/ Opening
A media type is not a channel—and a channel is not a strategy
Social, search, email, events, and PR can play different roles depending on control, audience state, and objective.
OWNERSHIP
What do we control or rent?
Paid, owned, earned, shared, partner.
CHANNEL
Where does contact happen?
Search, social, email, video, OOH, events.
JOB
What must the channel do?
Create demand, capture demand, prove, convert, retain.
TAKEAWAYJob first. Ownership and channel second. Metric third.
PRODEVXQXQ1
/ Quick Test
“Drive awareness” is not a channel job description
Which plan gives the team enough direction?
GENERICUse social for awareness
Use social for awareness
Use search for conversion
Use PR for credibility
SPECIFICVideo introduces the problem
Video introduces the problem
Search captures active demand
PR supplies third-party proof
Email moves known prospects
TAKEAWAYA useful channel role names the audience state and the movement required.
PRODEVXQXQ2
/ Model
Choose channels through three decisions
The order matters.
01Customer stateWhat do they know, believe, and do now?
02JobWhat must change next?
03Media type + channelWhere can that job happen credibly?
04MeasureWhat evidence fits the job?
TAKEAWAYDo not choose the channel from category habit before defining the job.
PRODEVXQXQ3
/ Distinctions
Every media option carries trade-offs
No type or channel wins every dimension.
CONTROL
Owned and paid offer more control
Control does not guarantee attention or belief.
CREDIBILITY
Earned and partner can add trust
Access and timing are less controllable.
REACH + FREQUENCY
Paid can scale exposure
Scale can amplify weak meaning.
DATA + CONTINUITY
Owned channels preserve relationships
They require permission and ongoing value.
TAKEAWAYMedia planning is the design of trade-offs and dependencies.
PRODEVXQXQ4
/ Team Challenge
Give every channel one distinct job
Build a launch system without assigning two channels the same vague role.
Paid searchCreator partnershipEmailPR / earned media
FOR EACH: media type · audience state · job · dependency · success measure
TAKEAWAYThe plan should show how channels move the same customer system—not how many channels were purchased.
PRODEVXQXQ5
/ Pressure Test
Why this channel, for this job, at this point?
A strong plan can defend every placement.
1.What customer state does the channel address?
2.What does this channel do structurally well?
3.What other channel or asset must exist first?
4.What metric would be misleading for this job?
TAKEAWAYChannel selection should be explainable without using “awareness” as a universal answer.
PRODEVXQXQ6
/ Example
One journey, four channel jobs
The channels form a sequence rather than a list.
CHANNELTYPEJOB
PR storyEarnedMake the problem credible
Creator demoPartner / sharedShow use in context
Paid searchPaidCapture active demand
Email onboardingOwnedMove trial toward habit
TAKEAWAYThe system works because each channel hands the customer to the next condition.
PRODEVXQXQ7
/ Close
Plan the system, not the media list
Every channel should have a distinct reason to exist.
STATEName the customer condition
JOBDefine the required movement
SYSTEMConnect the channels
TAKEAWAYKnow what you own, rent, earn, share, and access—and what job each must perform.
PRODEVXQXQ8