A Media Buyer working in an agency has one main function: to help the client find the most effective advertising space for his or her advertising dollar and buy the space. Since there are virtually thousands of places for a client to advertise his or her product or service, and advertising is expensive, the Media Buyer must choose the best place to buy ads. For example, the individual must decide whether a client should advertise in a newspaper or magazine, on radio or television, on a Web site, or through the use of billboards.
He or she has to decide what types of publications, stations, Web sites, and programs will be effective, what advertising costs are, and what the projected advertising budget is. Depending on the size of the agency and the organization of the media department, the Media Buyer might be in charge of collecting, organizing, and analyzing data on various media available. He or she might hand the information over to a media planner who will decide what media will be most effective for a client’s advertisements. In smaller agencies, however, the Media Buyer might additionally act in the position of the media planner and recommend where clients should advertise.
The individual must know enough about the media to be able to recommend cost-effective advertising. A lot of research is done by the Media Buyer in order to locate just the right advertising for clients. Advertising costs for a certain medium might seem cheap. However, if they don’t reach the right audience, they are valueless. Media Buyers must therefore check out all information thoroughly. If clients advertise nationally, this can be an extensive chore. The Media Buyer must contact television stations, radio stations, Web sites, magazines, and newspapers in every area in which a client will advertise.
He or she must obtain rates as well as audience demographics and other pertinent information. The Media Buyer at an agency works with others in the media department as well as with account executives assigned to specific clients. Together they plan media recommendations for clients. To do this, media and market information must be compiled, keeping budgets in mind through the entire process. The Media Buyer might also be responsible for preparing advertising budget proposals for client campaigns as well as keeping to budget. The Media Buyer must find out what media are available to clients at the time that they wish to place ads. For example, if a client wants his or her advertisement to appear on the back page of a magazine and it is already promised to another advertiser, it would not be available. The Media Buyer would then have to recommend another part of the magazine, a different publication, or to wait until the back cover becomes available.
The Media Buyer gives the media information he or she has compiled to media estimators, who estimate the costs of advertising in the specific markets and media. If approval is given by the client, the Media Buyer starts talking to salespeople (also called space or time reps) from the media where time or space is being purchased. At this time the individual has the opportunity to negotiate and bargain for better prices and good broadcasting times or publication positions. This is also the time when the Media Buyer does what his or her title implies and buys the media space. Every week reps from newspapers, magazines, television stations, and radio stations visit the Media Buyer to try to get him or her to buy space with their media. The Media Buyer must go through all the information on costs and audience size, type, desirability, and decide if the media is proper for clients. If it is not right at the time, it will be filed away for future reference.
Media Buyers are often invited to cocktail parties, luncheons, dinners, and other affairs put on by publications and broadcast stations. At these functions executives and salespeople try to sell the Media Buyer on their publication or space. It is their hope that the Media Buyer will then go back to clients and recommend the publication or broadcast station as a viable advertising source. Media Buyers meet with newspaper and magazine publishers, editors, television producers, and radio station owners. In this way the Media Buyer will learn more about availability of specific media.
At times these individuals call the Media Buyer to let him or her know about special shows and magazine issues where specific clients can target their market. It is important that the individual understand as much as possible about advertising possibilities in order to recommend the best places to advertise for each client. The buyer is responsible for locating the most suitable audience for the product or service the client is selling, gathering information, and negotiating the best price. One of the most important functions of a Media Buyer is to have a good working relationship with advertising salespeople. If clients are not happy with a specific advertising medium, they will not advertise again.
If there is a give and take between the Media Buyer and the salesperson, the Media Buyer will purchase more space and the salesperson will in turn sell more time. For example, if a client paid thousands of dollars to have his or her commercial aired during a televised sports event that normally had high ratings and the ratings were not up to par, the Media Buyer might be able to obtain a rebate for the client in the form of money or additional ads at no cost. Depending on the size and the organization of the agency, the Media Buyer may specialize in just one type of media, such as television, or may buy the advertising space and time for all media.
The Media Buyer puts in long hours. Much of his or her work is done long after everyone else has gone home. There is also a lot of stress caused by people changing their minds about what they want and the pressure of meeting deadlines. Depending on the structure of the agency, the Media Buyer is responsible directly to the media planner or the media director.
Salaries for Media Buyers working in agencies can vary greatly depending on the size of the agency, its location, and the type of clients it represents. Earnings will also be dependent on the experience of the individual and his or her responsibilities. Salaries can start at $25,000 annually for Media Buyers in smaller agencies. Earnings may go up to $60,000 or more annually plus a benefit package for those working in cities where the major agencies are located.
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Note: This article was sent to us by: Mark S. Anderson at 04122010
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