Attention metrics, which measure the attention consumers pay to ads, show audio performs better than video in grabbing people’s attention and generating brand recall. But how widespread is their use among advertisers? A new study conducted by Integral Ad Science (IAS) and YouGov shows marketers recognize the significance of attention metrics. But there is no consensus so far about how they should be used – and for what type of media.
The issue: advertisers lack the resources and the understanding to measure attention paid to ads.
The IAS study set out to take stock of the perceptions and outlook of media pros around measurement and optimization, according to MediaPost. Attention metrics refer to data points used to model consumer attention to both media placements and creative.
Roughly 83% of media experts surveyed say it’s important for their company to have an attention strategy, and 79% report significant improvements in revenue opportunities since they implemented such a strategy. In addition, 78% are ready to take the next step and employ an optimization strategy.
“There are a lot of new solutions in the market, so a test and learn approach is a more appropriate one,” Jeremy Kanterman, VP of Research and Insights at IAS told MediaPost. “It’s about taking one step and putting it in front of the other.”
Adopting an attention metric standardized by an industry trade group isn’t necessary, according to 40% of those surveyed.
Among those using attention metrics, most of the survey respondents say they have seen improvements in online sales lift, ad interaction, new sales leads, video ad completion, and viewability rates. These were seen as high in importance.
Measuring offline sales, sound-on while viewing video or audio plays, monthly unique visitors, ad fraud rates, and offline visitation lift were viewed as less important. Kanterman told Mediapost these signals are less valuable because of the difficulty in measuring them.
Getting more advertisers up to speed with attention metrics is important for audio.
Ad agency network dentsu has been advocating for attention metrics as a better measurement than whether an ad was seen or heard. The agency network recently showed how the attention consumers give audio ads stacks up to other media channels as part of the Attention Economy Project. Audio wasn’t included in the project until this year when dentsu and Lumen Research worked with some of the nation’s largest audio companies to expand its attention metric to include radio, podcasting, and streaming.
As earlier reported by Inside Radio, the first-of-its-kind study found that audio performs better than video in grabbing people’s attention and generating brand recall. On average, 41% of audio ads generated correct brand recall compared to the 38% norm for other advertising studied by dentsu. Brand choice uplift for audio ads was 10%, nearly double dentsu norms of 6%.
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