The Hidden Cost of Media Flighting

Most brands pile spend into peak weeks. But higher CPMs, more clutter and faster saturation mean you're often paying more to reach the same people. Many of whom would have bought anyway.

This episode, Elena, Angela, and VP of Media Analytics Jordan Rosler dig into media flighting: why it became the default, where the strategy breaks down, and what the data says about marginal ROI. They also tackle why shoulder weeks often outperform peak ones, when always-on advertising makes more sense, and how upfronts can quietly undermine the efficiency they promise.

Topics covered:
• [01:00] Why media flighting became standard marketing practice.
• [04:00] The difference between blended and marginal ROI explained.
• [07:30] What happens to TV performance when spend spikes in a short window.
• [11:00] When always-on advertising beats a flighting strategy.
• [14:00] How upfronts add rigidity to media planning.
• [16:00] When flighting does make sense for your brand.
• [17:30] How to build a 2026 media plan that's both impactful and measurable.






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Resources:
2026 Digiday Article: https://digiday.com/sponsored/how-a-precise-timing-structure-drives-material-differences-in-marketing-efficiency/



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