What a media buyer does
We read a guide by the agency Havas Edge, dated 21 August 2024, on 9 October 2026. It lists four jobs for the buyer.
- Negotiation: talking to media owners about rates, positions and extras.
- Placement: securing the ad space that matches the plan.
- Monitoring: checking how the ads perform and changing them if needed.
- Reporting: measuring results and the return on the money spent.
A made-up example in rupees
Say a furniture store plans three insertions in a city newspaper. This is a made-up example.
- The rate card says ₹40,000 for each insertion. For three, that is ₹1,20,000.
- The buyer negotiates 20 per cent off. The price becomes ₹96,000, a saving of ₹24,000.
- The buyer also asks for an extra, such as a free mention on the paper's website.
A rate card is the price list that a media owner publishes. The price you pay is often lower after talks. The buyer then checks that all three ads ran on the right days and pages.
How media is bought
- Direct: you deal with the newspaper, channel or hoarding owner yourself.
- Through an agency: a media agency negotiates and books for you.
- Self-serve platforms: you set up and pay for ads yourself, as on search and social platforms.
- Programmatic: software buys ad space automatically, in real time. See programmatic.
How media buying works for an Indian business
Check that the media reaches your buyer. For television, ask for viewing data from BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council). For newspapers, ask about circulation figures audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. For screens and hoardings, ask for photos and a visit.
Agree on proof of delivery before you pay. That could be a copy of the newspaper page, a play report for a screen, or dated photos of a hoarding.
Common mistakes
- Choosing by price alone, not by who sees the ad.
- Paying with no proof that the ad ran.
- Accepting the rate card price without asking for a better deal.
- Buying before the plan is clear.
- Not checking the final bill against the booking.
Before you buy, read about media planning.
Related terms
- Media planning: deciding where, when and how often an ad should appear.
- GRP (gross rating point): a score for the size of an ad plan.
- Programmatic: buying ads automatically through software.
- DOOH (digital out-of-home): ads on digital screens outside the home.
- CPM (cost per thousand views): what you pay for each thousand views.
To buy space with clear proof of delivery, see our media buying work.
Sources
- Havas Edge, "Media Planning vs. Media Buying: What's the Difference?", 21 August 2024 (havasedge.com), read 9 October 2026.
