Media Buying & Planning

Media planning as business strategy

Media buying without a plan is just spending. A great media plan allocates budget based on where your audience actually is, what channels drive the most efficient outcomes for your objectives, and what competitive dynamics you need to navigate. Then it buys that media at the best possible price with the cleanest possible measurement framework.

I've planned and bought media for regulated financial services, luxury real estate, crypto exchanges, travel platforms, and consumer e-commerce across 20+ markets. My approach starts with business objectives and works backwards to channel mix — not the other way around. The result is a media plan that leadership can defend, finance can trust, and the team can actually execute.

What's included

Media Mix Modelling

Data-driven channel allocation based on your audience, objectives, budget, and competitive landscape. I model the expected reach, frequency, and CPM for each channel before a single dirham is spent.

Direct Buys & Partnerships

Negotiating direct media buys, editorial sponsorships, and branded content partnerships that deliver CPMs and contextual placement that programmatic and self-serve platforms can't match.

Programmatic Strategy

DV360, The Trade Desk, and DSP selection for display, video, audio, and CTV — with proper brand safety controls, frequency capping, and viewability standards built in from the start.

Influencer Marketing

Identifying, vetting, briefing, and measuring influencer partnerships across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat. I have existing UAE and GCC creator relationships across fintech, lifestyle, and tech verticals.

Out-of-Home & Print

Strategic OOH planning for high-reach brand moments — Dubai and GCC markets. DOOH, airport media, premium print. Used when the objective demands it, not as a default.

Media Effectiveness Measurement

Attribution modelling, brand lift studies, reach and frequency analysis, and incrementality testing. Building measurement frameworks that reduce dependence on self-reported platform metrics.

Business Brief

Understand your objectives, audience, competitive position, seasonality, and budget constraints. Media planning starts with business context — not with a rate card.

Channel Research

Analyse audience channel behaviour, benchmark CPMs across platforms, assess reach potential, and identify whitespace your competitors are missing.

Media Plan

Build a phased media plan: budget allocation, flighting calendar, KPIs per channel, reach and frequency projections, measurement methodology, and reporting cadence. Presentation-ready for leadership.

Buy, Monitor & Optimise

Execute media buys, monitor delivery and performance daily, optimise mid-flight, and produce clear reporting that connects media metrics to business outcomes.

Typical outcomes

35%

Average CPM reduction vs. self-serve

4 continents

Media buying experience

$50M+

Total media investment managed

20+

Markets planned and bought

A full media plan covers: channel mix rationale, audience targeting approach, flighting schedule, budget allocation per channel, CPM/CPC benchmarks, estimated reach and frequency, KPIs per channel, measurement approach, and reporting cadence. It's a presentation-ready document your leadership team can take into a board meeting.

Yes. Full influencer programmes — talent identification and vetting, brief creation, rate negotiation, content approval workflow, posting oversight, and post-campaign analysis with performance benchmarks. I have existing relationships with UAE and GCC-based creators across finance, lifestyle, tech, and real estate verticals.

Yes. I frequently work as a strategic oversight layer on top of agency teams — reviewing plans, challenging assumptions, benchmarking rates, and ensuring the strategy genuinely connects to business objectives. Agencies and in-house teams often benefit from an independent senior eye.

Brand lift studies, reach and frequency analysis, share of voice tracking, and incrementality testing via controlled holdout groups. For brand campaigns specifically, I help brands build first-party measurement frameworks to reduce dependence on platform-reported brand metrics, which are notoriously unreliable.

Ready to build?

Let's talk about your marketing challenges and where I can drive the most impact.

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Strategic media investment. Every channel. Every dirham accounted for.