3 tips for getting your ads seen in the attention economy

Attention is limited. We only have so much to give. With consumers now seeing an estimated 10,000 ads per day, many promotions go by unnoticed. For anyone who’s asked a child to “pay attention” only to be ignored, you know attention matters if you want results.

With the era of cookie deprecation on mobile in full swing, Old World performance metrics of impressions and reach are no longer relevant. Viewability metrics have some of the worst standards in the industry: 50% of a display ad for one second, or two seconds for video ads.

Likely as a result of these poor minimums, some platforms have tried to make video formats out of what should have been a display ad, which only adds to the mess.

How can brands get their ads seen in the attention economy?

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Attention economy metrics

It’s time to measure what matters, and what matters is attention.

Here’s how we break down “attention” even further:

1. Positive impact. In eye tracking and gaze studies across mobile video formats, facial expressions and attitudinal responses comprise 50% of the feedback measured. This is important because a consumer might be looking at an ad, and even spending time on it, but their reaction might be negative – much like rubbernecking, when drivers slow down and stare at car accidents.
2. Quality time. Yes, it’s a love language, but it’s also a clear indication of consumer interest. And as we can see from the findings from Dentsu’s Attention Economy Program research, dwell time on ads directly impacts prompted recall and choice uplift. Time spent with your message matters!
3. Recall equals growth. We know real attention, then, affects brand recall. And the better the recall, the better the sales and growth, both short and long term.

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Attention-grabbing advertising

The good news is that while the science behind measuring for attention is emerging, there’s still a science for rising above the fray in a crowded mobile attention economy.

Here are three ways brands can grab consumer attention – and keep it.

1. Harness the power of long-form creative and completion

Creative is the biggest driver of attention. Dentsu found the difference between good creative and poor creative impacts recall by 17%. While what might be considered “good creative” has long been a point of subjective discussion, the idea is to find ways to evoke emotion and be sticky and memorable.

The key drivers for attention are sound and duration, and truly impactful video advertising typically requires combining sight, sound, and motion to create a narrative.

Storytelling is still the most powerful weapon there is in advertising. And there’s no better way to do that with non-skippable, audio-on, full-screen video.

Wait, non-skippable? Isn’t that going to annoy viewers? Not if you do it right. For decades the model of a “takeover” video ad worked for TV and was accepted as part of the consumer experience. It attracts attention, gives you the space you need to fully tell your story (with 17 seconds being the magic number for recall) and is a proven medium for brand growth and awareness, which is more than we can say for two-second videos.

2. Consider the full funnel

Remember how we said that people are being exposed to 10,000 ads per day? Chances are, they’re getting multiple ads from the same brand within those thousands – and there’s a reason for this.

With so many touchpoints, consumers are experiencing your brand in other ways than your mobile video ads, which can feel fragmented.

This is where strategic decision-making around formats and channels is essential. Map all of your touchpoints, from short-form brand touches that build familiarity and trust to long-form, in-depth pieces across display, video, etc.

When you put the puzzle pieces together across the full funnel and tie them to each other in a cohesive way, you can create a more meaningful relationship with the customer.

3. Find them when they “lean back” 

Consumers’ receptivity to advertising is very much determined by the mindset they’re in. Marketers used to assume that a “lean in” mindset was better, as the user is already engaged in the content. It’s a moment of purpose, like receiving a Facebook notification and going directly to read the message.

However, more consumers are now entering the mobile ecosystem in browsing mode, with 88% of consumers saying they unlock their phones while they’re waiting to do something and are “appnostic,” without a specific app in mind.

Now we can see how “lean back” sessions, such as a mobile gaming experience or other entertainment, might be a more opportune moment to reach them with an ad.

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Make it worthy of attention

Time, place, and person – yes, all of these matter. Targeting is still essential for creative campaigns to make sure you’re reaching the right audience at the right time. But with cookie deprecation and all of the mythical targeting techniques and workarounds that the industry has created now going away, brands must go back to the basics.

Story-based creative, delivered in a way that demands and achieves attention, carries far more weight.

Just as the metrics of 10 or even a few years ago are considered wildly outdated today, measuring success by two-second views is completely insane. The question we should be asking is, “Was my video seen by a human being, in a way that they can fully consume it, and then take action?”

That’s all that matters in today’s attention economy. It has to be given appropriate airtime, and it must be high quality. After all, if we want someone to “pay attention,” we have to give them something worth paying for.