Case study: Media Desk for agencies – Liakou launches its own Paid Media operating system

Case Study · Media Desk for agencies

How Liakou gains 100% transparency across all paid media channels with Media Desk

The media-agency startup Liakou has centralized its entire media workflow with Media Desk – from planning and booking to reporting, all in one system. Instead of error-prone Excel processes and time-consuming coordination, the platform now delivers 100% transparency across all channels, noticeably faster campaign management and more capacity for strategic consulting.

Its own Paid Media operating system instead of fragmented Excel processes

Liakou plans, books and reports campaigns across classic publishers, digital and retail media – centrally in one platform since introducing Media Desk.

100%transparency
across all channels
1platform from planning
to reporting
AIassisted
media planning
Mario Widmann, Founder of Liakou Consulting

“With Media Desk we were able to streamline our entire workflow – and finally have a tool that keeps pace with the demands of a modern agency.”

Mario Widmann
Founder, Liakou Consulting GmbH

The challenge: Excel-based processes and a lack of transparency

Liakou wanted to build efficient paid media operations and unify all budget and planning data. But the data came from many fragmented Excel spreadsheets, email coordination and heterogeneous booking logics. Managing campaigns across multiple media channels became increasingly opaque.

“We wanted a solution that fully digitizes our planning and booking process, creates transparency and allows our team to focus on the actual consulting work,” says Mario Widmann.

Excel-based & error-pronePlanning, booking and reporting ran across scattered spreadsheets – with a high risk of errors.
Time-consuming coordinationCoordination between buying, consulting and clients tied up enormous resources.
Opaque budgetsAcross multiple channels, there was no up-to-date overview of budgets and deals.

The solution: the complete media workflow in one platform

Liakou introduced Media Desk to map the complete media workflow – from initial budget planning to reporting – in a single Paid Media operating system. The platform brings together planning, buying and execution across all channels – from classic publisher channels and digital to retail media.

AI-assisted media planning (Plan IQ) provides recommendations for budget allocation, inventory selection and timing. This makes it possible to simulate scenarios and make data-driven decisions – without manual calculations. Automated price benchmarking and performance forecasting speed up the planning process even further.

Via interfaces, bookings go directly to publishers, Google, DSPs or ad servers; the integrated reporting provides up-to-date figures at any time – without rework in Excel. In combination with Intelligence Qube, automated dashboards emerge with drill-down all the way to creative level. “Instead of losing time on administration, we can once again focus more on consulting, strategy and developing new ideas,” says Mario Widmann.

Mario Widmann, Founder of Liakou Consulting

The results

Maximum time savings

Automated ad management across all common ad servers and DSPs relieves AdOps, AI optimization relieves the consultants. Eliminating time-intensive monkey jobs creates room for consulting and strategy.

Better campaigns

Planner-supporting algorithms deliver better budget allocations – for large budgets as well as smaller campaigns. Lower CPMs, more reach and better media KPIs are the result.

Agency knowledge hub

Central data storage creates an agency memory. Budgets, plans and results are available at any time – also for new teams. This saves onboarding time and prevents knowledge loss.

What is Media Desk?

Media Desk is a true end-to-end Paid Media operating system for agencies, advertisers and retail media – from briefing through (AI-)planning and booking to ad management and reporting. It works seamlessly together with Intelligence Qube and Finance Desk: Intelligence Qube provides reporting and data integration, Finance Desk manages quotes, invoices and orders including e-invoicing (ZUGFeRD, XRechnung) and ERP integration with SAP, DATEV and Aprimo.

All channels centralizedAll paid media channels and campaigns managed in one system.
Person-days savedAutomated processes replace manual routine across the entire workflow.
AI media planningPlan IQ delivers recommendations and automated proposal requests.
Integrated booking systemPublisher communication and bookings directly from the platform.
One-Click Ad-ManagementCampaign push to DSPs, walled gardens and ad servers with one click.
Budgets & commitmentsAVB management and publisher deals tracked up to date.
Audit-proofVersioning and documentation, custom APIs even to exotic systems.
Data GuaranteeYour data stays your data – full rights and roles concept.

Recognized on OMR Reviews

OMR Reviews — Media Desk Leader in Cross-Channel Advertising OMR Reviews — Media Desk Top Rated in Cross-Channel Advertising

Convinced like Liakou? Media Desk for your agency

Media Desk bundles planning, booking, ad management and reporting for classic and digital media in one system – the Paid Media operating system within the Paid Media Ecosystem of Digital Control.

Over 1,000 media professionals run their campaigns with it.

See reviews on OMR Reviews →
Request a live demo More about Media Desk

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Media Desk for agencies

Media Desk is an end-to-end Paid Media operating system for agencies, advertisers and retail media. It maps the complete media workflow in one platform – from briefing through AI-assisted planning and booking to ad management and reporting. Together with Intelligence Qube and Finance Desk, it forms a seamless Paid Media Ecosystem.
Media Desk saves countless hours of manual work every week. Automated ad management across all common ad servers and DSPs relieves AdOps, and AI optimization of the media plans relieves the consultants. Eliminating time-intensive routine creates room for consulting, strategy and creative tasks.
Media Desk covers all relevant paid media channels in one system: classic publisher channels, digital IO, programmatic, walled gardens (Google, Meta, Amazon, TikTok) and retail media. Planning, booking and execution run across channels in a unified logic – with a central budget overview.
The AI-assisted planning Plan IQ provides recommendations for budget allocation, inventory selection and timing directly in the planning process. This makes it possible to simulate scenarios and make data-driven decisions – without manual calculations. Automated price benchmarking and performance forecasting complement the planning.
Media Desk, Intelligence Qube and Finance Desk together form the Paid Media Ecosystem. Intelligence Qube provides in-depth reporting and external data integration – creating dashboards with drill-down all the way to creative level. Finance Desk manages quotes, invoices and orders including e-invoicing (ZUGFeRD, XRechnung) and ERP integration with SAP, DATEV and Aprimo.

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    Martin Stark, Senior Project Consultant at Digital Control

    Contact:

    Martin Stark
    Senior Project Consultant

    Digital Control GmbH & Co. KG
    Kaistraße 16a
    40221 Düsseldorf

    +49 (0) 211 97532080

    info@digital-control.de