Using Adaptive Bounds in Media Forecaster

For the full CSM decision guide, see When to use Optimization, Forecast, and Adaptive Bounds.

When to use Adaptive Bounds

Choose Adaptive Bounds only when the customer knows the planned budget and the usual minimum and maximum amounts do not leave enough room for the plan to use it.

Common examples include:

the budget is much higher than the reference spend and standard maximums cannot absorb it;
the budget is much lower than the reference spend and standard minimums cannot come down enough; or
fixed allocations leave a remaining flexible budget that cannot fit inside the normal ranges.

Planning for Q4, a launch, or a promotion does not automatically require Adaptive Bounds. First choose Optimization or Forecast based on whether the future campaign structure will resemble the reference period.

How to use it

Choose Optimization when the future campaign roster is mostly the same, or Forecast when it may change.
Select the customer's planning dates and a sensible reference period.
Under Marketing Budget, select Custom spend amount and enter the planned budget.
Under Spend Flexibility, select Adaptive Bounds.
Confirm included media and fixed amounts, then run the plan.

The customer does not need to calculate the wider range manually. The reference period still matters because it anchors the starting mix, comparisons, and spend limits.

What Adaptive Bounds does

Adaptive Bounds automatically gives the plan enough room to work with the entered budget.

It does not change the customer's total budget.
It does not decide how much the customer should spend.
It does not change anything the customer has chosen to keep fixed.
It removes the need to manually widen spend limits when the new plan is much larger or smaller than usual.

A simple customer explanation

“Because this budget is different from your usual spend, Adaptive Bounds gives the plan enough flexibility to build a useful recommendation. Your total budget stays the same.”

Example: planning for Q4

A customer has 5 campaigns in Q3 but normally runs about 20 in Q4 and plans to double spend.

Choose Forecast first because the future campaign roster will be very different. Adaptive Bounds alone would only widen the limits around today's 5 campaigns; it would not create the other 15 campaigns or remove diminishing returns.

After choosing Forecast, add Adaptive Bounds only if the Q4 budget still cannot fit inside the normal tactic-level ranges.

When another option may be better

Use Low, Medium, or High when the customer wants a specific level of flexibility around their usual spend.
Use Fixed when the customer wants to preserve the current allocation.
Use Custom only when Customer Success has a specific reason to set the range manually.

Quick questions

Will Adaptive Bounds increase the customer's budget?

No. It works within the budget they entered.

Does the customer need to choose last year's matching period?

Not always. Choose the historical period that best represents the expected tactic mix. Last year's matching season can be useful, but Adaptive Bounds does not replace the need for a sensible reference period.

Can the customer still keep certain spending fixed?

Yes. Fixed choices remain fixed.

Does this guarantee a specific revenue result?

No. It gives the plan enough flexibility to evaluate the budget, but results still depend on the customer's modeled media performance.