• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, November 21, 2023

Data has confirmed that marketers recognize the significance of attention metrics, but opinions vary when it comes to how it should be used and for what type of media -- mainly because marketers lack the resources and the understanding to measure it.

Integral Ad Science partnered with YouGov to release attention metrics research that is intended to analyze and assess the perceptions and future outlook of media professionals around measurement and optimization.

Attention is measure by whether or not an ad is resonating with consumers and can be linked to business results.

About 83% of media experts think it’s important for their company to have an attention strategy, and 79% report substantial improvements in revenue opportunities since they have implemented a strategy. Some 78% are prepared to take the next step and bring in an optimization strategy such as pre-bid targeting.

“There are a lot of new solutions in the market, so a test-and-learn approach is a more appropriate one,” says Jeremy Kanterman, vice president of research and insights, Integral Ad Science. “It’s about taking one step and putting it in front of the other.”

There were a few surprises in the data. Most media experts don’t need an attention standard, Kanterman says.

Some 40% believe an attention standard endorsed by a major trade group is not necessary. There doesn’t need to be one source or definition of attention, according to those taking the survey. 

Attention metrics in which users report ample improvement were found in most results. Most users reported they have seen improvements in online sales lift, ad interaction, new sales leads, video ad completion, and viewability rates. These are high in importance.

Less important is measuring offline sales, whether sound is on while viewing video or when audio plays, monthly unique visitors, ad fraud rates, and offline visitation lift. Kanterman believes the signals are less important because of the difficulty involved in measuring them.

Solutions that are more difficult to measure against become less important because of the lack of resources.

Kanterman says knowing what is difficult to measure is an opportunity for the industry to make it easier for advertisers.

When asked to cite the business results that are most important for an attention strategy, 84% of respondents cited media performance, while 73% cited revenue opportunity, 44% cited online traffic, 44% cited interactivity, and 33% cited brandings.

The media formats differ widely. Some 61% of respondents cited social media as the top format media experts like to measure and optimize toward attention, followed by 53% who cited mobile apps; 46%, mobile web; 42%, search; 39%, digital display; 39%, digital video; 33%, gaming digital audio; 25%, connected TV; 24%, retail media; 21%, native; and 18%, digital out-of-home.

Key performance indicators and categories considered important by attention users include media performance at 84%, revenue opportunity at 73%, online traffic and interaction, both at 44%, and branding at 33%.