Media buyers are notoriously busy—and it’s no secret why. Spending an advertising budget as effectively as possible and optimally distributing campaign messaging requires a lot of hard work.

The good news is that they have an array of tools at their disposal that can be used to help them overcome their day-to-day frustrations and seemingly impossible deadlines. With that in mind, we decided to break down some of our favourite media buying tools that can help you save time on your next campaign. Enjoy!

1. Vividata

Ever wonder what Canadian consumers are up to? Vividata allows you to find out.

It’s an audience measurement tool that collects attitudes and behaviours of Canadian consumers by conducting approximately 38,000 surveys annually. Their robust database is then used to help media buyers understand their interested segments’ relationship with media as well as hundreds of product and services. 

Their cross-platform audience segments provide excellent insights and research, ideal for your next media campaign.

2. Comscore

Comscore helps you get the most out of your digital advertising spend. Their vast mixture of proprietary and consumer data supports the measurement of audience insights and advertising analytics by linking media and product usage to internet viewing habits.

Whether TV, movie, or digital, comScore provides exemplary consumer demographic and behaviour data to assist in measuring the reach and impact of your campaigns.

3. Nielsen Expenditures

Nielsen measures more than half of the world’s total broadcast, print and online advertising.

How do they do it? They estimate advertising expenditure through what they refer to as “spot monitoring methodology”. They also collect ad creatives in a database, giving agencies and media owners valuable acumen into ad quality.

All in all, Nielsen’s tracking and analysis tools make for a fine way to measure ad spend and monitor ad placements, so it’s definitely one to keep in mind!

4. Google Trends/Think with Google

Google has a myriad of free tools for media buyers and marketers which are great for high level insights, and they’re continually adding to their offering.

Google Trends and Think with Google are both first-rate sources for ideas, insights, and research for digital marketing. With these tools,  you’ll find a mixture of articles, infographics, and data visualizations that break down emerging marketing trends across industries.

Google does a really nice job with visualizations, and their search data is on point. Pick this search giant’s brain before planning and executing your next online campaign.

5. Infosys

Infosys’s software supports the measurement of media usage patterns across different channels and platforms.  By quickly collecting and analyzing insights from various data sources, Infosys allows you to make critical business decisions faster.  With Infosys, you can use big-data to analyze viewership on social media, personalize your campaigns and target potential customers with relevant messages.

Other Great Resources for Media Buying News and Strategy:

1. Digiday

Digiday does a great job of covering media transitions and trends by turning out quality content with remarkable frequency. They also host a number of conferences, summits, and award shows geared towards brands, agencies, publishers and platforms. 

If you’re a media buyer, Digiday’s high-quality journalism makes for a valuable source of news that will both entertain and educate.

2. Adweek

Adweek offers breaking news in advertising, media, and technology. Since 1978, they’ve covered many notable shifts in media, and they’re not stopping any time soon. 

Their Accounts in Review and analysis of new campaigns will be particularly  beneficial for media buyers looking to grasp hot industry trends.

3. Cannes

The Cannes International Festival of Creativity hosts the revered Cannes International Advertising Festival, which is like the Academy Awards for advertising. 

Whether you’re looking to attend and schmooze with top creative talents around the world, or just get a peak into the best campaigns of the year, a look into the Cannes nominees and award winners is bound to spur some ideas and help you stay current.

Conclusion

We know that planning and executing a great marketing campaign isn’t easy. Harnessing as many tools as possible and staying on top of industry news will help you collect valuable data and insights to enhance productivity and better amplify your campaign’s message.