As media effectiveness continues to evolve, and AI drives new measurement innovation, there has been much debate in recent years about the role of attention as a metric of success. While it’s not the elusive‘silver bullet’ that marketers have been hunting for decades, with different ramifications across channels, attention is playing an increasingly central role in media strategy.
Research published in Warc earlier this year found that 47% of advertisers plan to use attention metrics on ‘most’ media buys. Though attention metrics are not new to the media industry, they remain harder to quantify than other leading indicators, such as Share of Voice or Touchpoint Recall. Given this challenging environment, the shift towards attention-based buying can be viewed as a revolutionary step, a leap of faith, or something in between.
Dr Karen Nelson-Field, a prominent figure in media science, argues that the advertising industry is experiencing a significant transformation: the ‘next attention revolution’. Her research underscores that traditional metrics like impressions and viewability fall short in capturing genuine consumer engagement.
Instead, Nelson-Field champions attention-based metrics that evaluate the quality and duration of consumer interaction with advertisements, offering a more accurate predictor of advertising effectiveness. The icing on the attention cake is that these metrics can also stimulate fresh conversations with creative teams. By understanding which formats and messages capture the most attention, brands can build more compelling creative from the outset.
At the7stars, we have proactively embraced this shift by integrating attention measurement into our media planning processes. Our proprietary Gravity Planning approach incorporates attention metrics to enhance investment allocation decisions, ensuring that media strategies are not only data-driven but also aligned with actual consumer behaviour. This integration allows us to tailor campaigns to the specific attention thresholds required by different brands and messaging strategies.
Our independence and neutrality afford us the flexibility to adapt our planning strategies to the unique needs of each client and campaign. This agility ensures that we can adjust attention benchmarks as necessary, optimising for the most effective outcomes. Furthermore, our collaborative relationships with a diverse array of creative agencies enable us to consider attention metrics throughout the entire campaign development process, from initial concept to execution.
As measurement capabilities continue to mature, attention metrics are providing the foundation for a new planning imperative. By grounding our media planning in attention-based insights, we are well equipped to navigate the complexities of the modern media landscape. This approach not only enhances campaign performance but also ensures that we are delivering meaningful engagement for our clients in an increasingly attention-scarce environment.
