Influence of New Media on Media Buying among Selected Lagos-Based Advertising Practitioners

Abstract

This paper describes the study designed to examine how new media impacts on advertising media planning and buying, particularly from the perspectives of media buyers in Lagos-based advertising agencies. The study, qualitative in design, utilized an interview guide to obtain data from ten (10) purposively selected respondents among registered members of Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) and registered members of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), all based in Lagos. Findings show that, despite awareness of the existence of new media technologies relevant to media planning, majority of respondents’ exposure to such media platforms is still nascent. Findings also indicate that while majority of the respondents use new media as an effective way of reaching target audience, virtually all respondents consider new media as the future of the media planning and buying industry, despite some of the criticisms targeted at such media. Consequently, the study recommends more focus on new media research and the available opportunities offered by such media to complement, rather than the sole deployment of the traditional media planning methods by advertising practitioners during advertising campaigns.