Navigating the Marketplace During AEP Season

Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is almost here—are you ready to own the space? The Q4 marketplace isn’t just crowded—it’s a battleground. And the brands that win? They follow strategies designed to break through the noise and convert.

We’ve gathered proven recommendations to help you cut through the clutter, drive measurable results, and dominate Medicare AEP.

1. Be flexible & ready for marketplace conditions. Inventory will fluctuate week to week so managing to monthly or quarterly budgets rather than weekly will be ideal.
2. Be proactive! Start planning for Q4 inventory now by requesting avails around preferred programming (holiday specials and sports) and setting aside budget with pre-approved guard rails to take advantage of last-minute fire sales! Consider a quarterly scatter deal to lock in coveted network inventory.
3. Consider alternate spot lengths. With the majority of Medicare spending against 60-sec and 120-sec, consider leveraging shorter lengths like 15-sec and 30-sec.
4. Diversify your media mix ahead of AEP. Conduct testing ahead of AEP season to build up a larger media footprint that can be leveraged when inventory on the top 20 AEP networks begins to get tight. Consider expanding outside of broadcast and national cable to include unwired, satellite, digi-networks.
5. Broaden your daypart mix. With over 60% of Medicare spending occurring in daytime & early fringe to accommodate call center hours, consider taking advantage of other key dayparts like prime and weekend.