Advancements in technology over the last decade have challenged many long-held marketing truths. Now they're also flipping media planning on its head. One of the most significant technology-driven trends is participatory culture, which resulted in the democratization of media and opened the door for consumers to take part in the media production and distribution process -- meaning professionals are no longer the only players in the game.

In addition to traditional brand-sponsored and brand-generated media, technology has recently ushered in a host of new options, including consumer co-created content made and distributed via assets provided by the brand (avatars, scrapeable content, RSS feeds) and prosumer-generated media created solely by the consumer on behalf of a brand (blog postings, consumer reviews, podcasts).

Today, these different types of media are being created and distributed independently of one another, and consumers are becoming experts at absorbing them to form their own images of a brand. Clients are missing opportunities to fully leverage this new media environment because they're still dedicating the majority of their mix to paid advertising.

This got me thinking about the need for a new planning model that unites these separate entities into one ecosystem that is inclusive across the spectrum. A mix where unpaid media are assigned value alongside more traditional forms will show how these elements work synergistically, while providing brands greater depth and scale of reach.

Developing this new planning model involves breaking down old beliefs and structures within client organizations and agencies, including changing how budgets are allocated. But this is a growing necessity.

It starts with the client. In order for a new model to take shape, clients must reorganize their internal operations so accountability and budgets for all media categories are grouped under one umbrella. Once this happens, a clearer picture will emerge about how these different parts can perform strategically as a whole. This will be a revelation for many. The knee-jerk reaction that an investment must be allocated to paid media will be offset by the growing impact of these other categories. Grouping them provides greater flexibility for shifting funds as appropriate.

For instance, clients may decide that the investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce a 30-second ad isn't worth the money. Instead, they may discover an opportunity to leverage those funds more efficiently by allocating them across a few media formats. They may decide to create utility platforms that can be integrated into consumers' daily lives, while also providing them with a tool kit to produce original content. The possible media configurations are plentiful, and the result will be a longer-lasting, more cost-effective approach that shifts control back to the client and gives the consumer a reason to engage.

The second step belongs to the agencies. Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes the ad industry has made was to separate the media function, further distancing it from the creative and strategy departments. Because media companies operate independently, they're largely focused on delivering paid advertising solutions for clients. In fact, most media forecasting reports focus solely on paid media, with digital represented as measured Internet. To create a holistic picture, we must account for the impact of nonpaid media such as social networks, utility platforms and prosumer-generated content.

As the digital landscape becomes more and more complex, it will be critical to have media planners work shoulder-to-shoulder with creative teams. This is all the more relevant when taking into account the fact that media negotiation and stewardship for paid media will likely become automated and commoditized through electronic auction in the coming years.

There are a lot of variables that need to be considered, but consumers aren't going to wait for us to figure them out. They will continue to consume, create and distribute media at their discretion. Simultaneously, the digital age will inevitably invent new media formats, especially as mobile technology flourishes and broadband becomes more widely available across the globe.

All of these things will further complicate the situation, but we're in the business of solving problems. So let's get started.