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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Media Strategist

💰 $75,000 - $125,000

MarketingAdvertisingMediaStrategy

🎯 Role Definition

A Media Strategist is the architectural mind behind a brand's presence in the paid media landscape. This role is responsible for deeply understanding the target audience, the competitive environment, and the brand's core objectives to develop comprehensive, data-informed media plans. They determine the optimal mix of media channels—from digital and social to traditional and emerging platforms—to deliver the right message to the right person at the right time. The Media Strategist acts as a central hub, collaborating with creative, analytics, and client service teams to ensure cohesive campaign execution, continuous optimization, and the efficient allocation of significant media investments to drive measurable results.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Media Planner / Junior Media Strategist
  • Digital Marketing Coordinator / Specialist
  • Media Buyer
  • Marketing Analyst

Advancement To:

  • Senior Media Strategist / Media Supervisor
  • Associate Media Director / Media Director
  • Head of Media Strategy
  • Group Director, Communications Planning

Lateral Moves:

  • Brand Strategist
  • Communications Manager
  • Marketing Manager
  • Account Director

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop holistic, insight-driven media strategies that align with overarching marketing goals and business objectives, translating brand needs into actionable media plans.
  • Conduct comprehensive audience research, leveraging first and third-party data sources to identify key consumer segments, behaviors, and media consumption habits.
  • Analyze the competitive landscape to identify competitor strategies, media spend, and market positioning, uncovering opportunities for our brand to gain a share of voice.
  • Formulate and recommend the optimal media mix across all relevant channels, including paid search, social media, programmatic display, video, connected TV, audio, and traditional media.
  • Create detailed media flowcharts, campaign blueprints, and budget allocation documents that outline flighting, phasing, and investment levels by channel.
  • Manage and steward substantial media budgets, ensuring fiscal responsibility, accurate forecasting, and pacing to maximize return on investment (ROI) and return on ad spend (ROAS).
  • Collaborate closely with creative teams to provide channel-specific insights and ensure creative assets are tailored for optimal performance on each platform.
  • Author and present compelling strategic recommendation decks and performance summaries to internal leadership and external client stakeholders, articulating the "why" behind the plan.
  • Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and a measurement framework for each campaign to ensure clear goals and accountability.
  • Continuously monitor live campaign performance, analyzing data to identify trends and provide proactive, data-driven optimization recommendations to media activation teams.
  • Lead negotiations with media vendors, partners, and platform representatives to secure preferential rates, value-added opportunities, and first-to-market ad products.
  • Stay at the forefront of the media industry, maintaining expert-level knowledge of emerging trends, new technologies, consumer privacy regulations, and platform updates.
  • Partner with analytics and data science teams to develop sophisticated measurement models, such as media mix modeling (MMM) and multi-touch attribution (MTA).
  • Oversee the day-to-day work of junior planners and coordinators, providing mentorship, guidance, and quality control on all plan details.
  • Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with clients, serving as their primary strategic media consultant and advisor.
  • Evaluate and onboard new media partners and advertising technology vendors that can enhance campaign capabilities and effectiveness.
  • Develop test-and-learn agendas to foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within media campaigns.
  • Craft compelling audience personas and journey maps to inform channel selection and messaging cadence.
  • Prepare and deliver post-campaign analysis reports that synthesize performance data into actionable insights and strategic recommendations for future initiatives.
  • Participate actively in new business pitches, developing speculative media strategies and demonstrating the agency's strategic prowess to prospective clients.
  • Ensure all media plans are executed flawlessly by trafficking and activation teams, troubleshooting any issues that may arise during the campaign lifecycle.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to uncover new audience or market insights.
  • Contribute to the organization's broader data strategy and roadmap by identifying needs and opportunities from a media perspective.
  • Collaborate with business units outside of marketing, such as sales and product, to translate their needs into potential media and data requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies, particularly within integrated marketing teams.
  • Mentor junior team members (Planners, Coordinators) on media fundamentals and strategic principles.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Media Research Platforms: Proficiency with tools like Comscore, Nielsen (Ad Intel, Scarborough), Simmons (MRI-Simmons), and GWI for audience and competitive analysis.
  • Paid Media Platforms: Deep, hands-on-keyboard knowledge of Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, and TikTok Ads Manager.
  • Programmatic Advertising: Strong understanding of the programmatic ecosystem, including DSPs (e.g., The Trade Desk, DV360) and DMPs/CDPs.
  • Analytics & Measurement Tools: Advanced skills in Google Analytics (GA4), Adobe Analytics, and campaign management platforms like Campaign Manager 360 (CM360).
  • Data Visualization: Ability to use tools like Tableau, Google Data Studio, or Power BI to build insightful performance dashboards.
  • Advanced Spreadsheet Skills: Mastery of Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, including pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, and complex formulas for budget and data management.
  • Project Management Software: Familiarity with tools such as Asana, Trello, or Jira for managing complex campaign workflows.
  • Media Planning Software: Experience with industry-specific tools for flowcharting and budget management (e.g., Mediaocean, Advantage).
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM): In-depth knowledge of SEM strategies, keyword research tools (e.g., SEMrush, Ahrefs), and bid management.
  • Social Listening Tools: Experience using platforms like Brandwatch or Sprinklr to derive audience insights and monitor brand sentiment.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic & Critical Thinking: The ability to see the bigger picture, connect business goals to media tactics, and challenge assumptions.
  • Analytical Mindset: A natural curiosity to dig into data, identify patterns, and draw clear, actionable conclusions.
  • Compelling Storytelling: The skill to translate complex data and media jargon into a clear, persuasive narrative for diverse audiences.
  • Exceptional Communication: Articulate and confident written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
  • Collaboration & Teamwork: A proven ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams (creative, analytics, account) to achieve a common goal.
  • Negotiation & Influence: The capacity to negotiate effectively with vendors and influence stakeholders to gain buy-in for strategic recommendations.
  • Adaptability & Agility: Thriving in a fast-paced environment and able to pivot strategies based on real-time performance and market changes.
  • Meticulous Attention to Detail: A commitment to accuracy in budgets, flowcharts, and performance reports.
  • Problem-Solving: A proactive approach to identifying challenges and developing creative, effective solutions.
  • Leadership & Mentorship: The ability to guide and develop junior talent, fostering a supportive and high-performing team environment.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s Degree (e.g., MBA, MS in Marketing, MS in Integrated Marketing Communications).
  • Relevant industry certifications (e.g., Google Ads, Meta Certified Media Planning Professional, The Trade Desk Edge Academy).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Marketing
  • Advertising
  • Communications
  • Business Administration
  • Statistics or Economics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 4-8 years of progressive experience in a media-focused role, such as media planning, media buying, or digital marketing with a strong paid media component.

Preferred:

  • Experience managing annual media budgets in excess of $5 million.
  • A proven track record of developing and executing successful integrated media campaigns across both digital and traditional channels.
  • Agency experience is highly valued, but client-side experience in a similar capacity is also welcome.
  • Demonstrable experience presenting to and collaborating with senior-level executives and clients.
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