Stop placing sh*tty media

I’m proud of our work at Ologie. We design meaningful, authentic creative that’s grounded in solid strategies. We don’t make things just to fill space or meet deadlines. We build campaigns with intention: layered storytelling, artful design, and messages rooted in what makes each client unique. That kind of work deserves a platform that elevates its effect, not one that dilutes it. 

So: If we care about our work and believe in what we create, we need to stop cutting corners with lazy media placements. Nothing undermines carefully crafted creative like slapping it into a half-baked ad space, where it’s surrounded by mediocre stock footage and clickbait captions that scream, “we didn’t care enough about the audience to try.” At that point, we aren’t just underdelivering — we’re sabotaging the potential of everything we set out to build.

When I worked in other industries, it was common for me to see generic, soulless placements and poorly aligned media buys. But it hurts more when I see this in higher education. If the delivery doesn’t matter, neither does the audience. If the audience doesn’t matter, what does? In media, close enough is not good enough.

The gap between good creative and bad media is glaring — and your audience can feel it. Your high-impact visuals and thoughtful messaging aren’t just “assets.” They are the heartbeat of your brand, the difference between a scroll and a pause. Throwing them into low-rent inventory, next to cookie-cutter content, squanders effort and opportunity. Your media should be placed with the same level of craft that went into the creative. Ignoring that responsibility weakens the whole endeavor. Not to mention, it wastes money. Lots of money.

Don’t take it from a feisty Fernando. The results speak for themselves.

Personalized, human-centered campaigns outperform generic placements by a significant margin. For example:

• Creative that feels personalized generates a 42% higher engagement rate and is 2.3 times more likely to convert than generic media placements.
• Ad fatigue drops by 74% when creative assets are matched to the right context and audience, compared to one-size-fits-all, stock-driven ads.
• Brand recall increases by 60% when custom, high-quality creative assets are featured in premium environments that align with the audience’s values.

These aren’t just numbers: they reflect real people responding to real stories. Thoughtful creative builds trust. It resonates on an emotional level. And when media placements reflect the same level of care, people feel seen — not sold to.

We owe it to our partners and ourselves to place the work where it can make an impact. When it’s delivered through intentional media buying, human-centered creative doesn’t just perform better — it builds deeper connections. This is where relationships happen, trust is built, and brands endure.

When we deliver the right message to the right person in the right place, everyone wins. When we don’t, it’s a loss for both you and your prospects. 

 

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References: 

1. Sprinklr. (2024). Social Media Advertising: In-Depth Guide & Proven Tips. Retrieved from https://www.sprinklr.com/cxm/social-media-advertising/
2. The CMO Club & Thunder. (n.d.). Five Simple Ways to Combat Ad Fatigue. RTB House. Retrieved from https://www.rtbhouse.com/blog/five-simple-ways-to-combat-ad-fatigue
3. Nielsen. (2023). In Emerging Media, Brand Recall Is the Biggest Driver of Lift. Nielsen Brand Lift Report. Retrieved from https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2023/in-emerging-media-brand-recall-is-the-biggest-driver-of-lift/