Why Time Is the Most Overlooked Variable in Media Performance

Written by Chris Marine, Founder/CEO

In advertising, there’s a formula everyone knows: spend + message + audience = results.

But too often, we forget the most critical variable in the equation: time.

You can have the right message, the right audience, and all the media dollars in the world—but you still can’t force someone to act before they’re ready. That’s especially true for upper- and mid-funnel campaigns that aim to build trust, brand equity, or long-term purchase intent. Unless you’re running a direct response offer with urgency baked in, meaningful conversions take time.

Investing in media is investing in people. And just like relationships, that trust doesn’t develop overnight.

If you try to shortcut the process by blasting your audience with too many impressions too quickly, you risk fatigue, irritation, and even negative brand association. But if you hold your strategy too long without checking in, refreshing creatives, or optimizing channels, you risk wasting budget or missing shifting behaviors.

We see it all the time in both B2B and B2C: brands run a one- or two-month campaign, then pull the plug before anything meaningful can be measured. That’s not marketing—that’s gambling.

A smarter approach acknowledges the arc of attention and trust. It’s paced. Intentional. Iterative. It allows for optimization while respecting that people need time to move through the funnel. And that brand growth isn’t a switch—it’s a signal that compounds.

So yes, spend matters. Messaging matters. Targeting matters. But if you’re not budgeting for time in your plan, you’re not giving your strategy the chance to succeed.