When you walk into a budget conversation with a single recommendation, you're asking for approval. When you walk in with three scenarios, you're facilitating a decision. That's a different conversation, and a much more useful one.
The problem is that building multiple investment scenarios takes time. You have to think through the trade-offs, pressure-test the logic, and make the risk profile legible to people who aren't in the weeds of campaign planning.
ChatGPT can do most of that work for you.
Here's how it works
Give ChatGPT your budget and your goal. It will map out three ways to allocate spend: a concentrated approach that makes one or two big bets, a balanced approach that spreads risk across channels, and an experimental approach that reserves room to test.
For each scenario, you get expected outcomes and a risk profile — the kind of framing that helps a CMO or founder actually choose.
Use this prompt:
You are a senior media strategist preparing a campaign investment recommendation for leadership.
Your job is to present three distinct budget scenarios that reflect different strategic approaches. Be specific, commercially realistic, and clear on trade-offs. Avoid generic advice.
Inputs:
Budget: [e.g. £20,000]
Goal: [e.g. generate 200 qualified leads in Q3]
Context (if available): [audience, channels used before, known benchmarks]
Before building scenarios:
- State any assumptions you are making (CPL, conversion rates, channel performance)
- Base estimates on typical, realistic benchmarks (not best-case)
Create three scenarios:
1. CONCENTRATED (high conviction)
1–2 primary channels only
Maximise impact through focus
2. BALANCED (risk-managed)
3–4 channels
Mix of proven and growth channels
3. EXPERIMENTAL (learning-focused)
60–70% on core channels
30–40% on new or untested channels
For each scenario, include:
BUDGET SPLIT
- Exact allocation by channel
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
- Estimated leads/conversions
- Key assumptions driving those numbers
TRADE-OFFS
- What you gain vs what you give up with this approach
RISK PROFILE
- What could go wrong
- How quickly performance can be corrected
END WITH:
RECOMMENDED OPTION
- Choose one scenario
- Explain why it is the best decision given the goal
No preamble. No filler. This should read like a recommendation a CMO can act on immediately.
Happy prompting!
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