If you’ve ever wondered why some ads stick in your mind long after they air, while others fade instantly, you’re not alone. In the fast-moving world of TV and Connected TV (CTV) advertising, brands are spending staggering amounts—sometimes over $700,000 for a single 30-second spot during NBC’s Sunday Night Football—just for the chance to reach millions of viewers. But here’s the catch: the true price of being noticed is more than just about the cost, and it’s not necessarily a matter of how many people are looking at an ad—it’s how many are paying attention.
Advertisers have relied on tired old metrics such as impressions and viewability for years. Impressions track how often an ad shows up, while viewability inquires if an ad had a chance to be viewed on screen. In the CTV universe—where commercials stream over smart TVs, gaming consoles, and devices such as Roku—these figures tend to appear imposing. But come on: just because an ad appears doesn’t mean someone’s watching. Audience members may be in the kitchen, on their phones, or just tuned out.
CTV shifts the game somewhat. Unlike linear TV, CTV introduces data-targeting marketing’s precision to the living room. Brands can pinpoint specific audiences with programmatic buying, real-time bidding, and dynamic ad insertion. They can make adjustments in real time and push messages that (in theory) should be received better. The promise is greater engagement, improved recall, and more efficient spending. But even with all that technology, something has been lacking: an actual way to measure whether or not people are watching.
That’s where attention metrics enter the picture. This new metric goes far beyond whether an ad will appear on screen or not. It looks at things like how long an advert stayed on screen, whether the sound was on, whether viewers clicked on it, and whether they stuck around long enough to watch the whole thing. Research from brands like Lumen and Ebiquity shows a direct link between attention and brand performance. Simply put, the more attention an ad gets, the better chances it has of driving actual results.
This new paradigm is changing how advertisers think. Instead of chasing most impressions at least cost, brands are looking for how to drive actual, sustained attention. For instance, a show like CBS’s Young Sheldon might be cheaper to advertise on than Sunday Night Football, but if it can keep audiences focused more, it could pay back more money. Less attention-based shows, on the other hand, will likely be more pricey per engaged viewer, after engaging viewers are factored in.
Attention focus is also affecting the way ads get made and in what context. By examining which creative assets hold eyeballs on the screen—dynamic imagery, engaging messaging, or impeccable timing—companies can adjust their strategy to better make a difference. And given that so many individuals are multitasking on tablets or phones while watching TV, marketers now have the chance to build cross-device experiences that keep audiences engaged and attentive.
As technology becomes ever more sophisticated, attention metrics will only become more refined. With data analysis and machine learning, advertisers will be more adept than ever at grasping what holds attention and why. That translates into more thoughtful campaigns, improved creative, and fewer wasted impressions.