For years, digital marketing has relied on metrics like click-through rates (CTR) and viewability to measure ad performance.
However, these traditional metrics are missing a key insight: did the ad genuinely capture the viewer’s attention? Increasingly, research shows that attention – whether an ad was actively seen – far outperforms viewability and CTR in predicting outcomes like brand recall, awareness and even sales.
Why Attention Matters More Than Viewability
While viewability metrics tell us if an ad is visible on a screen, it doesn’t mean that anyone noticed it. This is particularly important for B2B marketers, whose products often require multiple, memorable interactions before a decision is made. Attention metrics bridge this gap by focusing on the probability that an ad is actually seen, making every ad impression more meaningful. Studies reveal that attention is seven times more predictive of brand awareness and six times more likely to drive brand recall than viewability alone.
For brands, where decisions are made by committees and buying cycles are complex, attention helps cut through the noise. It shifts focus from merely being visible to being truly impactful, ensuring that ad spend generates tangible engagement and is not wasted on impressions that don’t resonate.
Attention Metrics as a Solution to Evolving Privacy Regulations
The recent U.S. District Court ruling determining that Google has illegally monopolised the online search market marked a major shift in antitrust enforcement against Big Tech. Potential outcomes, such as limits on Google’s default agreements and restrictions on data use, could open the search market to new competitors, altering consumer choices and digital advertising practices. The case also sets a critical precedent that could impact other Big Tech giants, spurring broader antitrust action, and ultimately affect B2B marketing practices as we know them today.
With the increase in data privacy regulations such as the GDPR in Europe and the ever-changing third-cookie landscape, marketers face challenges in gathering user data for targeting and measurement. These changes restrict traditional tracking, pushing brands to find new, privacy-compliant ways to gauge campaign performance.
Attention metrics provide a privacy-friendly solution by focusing on first-party user engagement. By measuring whether an ad captured the viewer’s attention marketers can gain valuable insights without relying on personal data. This approach aligns with privacy requirements and allows brands to optimise campaigns based on true audience connection rather than clicks alone.
This shift is especially beneficial for marketing professionals. Attention metrics allow brands to measure meaningful outcomes, driving budgets towards impactful placements. As digital advertising evolves, attention metrics offer a scalable, privacy-respecting way to reach and resonate with target audiences. This also allows businesses to refocus on what they can control: delivering relevant, engaging ads that attract attention organically.
Scaling Attention Metrics for B2B Success
The value of attention in driving business outcomes is undeniable. Attention metrics have proven highly effective in driving business outcomes. Research consistently shows that attention strongly correlates with KPIs like brand awareness, recall and purchase intent – outperforming traditional metrics like viewability. Attention is seven times more predictive of brand awareness and six times more effective at driving brand recall, and attention correlates 180 times more with ROI than viewability alone.
This positive correlation empowers B2B marketers to allocate budgets toward placements that genuinely engage audiences, ensuring ads reach their full impact. Although a standard in the industry would help make attention a universal currency, the current evidence is clear: attention metrics are a powerful tool, helping B2B brands drive real results across every stage of the sales funnel.
New attention measurement solutions have emerged in the AdTech scene that are designed to make attention-based metrics accessible and scalable. Technologies that use tracking codes enable simplified attention measurement as businesses require a tool stack that is easy to implement and operate if they want to leverage the full power of attention metrics. This approach enables brands to measure attention seamlessly and integrate it into broader business intelligence systems, improving the relevance and effectiveness of each campaign.
Attention is the new benchmark
For B2B marketers, adopting attention metrics isn’t just an upgrade; it’s essential. As digital advertising shifts toward true engagement, attention has emerged as the preferred benchmark, allowing brands to optimise ad spend, drive meaningful audience connections and measure real impact.
The industry is making strides to standardise attention metrics, with the topic being on the IAB’s and MRC’s radars. Their aim to create a framework for certifying different vendors’ methods signifies a step in the right direction. Despite these efforts, we can’t wait for them to develop standardised attention metrics. The proven relationship between attention and business performance provides ample reason to adopt attention metrics immediately.
Plus, there are already tools on the market that make attention measurement possible today. Some forward-thinking brands are already seeing the benefits of using these tools and applying attention metrics to measure success. With scaleable attention metrics, businesses gain the transparency needed to maximise ad effectiveness, compare results across formats, and achieve deeper, more valuable engagement. All in all, the time for B2B brands to embrace attention metrics is now.
Simon Kvist is the Founder and CEO of Adnami, a leading provider of attention-driven marketing solutions dedicated to helping advertising agencies and publishers achieve high impact, scalable campaigns that drive real results.
