Planning with Purpose: How Creatives Can Stay Focused in a Fragmented Media World

Lost in the Scroll? You’re Not Alone.

With 5.56 billion people online - 67.9% of the global population - it’s no wonder the digital world feels overwhelming. For small brands, and creatives it’s not just noisy… it’s chaotic.

Gone are the days of rely on a single channel. Now your audience is scattered across social media, podcasts, streaming platforms, and niche sites - all switching between screens with ever-shortening attention spans.

Fragmentation isn’t just a challenge; it’s the new normal.

A one-size-fits-all approach no longer works. Businesses must understand the unique characteristics and preferences of each audience segmentation and tailor content accordingly. Otherwise, we’re just adding to that white noise.

So the real question is:

‘How do I get in front of the right people, at the right time, in the right place… before their attention moves on?

Why Guessing Isn’t a Strategy (Even If Everyone’s Doing It)

Good news? Today’s digital landscape is full of opportunity. Not so good news? It’s also full of waste.

Fragmented platforms, poor audience signals, and declining attention spans makes media planning feels more like guesswork than strategy. And the irony is, this isn’t new.

Over a century ago, American retailer John Wanamaker famously said: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.”

And for many businesses today - especially small ones - that still rings true. Without a clear plan, even the best content gets lost - seen by the wrong people, in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

When brands pour money into channels without direction, inefficiencies like poor placement, and low-quality environments mean much of it never delivers with real impact.

When you don’t plan with purpose, the holes in your strategy cost you - in money, attention, and trust.

Data vs. Instinct - A False Fight

Let me start by saying: I’m a huge fan of Orlando Wood and his belief in the power of emotional connections, storytelling, and right-brain creativity. It’s what I strive to embed in every project - not just create designs that look good, but create designs that resonate.

But, let’s not pretend data doesn’t matter.

Jeff Bezos once said:

“All of my best decisions in business and in life have been made with heart, intuition, and guts… not analysis.”

It’s a great soundbite, but it’s also a little… misleading. Because even the best gut instinct is backed by something.

As Daniel Kahneman explains in Thinking, Fast and Slow, our intuitive decisions (System 1) rely on prior experience and information processed subconsciously (System 2).

Gut instinct? It’s just data that speaks with confidence.

You can't have instinct without information - It’s not magic.

In media planning that looks like:

• Data for direction.

• Emotion for connection.

• Instinct the spark that bridges the two.

But we can’t rely on “vibes” alone, and creativity can’t be beaten into a spreadsheet.

The real power comes from balance.

Your Audience Has Changed - And So Should Your Approach

Let’s be honest - we’re all exhausted from trying to be everywhere at once.

Instagram wants Reels. TikTok wants trends. LinkedIn wants thought leadership. And Pinterest… don’t get me started on that.

The constant pressure to “cover all bases,” leaves us all spread thin - and in the process, we often dilute our message everywhere too.

But here's the thing: You don't need to be everywhere - just in the right places, often enough to matter.

As Byron Sharp reminds us:

“Most of your buyers aren’t superfans - they’re light, occasional customers.”

That means the goal isn’t to be everywhere… it’s tstrategiv visibility.

It’s not about going viral on five platforms. It’s about being memorable where your audience actually shows up.

Media strategist Helen Katz puts it more simply: “The right message, to the right person, at the right time.”

Layer in Binet and Field’s idea of Smart Reach - reaching people in meaningful, not wasteful, ways - and suddenly you’re work smarter, not harder.

• Start where your audience already is.

• Speak to them with intention.

• Focus on consistency over chaos.

So What Can We Do? Plan with Purpose.

Most small brands pour everything into nurturing their little following - but growth doesn’t come from loving your current customers harder.

It comes from reaching new people more effectively.

Here’s how to plan with that in mind:

• Start with your goal - sales, sign-ups, engagement… don’t post just to post

• Choose one core audience - and show up consistently for them

• Stop chasing trends - Stay true to your brand purpose

• Test one platform at a time - master it, then layer others in

• Let data inform, not dictate - measure what matters to you

What’s Coming Next…

Next up, I’ll be exploring how media barriers, shifting audience behaviour, and AI are reshaping the planning landscape for creatives like us - and what we can do about it.

If media planning makes you feel more chaotic than creative, you’re not the problem - your system is.

Let’s plan better. Together.

Let me know How you approach planning, and what you’d love to feel more confident in.