Attention, Please: Measuring Media Quality in Contextual Targeting

“May I have your attention, please?”

Hearing this sentence may propel you back to the days of childhood or elementary school. But for many brands seeking to have their messages and content stick out amongst the masses, capturing attention makes the difference between success and failure. The principle of attention has as much to do with the quality of an ad as it does with the length of time someone pays attention to an ad.

When we look at themes that will prevail in 2023, attention measurement ranks near the top of the list amongst many of our leadership. So it doesn’t surprise us that a recent survey issued by The Attention Council (TAC) noted that over 90% of marketing professionals believe attention metrics will soon augment legacy metrics. 

Verve Group has recognized the power of attention, as it plays such an important role in measuring the effectiveness of advertising. It’s one reason why Verve Group has partnered with Adelaide Metrics as its preferred attention measurement partner for Verve Group’s contextual targeting platforms. Verve Group has started to work with Adelaide to drive media quality measurement for our clients using our Moments.AI and Visual Intent contextual targeting solutions. We expect to expand the partnership across other channels including CTV and Verve Group’s curated PMP business.

Measuring Media Quality With Attention Metrics

If you have never heard of Adelaide Metrics, you may want to start paying attention. Adelaide partners with global brands and agencies to measure media quality using AU, its omnichannel attention metric. AU is generated by a machine-learning algorithm trained to proxy outcomes, blending media quality indicators, brand outcomes, and conversion data, as well as eye-tracking and attention research to predict any placement’s ability to capture attention and drive impact. 

Using AU, advertisers can uncover optimization opportunities, including eliminating waste and shifting spend to higher-value placements. Adelaide’s AU currently supports measurement across display and OLV, social media platforms, CTV, linear TV, audio, and soon, digital out-of-home (DOOH) — offering an apples-to-apples measure of advertising effectiveness independent of creative and audience. 

Marc Guldimann, CEO of Adelaide Metrics, shared with us that there is a correlation between the efficiency of dollars spent and the success of a brand’s contextual targeting. That’s good karma for the Visual Intent and Moments.AI teams. Another thing we heard from Marc and his team? Attention is nuanced. Advertisers should focus on increasing the probability of attention rather than maximizing it. With so many brands marketing their products and services in an omnichannel environment, measuring attention is as important (if not more so) than standard campaign KPIs, such as CTR, VCR, or foot traffic.

Incorporating Adelaide’s AU into Verve Group’s suite of contextual advertising products means our clients will now achieve deeper insight into campaign performance across both of these key drivers. And if you’re not a Verve Group client yet, now is an ideal time to get on board.