8 Core Principles for Effective Media Planning in 2026

Technological advancements, accelerated more recently by AI, have and continue to redefine the practicalities of media planning, but the principles behind it can be argued to remain constant. Ecommerce brands, in their desire to achieve short-term gains, can be quick to bypass these principles in the haste of pushing campaigns live and consequently risk long-term brand growth.

Reflecting on those core principles

We recently published our Shopify Growth Playbook, where we explore this exact subject and outline the steps brands can take to effectively plan their online media activity. The technology used and methodology of execution will differ, but the underlying principles remain the same.

1. Focus on objectives
2. Mapping to the user journey
3. Use data as a foundation
4. Emphasise creative before scaling spend
5. Select channels based on role not popularity
6. Plan your budget in phases
7. Align measurement with decision making
8. Putting your plan into practice
9. AI unlocks scale and flexibility
10. About Herd

1: Focus on objectives, not channels

Before brands begin, they need a clear understanding of what success looks like, not only for an individual campaign but also how this ties into wider brand objectives. Start by defining what success for the campaign looks like and work backwards to establish objectives and relevant KPIs to track.

2: Mapping to the user journey

In 2026, customers are rarely present or reachable in a single moment. Planning must consider the full journey, identifying which moments your campaign aligns with and how it intends to move the user forward.

3: Use data as a foundation

Brands should begin by reaffirming their understanding of their target audience. Taking stock of available data, identifying gaps, and ensuring compliance are crucial starting points. This data should be segmented to align with campaign goals, informing both targeting and creative personalisation.

4: Emphasise creative before scaling spend

In 2026, creative is a primary performance driver and should be central to all planning activity. Messaging and assets should be tailored to the platform in use and brands should adopt a test and learn approach wherever possible.

5: Select channels based on role not popularity

Historical insights and in-platform planning tools should be used to guide decisions, as opposed to trending platforms and their popularity. Simply focusing on the latest channels can lead to unoptimised creative messaging and a disconnect between the platform and its role within the user journey.

6: Plan your budget in phases

Where possible, building flexibility into your plan allows for the scaling of positive results as well as the ability to capitalise on opportunities that may not be present during the planning phase. Brands can start small, reserving budget to introduce as the campaign matures, as well as redistributing spend for reactive opportunities such as demand spikes.

7: Align measurement with decision making

As discussed in earlier steps, a firm understanding of objectives and KPIs is key and these need to be aligned across internal teams. In addition, alignment on attribution is important to ensure clear and accurate reporting for campaign performance.

8: Putting your plan into practice

The last step is to review your campaign setup from the customer perspective. Does the journey make sense and is there a clear action for the user to take? Whilst planning sets the foundation for your campaign, ongoing optimisation and refinement remain key. There is no universal formula; the brands that test, adapt, and learn will outperform competitors.

9: AI unlocks scale and flexibility

Whilst the foundational principles of media planning remain true, AI advancements allow brands to further eliminate bias within their campaign activity, scale effectively and optimise in real time. Previously, agencies were able to differentiate themselves based on their ability to plan and execute activity, however AI advancements are closing that gap.

As this continues to accelerate, and as the customer journey becomes increasingly fragmented and complex, greater importance will be placed on the alignment of individual campaigns with wider brand objectives and long-term growth strategies.

AI optimisation tools now enable not only real-time optimisation but also situational analysis, allowing planners to model outcomes across different scenarios and reduce guesswork. Several platforms have emerged in line with these developments, such as Smartly.io and Optmyzr, which support cross-channel budget management, as well as AI-driven marketing mix modelling tools such as Meta’s open source Robyn and Google’s Meridian.

These provide comprehensive analysis of how marketing channels contribute to business outcomes across the funnel, enabling more informed decision making.

For brands to succeed in their digital activities, it is critical to remain grounded in the core principles of media planning whilst incorporating advanced AI technologies into the process. This enhances channel selection, strengthens execution, and ensures activity performs with maximum efficiency and budget flexibility.

Within our recently authored Shopify Growth Playbook, alongside our contributing partners, we explore the full customer journey, providing insights into the current and future digital landscape as well as actionable recommendations to help achieve marketing objectives. Download your copy here.

10: About Herd

Herd are based in Hessle, and we specialise in performance marketing and Shopify development. We combine our expertise across both areas to deliver solutions that are ambitious and impactful.

Over the past decade, we’ve earned Shopify Premier Partner status and driven growth for a host of ambitious global brands, executing bespoke strategies that are grounded in data.

Our talented performance marketing team features vastly experienced channel experts across SEO, Paid Media, Content, and Digital PR.