The Death (and Revival) of the Art of Planning

When I started out in media, my first task as a fresh faced 20-year-old was to cut out pages from newspapers where a client’s ad had run, put in a folder (in triplicate) and then take the folders across London on the tube to deliver them to the client.  When I tell this anecdote to folk starting out today, they look at me like an alien, or best case scenario they might say “how retro”.  This is because the job of planning has fundamentally changed. Planners have become data analysts rather than cultural architects.  Furthermore, across the industry, planning teams are shrinking as AI-driven tools replace human insight.

We used to talk about media planning as an art form. When the only tools available to us was syndicated consumer research, brand tracking and media reach numbers. The best planners combined this data with intuition, and creativity.  It wasn’t just about following the numbers or building plans around insights but using both things to craft compelling brand narratives that consumers could follow through media.  These narratives shaped brands, changed consumer behaviour and had cultural influence.  We used to talk about how just one TV spot could get a brand famous, that is not the case anymore. 

The Fragmentation Challenge & efficiency trap

The fragmentation of consumers across media channels means that the ‘art’ of planning is harder to find – those catch all fame driving moments don’t exist in a singular sense anymore.  Furthermore, the rise of data and automation has stripped away the craft further and AI-driven media buying has made human intuition feel obsolete.  All too often, retail media networks and algorithmic buying has replaced strategic thinking with an over-reliance on performance metrics and short-term KPIs.  This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy where we focus on hyper-reactivity instead of long-term vision. Even from the outset of a plan, it is tempting to rely on personalised, tactical executions instead of finding the real magic.

The plethora of dynamic targeting opportunities, data and automation at our fingertips really should be a good thing. We can know more, adapt and be smarter than ever before.  But we must not forget the power of storytelling to a consumer and putting human insight at the heart of our plans – it can’t all be about efficiency.

A New Era of Planning

Given the complexity of today’s media landscape, the art of planning is more important than ever before. Generative AI is flooding the internet with generic, low-effort marketing.  Walled gardens are dominating ad spend and limiting planners’ ability to build cross-channel brand strategies.  Consumers are skeptical of paid messaging and turning to authentic, independent voices yet the creator economy is saturated, and audiences are fatigued. Blending human creativity and data driven smarts has to be the only way forward.

So this is a call to arms. An ask to every planner in the industry to return to the art of planning.  Not to be distracted by the ‘easy wins’ but to balance data with creativity.  The ‘art’ today won’t be like that of yesteryear, it should be even better.  We can bring the art back, using the power of AI and automation as enablers – tech is a tool, not a crutch - and combine this with real human intuition in understanding culture and behaviour.  This will create something amazing. Media plans that truly speak to people and connect them with brands.  Campaigns and activations that transcend the labels of brand or performance but exist across a full end-to-end relationship with a brand. Human insight is more valuable than ever—real cultural intelligence will set great planners apart.

I believe that the future of planning depends on a rebirth of the craft.  One that embraces both art and science to create meaningful, resonant brand connections with consumers.  Planning isn’t dead—it's just waiting for a revival.

Caroline Manning is Head of Communications Design at Initiative and will be the Keynote Speaker for the IPA Media Planning and Strategy Summit 2025.

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