A Strategic Guide to Building Modern Media Plans That Perform
Media is about delivering results that are meaningful. Your strategy should be about more than impressions. But with siloed data and rising expectations, it's hard to prioritize meaning under pressure to perform.
That’s why we’ve brought together three powerful blogs filled with insights from industry experts at the top of their media game to help you rethink your media planning, simplify execution, and activate smarter strategies that drive growth.
Missed the series? Access all 3 Media Accelerator Blogs below to inform, improve, and accelerate your strategy. Each section below breaks down a core challenge facing modern marketers and what you can do to solve it.
1. Smarter Media, Better Results: How Marketers Are Rethinking Media ROI
The Challenge:
Fragmented platforms, broken attribution, and vague KPIs often make it hard to tie media spend directly to performance.
What Experts Say:
Industry leaders like Scott Blessman (Goodway Group), Elaine Fowler (Sagepath Reply), Laura Beaupre, and Josh Perry (Look Listen) reveal the steps forward:
Unify data sources and upgrade tracking infrastructure for a more complete performance view.
Activate first-party data through segmentation, clean-room environments, and platform integrations.
Use predictive modeling and scenario planning to optimize before spend.
Go beyond last-click attribution to capture full-funnel impact.
Key Takeaway:
Real media ROI requires better visibility, sharper targeting, and aligned agency partnerships.
2. How Marketers Can Simplify Media Complexity + Double Results
The Challenge:
Too many channels. Too much tech. Too little clarity. Media complexity is paralyzing marketers and diluting impact.
What Experts Say:
Tom Swierczewski (Goodway Group), Laura Beaupre, and Josh Perry (Look Listen) outline how to untangle the chaos:
Standardize data and reporting across platforms.
Implement unified measurement frameworks like multi-touch attribution and incrementality testing.
Lean on agency partners who stay ahead of trends and guide decision-making with confidence.
Break down silos between teams to align media strategy with shared outcomes.
Key Takeaway:
Clarity comes from simplification, and simplification starts with proactive agency collaboration and strong data foundations.
3. What “Data-Driven” Media Strategy Really Means Today
The Challenge:
“Data-driven” is more than a buzzword—but few brands are using data to lead, not just react.
What Experts Say:
Scott Blessman, Laura Beaupre, and Josh Perry explain what it takes to truly be data-driven:
Move from reporting to prediction with proactive insights and historical modeling.
Prioritize first-party data, local market trends, and lifetime value metrics.
Use data to drive real-time optimization and long-term business alignment.
Tie campaign performance directly to qualified leads, conversions, and revenue—not just impressions or clicks.
Key Takeaway:
Being data-driven means leading with insights, not reacting to them—and using data to guide real business decisions.
Let’s Build a Media Plan That Works
Setup helps marketers go beyond guesswork by matching brands with agency partners that deliver measurable performance, and at little to no cost to you. Whether you’re wrestling with complexity, struggling to measure ROI, or ready to activate your data in a smarter way, our Media Performance Accelerator gives you the clarity, tools, and expert guidance to move forward.
Start today and see real media results in action.
In the midst of change and new tech, Marti Walsh, VP of Customer Experience and Marketing at Kimberly-Clark Professional, brings us back to what really matters: showing up with purpose. In this conversation with Setup, she shares how her team builds trust through consistent omnichannel messaging, thoughtful use of AI, and a commitment to authenticity that connects with real people.