If the COVID-19 Pandemic taught marketers one thing, it’s the importance of flexibility. In a landscape shaped by uncertainty and evolving consumer behavior, it is valuable for brands to be able to pivot quickly.
Today’s performance marketing leaders are tasked with the need to drive business outcomes at scale and do so with speed and agility. That’s where a more accommodative media buying model becomes essential.
Optionality Is Your Edge (pun intended)
At Havas Edge, we believe in a flexible media model designed for optionality, built to adapt quickly and activate in real-time. While upfronts remain a key component of many strategies, the scatter market gives brands the added flexibility to act on performance insights, respond to market changes, and make informed optimizations. What resonates in January may not have the same impact in March, so the ability to pivot based on what is working can make all the difference.
Why the Scatter Market Is Gaining Momentum
In the digital space, it’s expected that brands can shift spend quickly based on what’s working. Flexibility and optionality are table stakes. In linear TV, which has historically been less agile due to fixed buying structures, the scatter market offers brands a similar level of agility to make performance-based decisions and shift investment towards what is driving results.
As the media landscape evolves, growing demand for flexible media buying is being driven by several factors:
- Volatile markets make long-term planning more complex
- C-Suite leaders are focused on measurable outcomes over guaranteed audience delivery
- Audiences are moving faster across platforms and formats
Despite its clear advantages, scatter buying is often misunderstood. That’s why we’re unpacking a few of the most common myths and showing how a flexible media strategy can give performance brands a true edge.
Myths About Scatter: Debunked
Myth #1: Scatter is just remnant, low-quality inventory.
REALITY: Depending on the network, as much as 60% of inventory across all dayparts may be held back for scatter. That creates a sizable pool of media that remains available to strategic buyers each quarter.
Myth #2: You can’t get high-profile spots in scatter.
REALITY: Scatter includes premium placements, including award shows, sports, premieres, and finales. While these spots may be in demand and require longer planning lead times, they are still available in the scatter market.
Myth #3: Scatter equals inefficiency or risk.
REALITY: Done right, scatter gives brands more control, not less. It enables real-time optimization, faster turnarounds, and spend that tracks to performance.
Agility Is in Our DNA
At Havas Edge, flexibility isn’t new to us. It’s how we’ve operated for over 30 years. We are experts at building performance centric media strategies designed to flex within a changing landscape, pivot based on real-time performance, and stay aligned with what consumers care about.
Flexibility doesn’t mean chaos, it means control. It empowers brands to stay relevant and responsive.
Why clients choose Edge:
- Buyers with an average of 10+ years of experience
- A track record of guiding brands through major market disruptions
- Collaborative client partnerships, customized go-to-market media strategies and speed in market to optimize
Being locked into a media plan that no longer fits the moment can cost you. Whether you’re shifting your media mix, responding to changing consumer behavior, or preparing for your next big campaign, flexibility is how you protect performance.
Looking for a partner built for optionality and impact? Let’s talk.
