101: Understanding media weighting, phasing and evaluating media plans

2026 brings an updated 101 Knowledge Session programme available for all ISBA members. The sessions - curated in partnership with Pete Davis, MD of Getmemedia.com - deliver valuable insights and learnings from industry experts and address the whole media landscape and communications process.

This 101 session explores how media weighting and phasing decisions shape the effectiveness of media plans. We’ll look at different campaign phasing strategies, how coverage, frequency, and impressions interact, and the factors that influence how media budgets should be distributed over time.

The session also focuses on how to evaluate media plans more effectively — considering attention, cost efficiency, and changing media consumption — helping advertisers make more informed decisions and challenge recommendations with confidence.

What you will learn:

• Understand different campaign phasing strategies and when to use them.
• See how weighting choices influence coverage, frequency, and impressions.
• Understand the cost and attention trade-offs across channels.
  Interpret media plans more confidently.
• Ask better questions when evaluating recommendations from agencies.