Only a few decades ago, finding the right mix for your media plan didn’t take too much imagination. There were only a few different types of media to choose from, reports Media Life.

The report, in part, also stated:

“Mix a couple newspaper ads with some TV and radio, and bam, you were done.

“These days that challenge has become a lot more difficult. Digital media has added an almost infinite number of possibilities to the mix.

“Not only are there many forms of digital to choose from, including social media, video and search, but there’s also the issue of desktop vs. mobile.

“So what’s the optimal mix of media when you have so many variables? That’s what media planners are constantly striving to figure out, and a new study from the Advertising Research Foundation claims to have some answers.

“ARF examined 5,000 campaigns, representing $375 billion in spending. It found that while ad dollars are increasingly moving to digital, it’s most effective to keep the bulk of the dollars in traditional media.

“An optimized campaign spends 78 percent on traditional advertising and 22 percent on digital, the study found.

“Perhaps more surprising, this is not much different for adults 18-34, the Millennials who wield their smartphones like an extra appendage.

“For them, the optimal mix is 71 percent old media and 29 percent new media.”