Creating a framework for measuring attention will not only help us deliver more engaging ads across our media, but should also contribute to a more sustainable industry overall.
Measuring the effectiveness of online advertising has long been an imprecise science. For too long, viewability has been the key metric used to evaluate impression quality.
The excessive focus on viewability led to a situation where all impressions were treated as equal — regardless of whether the ad actually received meaningful attention or not. While this gave the industry a way to calculate a minimum performance benchmark for what brands should pay for inventory, it also created the wrong incentives, with less careful publishers squeezing smaller ads onto pages simply to satisfy viewability measurements.
In addition, the reality is that some viewability factors — such as format size or placement on the page — can actually have a negative impact on attention levels.
As a result, the industry has been searching for better ways to effectively measure how consumers respond to on-page content. Fortunately, there is growing evidence strongly supporting a shift toward measuring real attention. In fact, in 2022 many advertisers began moving away from viewability and focusing instead on attention as the key metric used to plan, buy, and measure media.
“Attention” is the new metric
So why is attention so important when looking for a better way to measure performance?
Studies carried out by Dentsu International provide one of the most comprehensive insights into why the Attention Economy represents such a strong future for digital ad measurement. The research clearly demonstrates that attention is three times better at predicting outcomes than viewability, making it essential for advertisers to understand and adopt as soon as possible.
The research highlights four key areas that influence attention:
Time
Although it may seem obvious, time is one of the strongest drivers of attention. The Dentsu study showed that video and display ads benefit from quality visible time. Understanding this allows both publishers and advertisers to encourage high user engagement through quality content, resulting in slower scrolling and higher average viewing time (sometimes even higher than within video environments).
User choice
It is not surprising that ads forced onto consumers generate different attention patterns compared to ads that can be easily ignored. When a consumer voluntarily chooses to watch an ad, it has a strong positive effect on brand metrics — whether they watch for 2 seconds or 20 seconds.
Creativity
While creativity has long been recognized as important for ad effectiveness, within the Attention Economy it appears as the strongest driver of attention performance. The difference between good and poor creative execution can influence ad recall by up to 17%.
Relevance
Finally, the Dentsu study clearly showed that placing ads in a context relevant to the reader increases effectiveness by 13%.
If there were any doubts that attention is a more effective way to quantify ad value and impression quality than viewability, this research should remove them.
However, there is also a bigger picture at play that goes far beyond measuring ad performance.
As the industry increasingly focuses on sustainability, emphasizing attention can help advertisers positively impact their carbon footprint.
Make sustainable media a priority
Understanding pollution from digital advertising is complex because there are many hidden layers to consider. For advertisers to gain a full picture of emissions, they must be able to analyze the entire production and distribution process.
On the production side, this means looking closely at the resources required to create creative assets. A full TV-style production — with cast, crew, sets, cameras, lighting, and support staff — will clearly have a larger impact than a simple image requiring only a single photoshoot. At the same time, the way and place where digital ads are stored and served also has a major impact, although it is harder to measure and track.
Fortunately, there are two key ways brands can help reduce emissions at this level:
Simplify your tech stack
Reducing the number of layers between ad creation and ad delivery means fewer partners and fewer reporting integrations — but also fewer indirect emissions.
Reduce data load
We recommend shorter and lighter ad creatives. Optimizing ad file size improves user experience and also reduces emissions associated with ad delivery, while saving energy and helping extend device lifespan.
Reduce waste by ensuring ads are relevant to the audience
Targeting the right user in the right context at the right moment not only increases attention and campaign impact, but also limits wasted impressions and energy.
So, building an attention measurement framework will not only help advertisers deliver more engaging ads and better campaign outcomes, but will also support more sustainable advertising.
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