, and this is where being nimble will really pay off. When a situation materializes with no warning, the nimble buyer must react quickly and intelligently as it unfolds.
For example, a radio station we regularly work with reached out to us to help fill some space around a charity event that needed partners by the end of the week. We wasted no time and immediately began compiling a list of clients who might benefit from the opportunity. We asked ourselves:
- Who would be a good match for the event?
- Who has room in their budget?
- Who will get a good return?
By reacting quickly and intelligently to situations as they arise, we were able to reach out to some clients and find a buyer quickly, who was then able to capitalize on this unanticipated opportunity.
Success means getting a little bit of both
Of course most nimble responses, including the two examples above, aren’t wholly reactive or proactive. With every snowstorm, there is a slightly different pool of clients that changes the dynamic of the decision-making. And even an unexpected opportunity like the charity event draws on a buyer’s already existing knowledge of clients.
The ideal media buyer will not only have the knowledge and experience that will guide nimble decision making, but also the fire in the belly to make opportunities a reality!
If you want to hear more about planning for the unexpected, we encourage you to contact us. We’re happy to share our knowledge!