Media planning is, essentially, about finding the most appropriate media channels with which to use in an advertising campaign. Media planner's core competencies / skills:

• knowledge of media
• understanding of consumer behavior
• knowledge of marketing and brand building
• strategy / research / creative-thinking / analysis / communication / team work / meeting tight deadlines

Due to all the digital technologies that have emerged (in particular the internet), and that continue to emerge, 'knowledge of media' is really crucial. 'Knowledge of media' doesn't just involve having a good knowledge of the technologies themselves, overall, but, also, of the various different ways in which people can interact with them (i.e. using the internet as a tool for playing games, sending emails, following the news, and so on).

'Understanding of consumer behavior' is important in a general sense but, also, in the particular sense of trying to understand why consumers use a particular media channel at a particular time in the day, and why, and so on.

Media plannings has always involved, to an important degree, understanding market trends and brand values and so on. But this aspect of media planning is now more important than ever.

Since consumers are less willing to give time and attention to advertising than in previous generations so marketing people and brand-builders in advertising have had to focus on trying other branding / marketing methods as opposed to relying too much on advertising.

They use more and more, for example, PR, publicity, brand sponsorship and so on, along with advertising. As a result, the brand planner must, also, be aware of these approaches (or the marketing mix as some like to call it).

Media planning is far more holistic in approach than in previous generations. In fact 'media planner'/'media planning' are, perhaps, quite old-fashioned. Media planners are now often referred to as brand planners, communication planners, or communications planners.