How Advertisers Choose Their Media Mix: Beyond Just ROAS

Why do advertisers choose certain media channels?
Advertisers select their media mix based on performance metrics like objective, reach, targeting precision, ad cost, and return on ad spend (ROAS) — but that’s only part of the story. Strategic factors such as competitive buying deals, relationships with media partners, testing new ad formats, and event sponsorships also play a role. In media planning and buying, the smartest campaigns balance data-driven results with opportunities that strengthen brand presence and long-term growth.

The Primary Objective: Performance-Driven Media Planning

When agencies and brands build a media plan, they start by analysing:

• Objective – understanding the campaign ultimate goals, such as, awareness, engagement, and sales objectives.
• Audience Reach & Targeting Precision – ensuring ads are shown to the right audience segments, the exact size of audience, and with the right frequency.
• Ad Formats & Creative Alignment – matching the campaign’s creative assets to the platform’s strengths (e.g., video for YouTube, carousels for Instagram).
• Ad Costs & Efficiency – balancing CPM, CPC, or CPA and so on to get the most value from the media budget.
• ROAS & Measurable Results – tracking conversions, sales, or leads to determine real ROI.

In this traditional approach, every channel in the media buying strategy must earn its place based on hard data.

Beyond Performance: Strategic Reasons for Media Selection

However, real-world advertising decisions often include other factors that influence the media buying process:

1. Competitive Buying Deals

Sometimes, media vendors offer special ad packages or bundled inventory deals that are too good to pass up. Even if one channel underperforms slightly, the package as a whole can deliver value. In this case, advertisers agree with the media suppliers (and/or tech companies) on a specific annual deal (also referred to as Joint Business Plan – JBP, especially with the tech companies). Example, big agencies like WPP would make an agreement with Google or Meta, as well as big brands would do the same, like P&G, Coca Cola and Nestle. Annual deals are very popular with OOH advertising as well, where advertisers agree with a specific supplier on a Buying deal, which influence advertisers’ decision making on the OOH ad format and supplier selection.

2. Relationships with Media Partners

Strong ties with publishers or platforms can open doors to bonus placements, exclusive ad opportunities, or added-value services like PR exposure, influencer access, content creation support, or event sponsorships. In this case, advertisers will outweigh the buying (Saving & additional services) outcome against performance. Budget limitation can also contribute to this decision-making approach, for instance, an advertiser will choose to advertise with a 2nd tier medium (like in TV or Websites) favouring the extended added value (inventory) they will receive even though its lower in performance.

3. Supplier or Client Relationships

In B2B-heavy industries, advertisers may buy media from partners, suppliers, or clients as part of relationship management — maintaining goodwill and long-term collaboration. Example, Telecom brands and retailers advertising for Apple or Samsung devices. These kind of advertising campaigns come as part of a bigger marketing agreement, the campaigns might not contribute significantly to the performance (sales or awareness of certain products and services), but it’s just mandatory to be executed.

4. Testing New Ad Formats

The media landscape evolves rapidly. Brands may experiment with emerging ad formats — such as interactive shoppable videos or 3D display ads — even if short-term ROI is uncertain, to future-proof their strategy. To get access to these new formats, many suppliers will require an existing buying commitment before offering these new formats to these advertisers. For example, YouTube will give their clients, who have a JBP deal with them, a priority access to its new format over other brands from the same category due to existing buying deal. Another example is when an OOH supplier launches a new format (or location) a priority of bookings will be offered to existing advertisers with big investment or partnership agreement.

5. Supporting Key Events or Sponsorships

Major events like sports tournaments, trade shows, or cultural festivals can provide brand association benefits that outweigh direct sales metrics. Being visible in these spaces strengthens brand positioning. Hence, advertisements come as part of this deal. Example, A football competition event sponsors will receive advertisements as part of the sponsorship package.

Balancing Data with Strategy in Media Buying

The best media planners understand that media mix optimization is part science, part art. Data-driven decision-making ensures cost efficiency, but strategic inclusions can drive long-term brand growth.

When brands blend high-performance media channels with strategic placements that support relationships, innovation, and market presence, they create a balanced plan that delivers on both ROI and brand equity.

Final Thoughts

Media planning and buying is more than just chasing the highest ROAS. It’s about understanding your audience, aligning with the right media partners, and making smart investments that serve both short-term performance and long-term brand goals. That is said, the ultimate goal of advertising is to achieve the marketing and business goals, but it is more than just media performance, it has a layer of partnership preference (think of it like PR) that when it is considered in the media mix decision-making process the outcome will exceed the media performance outcome (short term goals).

Nevertheless, a media buying deal that undermines the media performance is surely not an effective deal no matter what the benefits of this deal are whether aggressive discount, added values, rate protection, additional services, or beta products, the ultimate goal remains to be performance as good as possible (Best results at the best cost – ROAS).

By combining Media Planning and Buying data insights with strategic partnerships goals and creative opportunities, advertisers can craft a media mix that’s not just effective — but also adaptable, future-ready, and aligned with the brand and marketing bigger picture. It’s important to note that such kind of media mix decision-making is an actual agreement (Annual Deals, Sponsorship, and JBP), so it’s imperative for advertisers to develop a contractual agreement that clearly states all their benefits, making it a lawfully binding agreement with the media suppliers and tech companies.

This complex process of media mix selection is one of many other reasons why advertisers should work with a media agency to manage their advertising investment more effectively, as they have strong connection with the media suppliers, have the tools, capabilities, and talents to help advertisers developing & managing the best media strategy and deals customized for their needs.

💡 If you want to optimize your media mix for both performance and strategic value, work with a media planning partner who understands the balance between numbers and nuance. Contact us for a customized consultation regarding your media planning and buying needs.