Les Binet's "dull media" concept is undeniably influencing current media planning debates, A few weeks ago I was running a media pitch, and 3 out of the 4 agencies dedicated at least one slide to Mr Binet. To the point, that the third time I heard it, it did in fact feel a bit……dull. writes former Fentimans Marketing Director, Jayne Andrews.

However, despite the repetition of this current favorite, dull’ has struck a chord. In a world where budgets continue to remain tight, everyone’s ears are wide open to avoiding waste.

While his theories are built on rigorous data, I’ve noticed they seem to be summarised too broadly (even by Mr Binet himself), leading to vague prescriptions in the industry. I also get a little nervous when they are presented in conjunction with Thinkbox. While they are a great bunch of experts providing useful insight to the industry, the automatic take-out becomes ‘TV is good’ and ‘Digital is bad.’

And when coupled with theories that Binet initially wrote back in 2016, can then, without context, start to sound a bit dated.

The Limitation

Binet’s thesis is that “dull media - placements lacking impact or attention - can drain budgets through low engagement and weak returns.

The challenge with this is that the definition of “dull” is ambiguous. Is it the channel? The context? The creative execution? “Dull” can mean anything from a tiny digital ad passed over in a social feed, but also a TV spot at 2am on the DIY channel that nobody is watching. This lack of specificity enables agencies and marketers to blame declining results on “dull media” without identifying actionable causes.

Tik Tok made me buy it.

Binet’s findings can sound simply like a swipe against digital and social advertising. However, many digital channels drive strong engagement and ROI when used correctly. The “dull media” critique washes over factors such as precise audience targeting or creative formats. A poor billboard location and a digital ad no one sees are equally wasteful, regardless of medium.

Successful media planning has always relied on core marketing principles: know the audience, reach them at the right touchpoint, and deliver a compelling message. The “dull media” narrative risks oversimplifying this craft by shifting focus to a generic phrase. While “dull” can be a helpful shorthand for ineffective placements, it’s no substitute for rigorous planning, testing, measurement, and creative thinking.

We need to stay practical.

  • Is the media dull because of format, timing, creative, context, or targeting?
  • Are diminished returns from “dull” placements a media issue or an execution failure?
  • How does “dullness” differ from unavoidable wastage in other mass media?
  • In what circumstances has a “dull” channel performed well due to brilliant targeting or creative?

The industry needs to be careful not to just repeat “dull media” as an excuse for poor results, because it has become topical. These risks stifling painting one channel as good, and another as bad, and stifling creative thinking, when it isn’t that simple. Dull is a symptom. Instead of “Is this media dull?” the question could be “How can we make this channel work harder?”


Jayne will be writing a regular column for MAD//Insight.