Lesson 5 of 30 · 9 min
How to read a media plan
The seven things every plan must state, and what to question in each.
The seven parts
A complete plan states the objective, the audience, the channels and their roles, the budget and allocation, the flight dates, the creative approach, and the measurement. If any of the seven is missing, that is where the argument will happen later.
Question the assumptions, not the totals
Anyone can dispute a number. The useful review asks what the number rests on: which CPM, which audience size, which conversion rate, and where each came from. A plan that cannot answer those is a guess in a nice layout.
Look for the thing that is missing
Most weak plans are not wrong, they are incomplete: no frequency, no measurement section, no statement of what happens after the click. Absences are harder to spot than errors, and they cost more.
Ask what would change your mind
Before approving, ask what result would prove the plan wrong. If nobody can answer, the plan cannot fail — which means it also cannot teach anyone anything.
Takeaway
Read a plan for its assumptions and its omissions, not its totals.
Check yourself
No score, no signup — pick an answer to see why it's right.
Question 1
What is the most useful question when reviewing a plan?
Question 2
A plan lists objective, audience, channels, budget and dates but no measurement section. What is the risk?