Here’s a simple but powerful question I ask every time I review a media plan with a brand team:
👉 How did the idea inform this media strategy?
Most media plans start with audience behavior:
What do our customers watch? Where do they scroll? When are they most likely to see us?
That’s a solid start — but it’s also what everyone else is doing.
If your plan only follows habits, you’ll end up in the same places as your competitors, saying slightly different things. That’s not brand leadership — it’s brand camouflage.
Great Media Strategy Starts with a Great Brand Idea
What separates exceptional brands is this:
They use media not just to reach people — but to amplify the brand idea.
Let’s look at a few standout examples where the idea came first and the media made it real:
Spotify — “Wrapped” Meets the Real World
Spotify’s core idea: You are what you listen to.
Every year, they bring this idea to life with Spotify Wrapped, turning user data into personal stories. But what really sets it apart is how they extend that campaign into physical environments.
They’ve taken over subways, buses, even laundromats with hyper-local, highly specific ads like:
“You played ‘Sorry’ 42 times after your ex moved out.”
That’s not just advertising — it’s self-reflection turned cultural currency.
It works because the media placements are where life happens — amplifying the idea that our playlists say something deeply personal.
GE — “Unseen Heroes” of Energy
GE’s idea: We power the world in ways you never think about.
Rather than flood primetime with product features, GE placed beautifully crafted content in airports, train stations, and long-form podcast sponsorships — places where thoughtful decision-makers have time to reflect.
Even their film “The Message” (a sci-fi podcast about alien communication) was a storytelling platform that mirrored GE’s own message: We make the invisible, visible.
It wasn’t just smart content. It was placed where curious minds go to think — making the media strategy an extension of the brand’s essence.
Netflix — Turning Culture Into a Canvas
Netflix doesn’t just buy space. It hijacks culture.
When promoting Stranger Things, they didn’t settle for trailers and digital banners. They transformed entire towns, mall storefronts, and even elevators into 1980s Hawkins, Indiana.
In Paris, they took over 100 metro station ads with black-and-white photos — then flipped every single one to vibrant color overnight to promote the new season of The Umbrella Academy.
Why does it work? Because the media becomes the medium of surprise. It mirrors the emotional shifts Netflix is selling. Again, the idea drove the placement — not the other way around.
AT&T — “It Can Wait” Campaign
AT&T’s idea: No text is worth a life.
Instead of just running PSAs, they put their message in parking lots, outside high schools, and within apps teens use the most. They even embedded it into driving simulations at events and used Snapchat filters to simulate distracted driving consequences.
The result? A campaign where the media meets the moment of danger — and reclaims it with intention.
This is the kind of media planning that not only lands — it saves lives.
What Happens When the Idea Leads? You Lead.
If your brand is serious about moving from safe and expected to bold and unforgettable, let’s talk.
My team and I are now offering in-house brand strategy sessions for companies ready to break the mold.
We’ll walk your leadership and marketing teams through the 7 essential frameworks we use to help top brands build powerful, idea-driven strategies that outperform the competition.
💡 Whether you want to pressure-test your positioning, unlock new creative energy, or finally bridge the gap between strategy and media — we’ll help you turn insight into action.📩 Send me a note or visit www.cultbranding.com to start the conversation.
