What if a media plan becomes a living system?
By Boudewijn Wubbels, Programmatic Lead, OMD Netherlands
In a field that keeps accelerating, media planning can sometimes feel surprisingly stable. We analyse, build, estimate and lock in choices. We’ve repeated that pattern for years, using ever‑new tools but following largely the same approach. Yet on the horizon, a scenario is emerging in which that pattern slowly shifts. Not through a dramatic break, but through a gradual development in which the media plan becomes better at adapting to what happens during a campaign.
In that scenario, AI can play an important role. It expands what we can see, process and model, allowing a plan to adjust more quickly to changing conditions. At the same time, intention, interpretation and nuance remain fully in human hands. Technology simply offers more ways to anticipate and respond. The direction we choose to move in is still a human decision. This scenario is not fixed; it mainly illustrates how media planning could evolve in a future where human expertise and advanced systems reinforce one another.
From Snapshot to Ecosystem
The classic media plan is like a photograph. It provides clarity, but it stands still. When market behaviour shifts or creative assets perform unexpectedly well, the plan lags behind reality. In a future where AI plays a larger role, that photograph becomes an ecosystem. A plan becomes a set of hypotheses and parameters that can evolve along the way.
The workflow moves toward a continuous cycle of predicting, activating, learning and adjusting. Planning and optimisation come closer together. The question of which signals matter, which boundaries are sensible and which choices move the brand forward remains entirely human. Technology mainly accelerates the execution of decisions that are already rooted in strategic thinking.
More room for strategic sharpness
Models can detect patterns that would otherwise remain invisible, such as subtle shifts in contextual value or creative performance. This enriches the analysis phase and makes it possible to explore multiple scenarios in advance. For example, a baseline version, an optimistic version, and a more risk-taking option. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it helps planners identify areas where adjustments can be made confidently later in the flight.
You could already test this today by simply placing three versions of your media plan side by side and evaluating in week one which assumptions appear most realistic.
Simulations as a natural part of preparation
In many other industries, scenario testing has been standard practice for decades. In media, that capability is now growing quickly. Planners can explore how budget shifts affect reach, which creatives saturate faster, or how sensitive a campaign is to fluctuations in price and attention.
Simulations don’t deliver certainties. They do provide a directional framework that helps justify decisions more clearly in advance. The decision‑making process remains human, but gains a stronger foundation.
Flexible budgets that move with the campaign
In this scenario, budgets no longer need to be fixed allocations. They can evolve into flexible frameworks. For example, budget ranges such as “between 25 and 35 per cent for video, depending on performance in the first week.” The strategic goal remains intact, but execution becomes more agile while still operating within clear boundaries.
You can already try this by applying a small budget range to one channel and assessing during the first optimisation round whether a slight shift feels more logical than a fixed split.
What this scenario shows us
As media planning grows into a living system, the value of agencies shifts toward vision, interpretation and designing the parameters within which the system operates. The human role doesn’t become smaller; it becomes more meaningful because technology creates more space for strategic choices.
Whether this scenario unfolds exactly as described is uncertain. But by exploring this possible future now, we ensure that we actively shape the next step in media planning instead of responding only once the change has already happened.