Back to Calculator & HandbookCategory 6: Media Planning
🔥 Tier 1 - Must KnowID: budgetAllocationFrameworks

Budget Allocation Frameworks

How marketing spend is distributed across channels and funnel stages

In Simple Words (Zero Jargon):

Deciding what percentage of your total advertising money goes to getting new people interested vs closing sales with people who already know you.

Why It Is Critical

Budget allocation is the highest-stakes decision in media planning. Putting 90% into bottom-of-funnel retargeting produces great short-term CPA while starving the pipeline of future buyers. Putting 70% into top-of-funnel awareness builds recognition without immediate sales.

Calculation Example & Benchmark Matrix

Funnel StageTypical Budget Range (India D2C)Channel Mix Examples
Top of Funnel (TOFU)15-25% of total budgetMeta video/Reels, YouTube, Display, Influencer content amplification
Middle of Funnel (MOFU)20-30% of total budgetMeta prospecting, Google non-brand search, LinkedIn (B2B)
Bottom of Funnel (BOFU)40-55% of total budgetGoogle branded search, Meta retargeting, Email, Shopping, WhatsApp
Brand / Always-On5-10% of total budgetConsistent brand presence to protect Share of Voice (SOV)
'Budget allocation is not a maths problem - it is a strategic judgement about where the biggest opportunity is in the funnel right now. Start with the objective, not the spreadsheet.'
What You Get: A channel investment strategy aligned to where the funnel most needs it - rather than a default split based on habit or platform familiarity.

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