Nothing works without media

Logistics moves goods from producers to retailers and consumers. Media planning delivers campaigns and messages from brands to their target audiences. A logistics strategy organizes routes, processes, capacities, interfaces, and costs. A media strategy structures channels, target audiences, messages, timing, and budget.

The term “logistics” naturally comes to mind as a common thread. In both cases, the goal is to reduce complexity so that implementation works reliably. Media agencies are the logistics experts of the communications industry. It’s an apt comparison—and one that immediately highlights the indispensability of the media industry.

What makes for a good media strategy and plan? And what can we learn from logistics? Five insights:

At the beginning instead of at the end

When media strategy and planning are integrated into campaign development from the very beginning, the result is not only more efficient visibility but also more effective, inspiring input for creative work and brainstorming.

In recent years, media planning has been pushed further down the workflow. It is often not brought into the process until a campaign has already been largely produced—with the task of distributing the existing assets (as advertising materials are called today) across channels as efficiently as possible. This is paradoxical: No company produces goods without considering distribution early on. After all, logistical requirements have a significant impact on production—including shape, packaging, consistency, and labeling.

Media agencies belong at the beginning of the value chain—at least on par with creative agencies.

2

Simultaneous

In the world of communications, sequential workflows dominate: first ideas, then planning, booking, implementation, monitoring, and billing. In logistics, however, processes run simultaneously. Service levels, transport routes, resources, capacities, and lead times are constantly being realigned—this is the only way to respond to constant change.

That is precisely what sets strong media work apart: campaigns are continuously improved. And that means more than just the automated optimization of programmatic delivery. Effective media work remains vigilant: it integrates new offerings during the campaign period, adjusts resource allocation based on competitor analysis, capitalizes on short-term developments in the social or economic landscape, and generates targeted momentum.

Anyone who understands media in this way automatically makes it the central tool for managing communication.

3

Individuality

There are tried-and-true models in media planning: high reach in the upper funnel, engagement in the mid-funnel, and conversion in the lower funnel. There are also standard approaches in logistics: large batches, scaled carriers, and long-term, cost-effective contracts.

Things get exciting, however, when projects are conceived individually rather than following a “copy-paste” approach. Sophisticated logistics concepts can even help shape a brand—for example, when cocoa beans are transported to Europe by sailing ship, thereby credibly underscoring sustainable brand positioning. The same applies to media: for example, when a German retailer advertises in Switzerland using regional or even local media campaigns, as if it had always been a Swiss retailer.

Media agencies should aim to approach campaigns in a more personalized way—and thereby become a key differentiator for the brand themselves.

4

Transparency

Transparency builds trust. In logistics, it’s always possible to track where a shipment is and what stage of the process it’s in. What was originally an internal management tool is now a central part of the customer experience. After all, in our daily lives, tracking notifications also show us the progress of our online orders in real time.

The same principle should apply in the media sector and be a matter of course. Clients must have full visibility into campaigns at all times—from planning through media buying to billing. Other approaches may produce the desired short-term results of a campaign, but in the long run they undermine the trust between the client and the agency.

5

Manual and mental work

Modern logistics can no longer function without automation. Otherwise, the complexity and speed would be unmanageable. Nevertheless, human labor and intellect are behind every step of the process. Even highly automated systems have their limits—as was recently demonstrated by striking robots at a distribution center.

In the media industry, too, data, tools, and automation are indispensable. They enable planning, delivery, and optimization on a whole new level. And artificial intelligence will further accelerate this development. The key is how the time saved is used: not merely for system monitoring, but to enhance strategic, planning, and operational quality.

6

Conclusion

Media works like logistics. It is a key management tool from start to finish.

In the media industry, too, data, tools, and automation are indispensable. They enable planning, delivery, and optimization on a whole new level. And artificial intelligence will further accelerate this development. The key is how the time saved is used: not merely for system monitoring, but to enhance strategic, planning, and operational quality.

Today, the reality is this: Nothing works without logistics. Nothing works without media. It’s baffling that media agencies have been pushed to the back of the workflow. Media belongs at the heart of modern communications planning and must be factored in from the very beginning. As complexity grows, so does the need for guidance and predictability. Anyone who reduces media to the mere purchase of ad space fails to recognize its potential. Through strategy and planning, media agencies can provide data-driven decision-making confidence—while simultaneously fueling the creative development of campaigns.

If they fulfill this role with awareness, dedication, and creativity, media agencies will become the lead agencies of the future.

The author

Christoph Bürge has been CEO of Mediaschneider in Zurich since 2025 and owner of Smple Creative Strategy since 2024. Christoph has held various consulting roles both in Switzerland and abroad for over 30 years—always focusing on his favorite and signature discipline: strategy. Among other things, he established Lintas’s Shanghai office, shaped numerous brand identities and campaigns for clients at AY&R, and, as an entrepreneur, served for two decades as co-owner and managing director of his own creative agencies in Zurich.

«Media agencies belong at the beginning of the value chain—at least on par with creative agencies.»

In demand

«There will be less and less of a fixed division of roles.»

m&k The article states, somewhat pointedly: «The media agency is the lead agency of the future.» What does a media agency need to do to actually fulfill this role?

CHRISTOPH BÜRGE The media agency must reflect on its origins, before specialized media agencies were established. It was an integral part of communications and advertising agencies, working side by side with creative teams and other disciplines such as branding, PR, and direct marketing. Media agencies must aspire to do more than simply buy advertising space.

In many processes, media has been pushed to the back burner. Do you think this trend is a mistake—and what would the ideal collaboration look like today?

Media has taken a back seat in the workflow because the business has increasingly been reduced to purchasing. Today, however, advertising media research provides a wealth of data that goes far beyond purchasing planning: precise sociodemographic information, insights into media consumption, values, and brand affinities. This data is central to strategy and planning and should be utilized early in the process. A data-driven decision-making foundation at the outset of the process, combined with corresponding strategy and planning services, creates sustainable added value.

The article argues that creative work and media should enrich each other. How can this collaboration work better in practice—beyond traditional handoffs?

Advertisers, media agencies, and creative teams sit down together right from the start. Initial broad media strategies and creative ideas develop in parallel, fueling each other, and are refined in close collaboration with the client. This is followed by detailed planning and implementation. If this constructive, inspiring interplay continues, a campaign can be continuously improved and advanced—even while it is already running.

As media takes on a more strategic role: Who will «lead» the campaign in the future—creative, strategy, or media?

If there is a shared understanding of holistic planning and simultaneous work is preferred over linear processes, any discipline—strategy, media, or creative—can, in principle, take the lead. It’s quite conceivable that media will assume this role more often.

What services will creative agencies, media agencies, and strategy consultancies each provide in the future—and where do the lines between them blur?

Fixed role divisions will increasingly become a thing of the past. Even today, clients are taking on creative or media work themselves, creative agencies are taking on media buying, and media agencies are developing and producing content. One thing is certain: anyone who wants to stand out must rely on the best combination of specialized expertise. No one can do everything best on their own.

Christoph Bürge, you have a background in creative work and now work in media. What can the media industry learn from this perspective?

I have been working in various consulting roles both in Germany and abroad for over 30 years, including about 20 years as a partner and managing director of creative agencies. My comprehensive experience across various communication disciplines gives me a broader perspective on the role of the media agency—as a strategic partner for a comprehensive and targeted communication strategy, rather than merely as a procurement entity.

The first 100 days in a new organization are often formative. What would you prioritize during this phase if you were strategically realigning a media organization?

During my first 100 days at Mediaschneider, I spoke with all clients and employees—not only to identify opportunities for improvement in our organization and processes, but above all to understand how our self-image and range of services can evolve. It quickly became clear just how many talented and dedicated communications professionals work here—and that they are capable of and eager to achieve much more. The increasing convergence of media formats requires a way of thinking and working that goes beyond previous boundaries.

The article describes media as a «navigation system» for modern communication. What is needed for media to truly assume this role—from an organizational, technological, and cultural perspective?

What matters most is a culture of curiosity toward new challenges—both in the market and in every single briefing. Equally important are people who are committed to developing the best possible, tailored solution for every task. When this mindset is fostered, media can provide creative and data-driven decision-making confidence and thus truly become a guiding force. Technology, of course, is an integral enabler in this process.