Browse Skills media planning

media planning

🔻 Declining ESCO reuse: cross-sector

The process of selecting the best media to reach marketing and advertising strategy objectives in order to promote a client's product or service. This process encompasses research on target audiences, frequency of advertisements, budgets and media platforms.

media planning — the process of selecting the best media to reach marketing and advertising strategy objectives in order to promote a client's product or service. This process encompasses research on target audiences, frequency of advertisements, budgets and media platforms. McKinsey's Skill Change Index places it in the declining band (SCI 50.68/100) — a skill likely to fall in demand as AI and automation cover more of its ground by 2030. ESCO classifies it as a cross-sector (useful across many industries) skill within knowledge. It is currently listed by 2 occupations in our catalogue, including advertising media buyer, and advertising media planner.

Category: knowledge › audio-visual techniques and media production SCI: 50.68/100 Also known as: media plans, media management

Occupations that require media planning

Showing top 2 of 2 occupations · ranked by India employment volume, then AI-durability.

advertising media buyer · 🤖 5.0/10
advertising media planner · 🤖 5.0/10

Frequently asked questions

What is media planning?

The process of selecting the best media to reach marketing and advertising strategy objectives in order to promote a client's product or service. This process encompasses research on target audiences, frequency of advertisements, budgets and media platforms.

What category of skill is media planning?

ESCO classifies media planning under the knowledge category, specifically in the audio-visual techniques and media production subcategory.

Is media planning an AI-durable skill?

McKinsey's Skill Change Index places it in the declining band (SCI 50.68/100) — a skill likely to fall in demand as AI and automation cover more of its ground by 2030. Prioritise this skill only when it directly enables paid work today — plan for AI to absorb more of it every year.

Which jobs require media planning?

In our catalogue, 2 occupations list media planning as a required or important skill. The top occupations by employment volume include advertising media buyer, advertising media planner.

How transferable is media planning between industries?

ESCO tags media planning as a cross-sector (useful across many industries) skill — a signal of how portable it is when you change field.

Is media planning the same as media plans?

Yes — media planning is also known as media plans, or media management. They refer to the same underlying capability in the ESCO taxonomy.

How can I learn media planning?

The most reliable path is to pick a job or project that demands media planning and learn through delivery. Complement that with role-specific roadmaps and short courses. Explore the occupations below to see where this skill is used in practice.

Data: ESCO v1.2.1 (CC-BY-4.0). Durability framework informed by McKinsey Global Institute (Nov 2025). See our methodology.