What is the difference between a media plan and a media buy?

What is the difference between a media plan and a media buy?

• A. A media plan outlines strategy, channel mix, and timing.
• B. A media buy is the actual procurement and placement of inventory.
• C. A media plan is the executed ad placement, while a media buy is the strategic document.
• D. A media plan focuses on creative development, while a media buy focuses on budget forecasting.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is the split between strategy and execution. A media plan is the strategic blueprint that lays out what you want to achieve, which channels to use, the timing or flighting, the target audience, and the budget framework. It answers questions like where to run ads, when they should run, and how success will be measured. The media buy is the execution step: it’s the actual procurement and placement of the ad inventory in the chosen outlets, including negotiating rates, confirming placements, and coordinating insertion dates.

So, the reason the chosen option fits best is that it pinpoints what the buy does—the concrete purchase and placement of inventory—while the plan describes the strategic framework that guides those decisions. The other statements describe aspects of the plan or assign roles that aren’t about the difference between planning and buying (for example, outlining strategy and timing belongs to the plan, not to the execution).