Resources for starting out in media planning, from The Beyond Collective
Resources
Published 3rd April 2025
Media planning is a key role in advertising, centred around selecting the best platforms and timing to deliver a brand's message to the right audience. Working alongside creative teams, media planners turn innovative ideas into impactful campaigns by deciding where, when and how to share them. The Beyond Collective is an award-winning creative and media agency that has crafted campaigns for the likes of itsu and Subway. Here, planning executive Tiyah Rowe shares essential resources to help you understand your audience, master media channels and stay ahead of industry trends.
🧠 Books to understand your audience
Understanding audience behaviour and decision-making is crucial for effective media planning. These books provide insights into human psychology and consumer behaviour.
📚 Behavioural science
- Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Explores how the human mind makes decisions, distinguishing between fast, intuitive thinking and slower, more deliberate reasoning. - Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein
Examines how small changes in context can influence human behaviour and decision-making. - The Choice Factory by Richard Shotton
Applies behavioural science principles to marketing and advertising, offering practical insights for influencing consumer choices.
📚 Marketing theory
- How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp
Challenges traditional marketing wisdom and presents evidence-based principles for brand growth and consumer behaviour. - The Long and Short of It by Les Binet and Peter Field
Analyses marketing effectiveness, balancing short-term sales activation with long-term brand building.
📰 Industry publications to stay informed
These publications offer news, trends and insights to keep you updated on the media landscape.
- The Drum
This website keeps you in the loop with all the cool new stuff happening in advertising and marketing around the world. - Campaign
Your go-to for news about advertising and marketing in the UK. - The Media Leader
Focuses on everything to do with the media industry itself – like how ads are planned, bought, and the tech that makes it all happen. - The Grocer (for FMCG industry)
Gives you all the latest news on what's selling well, what's new on the shelves, and what competitors are up to.
💡 Tip: Sign up for their newsletters to receive key industry updates directly in your inbox.
🎧 Podcasts for learning on the go
Stay informed with expert insights through these industry podcasts.
- WARC Podcast
Covers the latest marketing trends, effectiveness and strategy with industry experts. - The Media Leader Podcast
Discusses media industry news with key industry figures.
💻 Online courses to build your skills
Continuous learning is key in media planning. These free courses help build foundational knowledge.
- Meta Blueprint
Free online courses covering Facebook's family of apps and services for marketers. - Google Digital Garage
Free digital marketing courses, including fundamentals of digital marketing. - ThinkBox TV Planning Course
A free course that provides insights into TV advertising and planning.
⭐️ Hands-on experience
- Brixton Finishing School (BFS)
This free, 10-week summer course in London for underrepresented talent aged 18–24, covering various aspects of advertising, including media planning. - Bloom Mentoring
A mentoring programme supporting women in communications with guidance and networking opportunities.
💡 Industry resources
- DCM (Digital Cinema Media)
Leads in cinema advertising, providing data and trends specific to this medium. - DMA (Data & Marketing Association)
Offers a wealth of free resources and trends, including industry insights and ethical guidelines. - IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau)
Offers research and best practices for digital advertising. - Newsworks & Magnetic
Involved in press and publishing, offering research and insights into print and digital news media advertising. - Outsmart
Focuses on out-of-home (OOH) advertising, providing insights and research on this specific sector. - Radiocentre
Represents commercial radio, offering research and insights into radio advertising effectiveness. - ThinkBox Research
Provides TV advertising research and insights, helping understand the impact of TV in media plans.
🔍 Audience insights and trends
- YouGov Articles
Publishes ongoing information about what people buy, think and feel, which helps you understand how confident they are about the economy and what they think about different brands. - GWI
GWI has free reports and articles showing you where real people hang out online, so your ads actually reach them.
🌱 Real-world inspiration
Observing people's habits and behaviours in everyday life can provide valuable insights into human behaviour, enhancing your effectiveness as a media planner. By staying curious and engaged, you'll develop a deeper understanding of your audience, which is crucial for creating impactful media campaigns.
The Beyond Collective is a Creative Lives in Progress brand partner. Every year, we partner with like-minded brands and agencies to support our initiative and keep Creative Lives a free resource for emerging creatives. See here to find out more about how you can work with us.