Guideline vs. the Competitors: Comparing Media Planning Platform Options

Maximizing marketing performance starts with unifying your data and aligning your teams. Needless to say, this is much easier said than done. Managing the expanse of data that media planners face on a daily basis requires a robust yet accessible tool that enables streamlined data management and maximum visibility. What does that look like in the context of media planning?

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The Evolving Need for Advanced Media Planning Tools

The specific features that individuals look for in a media planning platform may vary, but certain dynamic capabilities remain a shared necessity among all media planners. Generally speaking, the ideal solution is capable of:

• Effortless integration
• Real-time insights
• Seamless collaboration
• Tailored taxonomy
• Automated workflows
• Reliable technical support

Farewell, Excel

For many agencies, checking all of these boxes means employing several different programs, requiring planners to switch between several screens and software programs to collect and contextualize a constant stream of data points. In fact, results from our 2024 survey show that a whopping 85 percent of brand and agency marketers use nonspecialized programs such as Excel and Google Sheets for complex media planning. 

These traditional spreadsheet tools, although useful, simply don’t satisfy the multifaceted demands of modern media strategy. Successful multichannel marketing efforts rely on the advertiser’s ability to leverage numerous media channels. Therefore, a truly tactical and effective media plan requires a more specialized platform than Excel. 

As of late, companies such as Guideline and Microsoft have identified the growing need among media planners for a unified and autonomous platform that enables them to develop and manage their media strategy all in one place. 

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Planning Platform Overviews

Both Guideline Planning and Microsoft CoPlanner are tech tools intended to “revolutionize media planning” with robust functionalities that suit the diverse needs of today’s agencies. The question is: How? We start by giving a brief description of each planning platform, and then we proceed to take a closer look at their individual capabilities and limitations.

Microsoft CoPlanner

CoPlanner—a step up from subpar spreadsheets—is an emerging media planning solution hosted by Microsoft. According to Microsoft Advertising, CoPlanner “uses the power of advanced language models such as OpenAI's GPT-4 to turn free-form textual order details into structured JSON data that contains relevant information such as dates, pricing, and targeting criteria.” In other words, it uses predictive algorithms to automate digital media planning workflows. It does this by building on Yield Analytics, Microsoft’s existing forecasting product. 

Guideline Planning

Guideline Planning (GLP) is a software solution that combines structured, harmonized data management with workflow and setting configurability to accommodate various media planning needs. GLP is used to manage media planning for 23 of the largest 30 brands in the world. It offers effortless integration, real-time insights, and seamless collaboration for maximum clarity.

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Considerations and Comparisons

Below, we take a look at the two tools side by side, comparing five standard characteristics based on existing public knowledge:

1. Establishment

• GLP is the established choice by leaders throughout the industry; every major agency holding company has adopted the GLP solution.
• As of the time of this writing, CoPlanner is a tool that Microsoft is currently only using internally. 

2. Resources

• Agency planners have more experience using GLP than any other solution on the market, which enables quicker and greater efficiencies.
• CoPlanner’s automation works for planning digital media available through Microsoft buying systems. It is “not a self-service tool,” according to a MediaConsortium article.

3. Integrations

• Guideline offers more than 20 integrations and enables users to stay at the forefront of the media landscape, optimize spend, and secure the best rates by incorporating powerful benchmark and pricing solutions.
• CoPlanner relies on an integration with Yield Analytics API, which evaluates “whether there is enough available inventory to run the campaign,” and then “prefills fields required for object creation in the order management system.”

4. Workflows and Reporting

• GLP is capable of informing the entire organization with automated reporting in flexible formats, ensuring easy access to planning and performance data.
• CoPlanner functionalities are focused on the transition between planning and buying execution, overlooking other workflows and opportunities for collaboration.

5. Support Options

• GLP provides around-the-clock, local support available in every region and time zone.
• The scope of support Microsoft will offer users of its CoPlanner solution hasn’t been confirmed.

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Your Choice for Media Planning

Overall, Microsoft CoPlanner is focused on maximizing the automation of the workflow between media plan generation and buying, which is certainly beneficial but solves only within the Microsoft ecosystem. 

Guideline Planning, on the other hand, intends to streamline virtually every aspect of media planning, providing a tailored approach to these processes that complements your existing business structure.

Your media planning needs and priorities change all the time, and so do market trends. Stick with a solution that can scale with these demands, providing everything media planners need to create a stellar media strategy and ensure its effectiveness. Plus, with more than 20 years of advertising industry experience under our belt, we’ve seen it all, and we’ve made it our mission to share these insights with valuable clients like you. Reach out to a member of our team to get started with Guideline today.