Blog

What’s it like to be young, gifted and a TV planner?

Gabriella Michalski, one of the 2020 Thinkbox Young TV Planner of the Year finalists, tells Campaign what its like to be a TV Planner

Gabriella Michalski, Investment Director, AV, MG OMD

Stand-out TV show you watched/discovered in lockdown? 
Stand out TV for me most recently has been going back and watching old sitcoms for some light comedy relief and escapism…oh and Bridgerton

What has your agency done to help you adapt to the “new normal”/WFH lifestyle?
On a basic human level, MG has just been great at understanding how everyone’s individual experiences of lockdown are totally different. MG has been really empathetic to all circumstances while bringing the MG culture into a virtual space. MG Radio has been a particular hit on Friday afternoons.

Biggest planning opportunity of 2020/21? 
Pretty much everything. The pandemic has been a really tough experience for everyone but it has also been an opportunity for us to reappraise how we go about the day to day – how we work, how we plan media, how we collaborate with partners. I really think the biggest opportunity is getting back out there fast, being progressive, being agile and embracing these new rules.

Biggest planning challenge of 2020/21? 
The “big unknown” and the impact on confidence is without doubt the biggest challenge. Where is the market moving? What are viewing patterns going to be? All the evidence supports the value of TV as the most effective channel (and generally first on my clients’ media plans!) but up against tough financial headwinds, we also need to be talking about the resilience and reliability of TV so that clients can commit to our plans with confidence.

If 2020 has taught me one thing about my job…
We are better at our jobs when we’re having fun! That might seem ambitious given our current predicament but we’re incredibly lucky to work in a vibrant, creative and fun industry and we need to cherish that. We may need to “fake it till we make it” for a few more months yet but I can’t wait to be back in a real office with real people!

What TV developments are you excited about in 2021?
Lockdown has massively boosted the volume of logged-in users to a whole array of content platforms. And with those users watching unprecedented (sorry!) volumes of content, we’ve accelerated to a whole new depth of understanding of TV viewers.

This article was originally published by Campaign.

What I Learnt During Gaming Week by Emma Withington

Executive Director, Head of Planning, Emma Withington,

Next project