In an age of constant distractions, we won’t blame you if you don’t make it to the end of this read. As per a study, human attention span has dropped to just eight seconds. If you’re a digital marketer, it means you now only have a few moments to cut through the noise (and cut to the chase).
Drawing insights from the successful 2019 Attention Economy study in the US, Dentsu Japan International Brands (DJIB) wanted to help brands understand the value of their media investments in a fragmented digital landscape.
The goal was to comprehend how attention impacts brand recall, engagement, and choice. Using Vision AI and eye-tracking technology, DJIB measured mobile user attention across digital ads, uncovering key insights that can guide smarter media investment decisions and more effective advertising strategies.
Attention outperforms viewability: the longer an ad is watched, the higher the brand recall
Imagine this: It’s a Saturday, you’re cleaning your apartment, and music is playing on your Smart TV in the background. It’s interrupted by several ads in between, but they fail to capture your attention. This is viewability, not active viewing. According to our study, attention (measured by average viewed time) beats viewability in terms of brand recall.
There’s also a strong correlation between attention and brand recall: the longer an ad holds attention, the higher the brand recall. For instance, people who viewed an ad for less than a second had a recall rate of 21%, while those who watched for over 10 seconds had a recall rate of 41%. While attention is the key driver, brand fame and creative recall also play significant roles.
What does this mean for brands?
As a marketer looking to grow your brand, you must focus on attention metrics over viewability metrics to plan budget allocation for various ad formats and placements that engage viewers. This will help optimise the return on investment (ROI) and ensure your ad spend drives greater impact.
Voluntary attention increase more brand recall as opposed to force attention
Do you remember that luxury watch ad that made you stop what you were doing and focus on the ad? Maybe you looked up the brand online right after or even ended up owning one of their watches. Ads that capture voluntary attention tend to create much higher brand recall than those that are forced or non-skippable.
Our findings show that viewers who voluntarily watched ads for 5-10 seconds were 18% more likely to recall the ad than those who viewed it under forced conditions. When the attention was voluntary and lasted longer than 10 seconds, recall increased by 79%. Clearly, attention plays a critical role in driving ad effectiveness. While voluntary attention does not guarantee longer viewing time, when it does, the business impact can be significant.
What should brands take from this?
As a business leader, it's important to have both long-and short-term goals, but flexibility is key in achieving them. Focus on capturing your audience’s attention in the first 6 seconds—that's crucial. Then, work towards extending it to 10 seconds or more.
Attention drives brand choice
Although the correlation between attention and brand choice isn’t as strong as the link between attention and brand recall, it is still significant. It is likely due to creative content, context, and targeting, that also influence a person’s brand choices. From the ads study in Japan, we found that as average viewed time increased, so did the likelihood of consumers choosing the advertised brand. This suggests that sustained attention to ads enhances the chances of a brand being chosen.
What should brands take from this?
Your ads need to work smart to engage viewers and leave a lasting impression. Create visually appealing and spell-binding ads to boost brand recall and choice. Additionally, you can employ attention-based metrics to assess and refine the impact of your advertising efforts.
Optimizing ad creatives and adopting multi-platform strategies are crucial
Different channels show varying levels of average view time, with Instream and Live Streaming ads achieving higher retention rates. While most impressions capture brief attention, certain format like Instream 4 and 5 in Japan were better at driving longer viewing time. Overall, attention in Japan aligned with global trends. Rich media formats (display and video) delivered strong brand recall, proving reliable for engaging Japanese audiences.
What should brands take from this?
The variability across ad formats highlights the importance of continuous testing and optimization. Given the significant impact of creative quality on brand choice, advertisers should prioritize developing high-impact, engaging content—especially for video and in-article formats. Investing in creative excellence is crucial to maximizing positive brand lift.
Key factors impacting attention
Several factors influence audience attention, including Viewable Time, Forced Viewing, Duration, Movement, and Size. The platform and creative formats also play a key role in driving attention and improving business outcomes. Ads that follow viewers as they navigate a webpage tend to generate a higher Attention Per Mile (APM), leading to increased average view time.
What should brands take from this?
By understanding these factors and tailoring your creatives to the right platforms, you can significantly enhance audience attention and improve engagement.
Japan’s ad industry is on the verge of a fundamental shift. Our above findings from the ‘Introducing the Attention Economy’ report guide market leaders on navigating the advertising challenges to help them succeed in the long run. We hope you find value in our insights!
For a deeper understanding of user attention and brand engagement, download our report.