Marketers have spent years finding ways to make consumers stop scrolling, watch longer, or notice a message. But those measures offer little indication of whether someone is actually interested in what the advertiser has to say.

Advertisers need to look beyond attention and consider receptivity, or whether consumers are open to receiving a message in the first place, according to executives from PulsePoint, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Gilead, and PHM at an Advertising Week New York panel.

"There's attention, which is making sure they stop. There's receptivity, which is making sure they care," said Michael Caruso, senior director of commercial media strategy and planning at global biopharmaceutical company BMS.

The challenge for marketers is identifying when that interest exists and delivering a message that makes the most of it.

Attention doesn't guarantee interest

PulsePoint Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Stark offered a familiar scenario: Someone watching Formula One might not welcome an ad reminding them about a chronic illness. But that same person researching their condition on WebMD could be far more willing to engage.

The difference comes down to context and intent.

A consumer researching a health condition has already signaled an interest in learning more. Advertising delivered during that process may have a better chance of being useful than a message served simply because the consumer fits a demographic profile.

The approach reflects a broader reconsideration of what attention metrics can tell advertisers.

Viewability establishes whether an ad had the opportunity to be seen, while attention measurement seeks to determine whether consumers actually noticed and absorbed its message.

But identifying intent is more complicated than tracking exposure. A consumer's behavior may suggest interest without revealing exactly what information they need or whether they're prepared to act.

The right moment still needs the right message

Timing alone won't make an ad effective.

Melissa Rossi, head of digital strategy at Gilead, emphasized that healthcare advertisers need to understand where patients and healthcare professionals are in their respective journeys before deciding what to communicate.

A patient already taking a medication, for example, may benefit more from support resources or copay information than another advertisement explaining the condition.

The stakes are growing as pharmaceutical marketers shift more spending toward digital channels that offer greater targeting capabilities.

US healthcare and pharma connected TV (CTV) ad spending will reach $4.69 billion in 2026, up 23.7% YoY, according to EMARKETER's August forecast. CTV spending is expected to surpass linear TV by 2028.

Meanwhile, healthcare and pharma B2B digital ad spending will reach $2.63 billion this year, up 15.2%, according to EMARKETER's August 2026 forecast.

These investments give advertisers more opportunities to reach patients and physicians in relevant environments, but targeting capabilities alone cannot determine whether the message fits the moment.

Caruso warned that advertisers also need creative variations suited to the signals they're using. Otherwise, increasingly sophisticated targeting risks delivering the same generic message to consumers with very different needs.

Measure what happens after attention

Matching the message to the moment also changes what marketers should expect consumers to do next.

A broad CTV awareness campaign shouldn't be measured against the same expectations as an ad targeting someone who has already demonstrated interest, Caruso argued.

For the former, search lift might show that consumers want to learn more. For the latter, website engagement or other high-value actions could offer a clearer indication of progress.

The panelists also emphasized connecting those indicators to business outcomes rather than treating individual engagement metrics as proof of effectiveness. That requires understanding how channels contribute at different stages of the consumer journey, especially when an awareness campaign generates interest that another channel eventually captures.

For marketers, the next step is testing whether messages delivered during receptive moments produce stronger outcomes than comparable advertising delivered without those signals.

Attention remains valuable. An ad still needs to be noticed before it can influence someone. But visibility shouldn't be confused with willingness to engage, much less evidence of a changed behavior.