B&TB&TB&T
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Search
Trending topics:
  • Cairns Crocodiles
  • Nine
  • Seven
  • Cannes Lions
  • WPP
  • State of Origin
  • NRL
  • B&T Women in Media
  • Thinkerbell
  • imaa
  • Agency Scorecards
  • Pinterest
  • Anthony Albanese
  • AFL
  • AI
  • Meta
  • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • TV Ratings
  • Radio Ratings
  • Sports Marketing

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
Reading: Tech Is The Future, But Where Does That Leave Media Planners?
Share
B&TB&T
Subscribe
Search
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
B&T > Opinion > Tech Is The Future, But Where Does That Leave Media Planners?
Opinion

Tech Is The Future, But Where Does That Leave Media Planners?

Staff Writers
Published on: 29th September 2016 at 10:38 AM
Staff Writers
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

Are media planners going to become a thing of the past? Will technology become so intuitive and impressive that algorithms and digital platforms will be able to determine the best media mix in the blink of an eye? In this opinion piece, advertising amplification platform Path 51 founder Simon Larcey answers the questions.

It’s a sobering thought, particularly across an agency landscape that has for so long been dominated by the thought that the strength of an agency can always be boiled down completely to its people. This is definitely not the case anymore. One of the biggest selling points these days is the bespoke tools and proprietary technologies that agencies can offer their clients.

New technologies can and are making advertising experiences more palatable across publisher platforms. I’m talking about technology solutions that create engaging formats, measurable insights and positive experiences.

So what does this mean for the people in this industry? Obviously agencies will always need smart planners and buyers. But when technological solutions can offer the best solutions, it certainly makes you wonder how agencies will be staffed in the future. What will a media agency job description look like in 20 years – less planning, more tech and data skills, I’d hazard a guess.

This is already happening. Take my own proprietary tool Path 51, which syncs TV and digital and provides an automated system that analyses how TV affects online and then uses a clever little algorithm to recommend what you need to do to get better results.

Just imagine when programmatic is in full swing across multiple platforms in TV, radio, OOH, giving brands the ability to completely automate the whole process. Will media planners and buyers be gradually replaced by technology that tells you how to get the best results, then buys the space and delivers? Will we have a new media industry that relies on tech gurus, data analysts and media owners who can deal directly with the advertiser and not a middleman – because all of a sudden, it’s the most cost effective way to do it?

Obviously this is some time off, and the reality will more likely be an amalgamation of the old and the new, but seismic change is coming, and new skillsets will replace the old, with technology at the core.

Agencies will increasingly need to reconfigure their place in the world, and it is abundantly clear that many are having trouble dealing with this change. A perfect example is the eight-month probe by the Association of National Advertisers in the US, which found that many agencies are adopting unscrupulous practices and employing hidden revenue streams to make up for shortfalls in the media planning and buying space.

Scam ads might be seen as another example. Creative agencies are developing advertising to win awards not drive business for their clients. It just appears to me there is so much insecurity within the industry that both creative and media agencies are looking for additional ways to generate revenue, because of underlying concerns that the old model just won’t work anymore.

It is no surprise that the smart agencies are now starting to invest substantially in ad tech, because technology is the way of the future and will gradually become more and more disruptive in the media world. There will never be a substitute for a good idea because a good idea is always going to hold value. However, as technology becomes increasingly important, we will see new tech-driven roles emerge, as traditional positions become less important. Does this mean we will see the end of the media planner/buyer? It’s unlikely. But there is a strong possibility that the job description will look increasingly different as time progresses.

Join more than 30,000 advertising industry experts
Get all the latest advertising and media news direct to your inbox from B&T.

No related posts.

TAGGED: Designworks, Path 51
Share
Staff Writers
By Staff Writers
Follow:
Staff Writers represent B&T's team of award-winning reporters. Here, you'll find articles crafted with industry experience spanning over 50 years. Our team of specialists brings together a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to delivering insightful, topical, and breaking news. With a deep understanding of advertising and media, our Staff Writers are dedicated to providing industry-leading analysis and reporting, both shaping the conversation and setting the benchmark for excellence.

Latest News

Mindshare & Kaimera Drive Off With MG Media Account After Incumbents Decline To Re-Pitch
18/07/2025
Jake Stringer flying up above his old club.
TV Ratings (17/07/2025): Jake Stringer Puts On A Show Against His Old Side
18/07/2025
Fever Tree Global Creative Account Goes To Pitch
18/07/2025
Where Did The Bookies Go? Rugby League 26 Launches Without Gambling Sponsors
18/07/2025
//

B&T is Australia’s leading news publication magazine for the advertising, marketing, media and PR industries.

 

B&T is owned by parent company The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.

About B&T

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise

Top Categories

  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • TV Ratings

Sign Up for Our Newsletter



B&TB&T
Follow US
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Register Lost your password?