Mock Media Planner Project

Timeline

March 2024 - June 2024

Role

Media Buyer

Mock Client

ColourPop

Background

With a strong interest in pursuing a career in media planning, I decided to take on a passion project that leverages my knowledge of social media marketing, content creation, and marketing fundamentals to develop a comprehensive media plan for my mock client, Colourpop. The structure of this project is similar to my previous mock media planning project that I did with Legos.

To reiterate the mock scenario, I am a media buyer that was tasked to put together a proposal that will effectively utilize $1,000,000 to run a full year of ads for my client.

Disclaimer

The project described here is a simulated exercise conducted for educational and professional development purposes only. It is not associated with or endorsed by ColourPop. Any references to brands, products, or services are fictitious and used solely for illustrative purposes. No confidential or proprietary information of any actual company has been used in this project.

I. Client's Mission

Colourpop is a customer-first company where the inspirations of their products come from their fanbase. The slogan for their unique selling point is that they create high-quality products at affordable prices. From being strictly an online store, you can now find them at your local target and Ulta, making them an omnichannel brand.

"Redefine luxury beauty by creating high quality products at an affordable prices"

II. Setting Goals

Our goal is to increase brand awareness by expanding the digital presence of the client's online brand in the beauty industry to ensure that their brand remains top-of-mind.

III. Target Audience Overview

51% of direct traffic to Colourpop's website comes from users who are already familiar with the brand. Additionally, 26% of the traffic comes from organic search, indicating that users discover Colourpop's website through search engine results.

Moreover, 38.25% of users come from YouTube, highlighting the significant impact of influencer marketing on Colourpop's brand awareness and product engagement.

With this data in mind, the campaigns for this media plan will target students and young professionals aged 18 to 26. This age group was selected because it represents the largest demographic compared to others; those aged 18-24 account for 18%, while those aged 25-34 make up 40.2%. A key takeaway is that it would be advantageous for Colourpop to continue expanding its digital presence on platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and Tik Tok.

IV. Channel Allocations + Budget Timeline

With the goal in mind to expand ColourPop's digital presence and brand awareness, let's explore how our budget can be allocated towards different digital platforms to create meaningful connections.

Social Media (55% or $550,000): This channel will receive the highest allocation as there's already a proven track record that shows ColourPop, as a brand, grew tremendously from social media channels.

TikTok: Based on consumer behaviors, TikTok would be an excellent platform to target our audience as utilizing the algorithm will be beneficial in engaging and connecting with our target audience.
Snapchat: In addition to TikTok, Snapchat is an excellent platform for promoting brand discovery, as it uniquely utilizes the AR lens feature. For a beauty brand like ColourPop, this offers an engaging way for users to digitally try out products. As a result, it can spark curiosity and encourage interest in learning more about the brand.
Paid Ads & Instagram: While organic traffic is effective, paid ads on Instagram can further expand the reach as it allows for targeting specific audiences and locations.

Story Ad

Feed Ad

Mock Ad Creatives: To demonstrate how the client can effectively use paid advertisements on Instagram to showcase their products.

The first ad is designed for Instagram Stories, where it is essential for the call to action to be engaging. In this case, the call to action is "Learn More," allowing users to easily visit ColourPop's website if they're interested in the product.

The second ad will appear in users' feeds and is designed to blend seamlessly with their usual content. Just like the Story ad, it's crucial for this feed ad to include a compelling call to action that directs users straight to the product and brand.

Display Ads (30% or $300,000): This channel will receive the second-highest allocation as this can naturally showcase ColourPop's product offerings.

Banner ads: Banner ads are a good way to subtly display a brand to users when they are browsing the internet. with that, this is a good opportunity for our client to display relevant ads to new and returning users.

I also created a mock-up display ad that features discount promotions to encourage users to shop as well as adhering to their slogan of affordable cosmetics.

Interstitial ads: As users browse through various websites, these ads will appear in between content while the page is loading. This will usually interrupt the users in a way where the ad can smoothly blend into their browsing journey. Within that short time, there’s the opportunity for the user to familiarize themselves with brands like ColourPop. This integration often results in a click-through rate (CTR) between 0.5% and 1.5%, which is shown to be very effective.

Youtube Ads/CTV (15% or $150,000): This channel will receive the third-highest allocation as this is one of the ways that our audience can see ColourPop’s product offerings come to life.

Youtube: As mentioned previously, influencer marketing plays a role in increasing ColourPop's brand awareness. Even more, 38% of social media traffic is solely from customer reviews. Content such as unboxing videos and makeup tutorials fosters trust and engagement between potential customers who are in the awareness stage of the marketing funnel. With that, YouTube makes an ideal space to integrate ColourPop ads, as this can help users move from discovery to purchase.

A significant trend report:

There was a significant drop in searches from February to June in 2023 and even in 2024. There seems to be a consistent pattern of low engagement during quarter 2.

Overall, the budget timeline will look like:

Quarters 1 & 2: Will have the lowest budget allocation due to reduced demand for ColourPop's products during these months. However, this is still a good time to make gradual investments because there are opportunities to attract new customers. One suggestion is to revamp ColourPop's spring collection to align with current beauty trends.
Quarters 3 & 4: Will have a higher budget allocation, as they coincide with peak demand during the summer and holiday seasons, including events like Black Friday and Christmas.

V. Competitive Landscape

In essence, ColourPop has a strong brand identify but faces challenges with their competitors in the rapidly growing beauty industry. With that, there are many opportunities for ColourPop to stay at the forefront. This can include expanding into sustainable packaging and using AI for product development which can help maintain their market position and engage with new audiences.

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VI. Wrap Up

From utilizing the key objective to expanding into key audience, budget allocation, and competitor research, this project was another valuable learning experience for me. I became proficient in analyzing market trends and using this to make recommendations. Moving forward, I am excited to not only apply these skills to future campaigns but also further develop my skills in media planning/buying. I am always open to collaboration and excited to join new projects.

Interested in learning more? Let's connect on LinkedIn!