EMARKETER has released an in-depth report on the adtech attention ecosystem. The report covers the key players in the attention space and how brands think about and activate their solutions and capabilities.
“Attention metrics get advertisers one step closer to outcomes-based measurement,” reads the report overview. “Applied correctly, attention metrics can elevate strategy across the campaign life cycle….” The report tries to educate and demystify attention for advertisers and adtech vendors integrating with attention partners.
This chart, in particular, is great, segmenting providers like Adelaide and GumGum, IAS and DoubleVerify, Yahoo and The Trade Desk, and others:
See the full report, available for download (subscription required), here.
Why This Matters:
According to EMARKETER’s Senior Analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, “complicated methodologies and a lack of standardization make it challenging to assess existing products” in the attention landscape. She’s not wrong.
Advertisers are increasingly using attention metrics to understand campaign effectiveness, which goes beyond traditional KPIs like impressions and click-through rates. Attention, in theory, focuses on how people engage with ads. To calculate attention, providers use a variety of tools and technologies, from eye-tracking and biometric data to tag-based and AI analysis.
There are a few reasons why attention is so important right now. First, the growing fragmentation of media and content consumption makes capturing attention more valuable, along with the increasing awareness that traditional metrics may not accurately reflect an ad’s impact on consumer behavior and business outcomes. The phasing out of third-party cookies, historically used for performance measurement, also necessitates new methods of measurement. Additionally, advances in technology now enable large-scale attention data collection and analysis.
With so much… attention on attention, the glut of providers makes it important to understand what each offering does. EMARKETER’s new report tries to help on this front. The IAB also released an attention measurement toolkit last month that serves a similar purpose.
Experts React:
In a guest piece for Adweek, the IAB’s Angelina Eng, VP of Measurement, Addressability and Data Center, recently wrote: “To harness the potential of attention metrics, a collective effort is essential. Success lies not in adopting the latest technologies, but in sharing insights, use cases and best practices. The real victory is in fostering a common understanding in the intricate world of media, transforming attention metrics into a valuable tool for advertisers seeking deeper insights into consumer behavior.”
Our Take:
As attention metrics continue to gain momentum, we can expect more solutions to emerge, which will likely add further complexity to an already crowded space. With so many players offering different and equally valuable approaches, navigating the landscape could become a bit challenging for advertisers.
In response, and this is total speculation, perhaps we see M&A activity in 2025, as companies look to consolidate capabilities and simplify the attention ecosystem. Some providers may be acquired as larger players try to integrate attention into their broader offerings, addressing the fragmentation and delivering more comprehensive solutions.
