A $40 million deal folds eyes-on-screen data into Viant’s DSP, letting advertisers transact on attention—not just impressions.

Podcast growth outpaces social, with trusted hosts driving purchases and attention other feeds can’t match.

Uber aims to sell proof, not just scale, through transaction-level data and third-party measurement validation,

Premium streamers beat YouTube on attention as Netflix and HBO Max scored an attention rate of 26% vs. YouTube’s 18%, challenging spend priorities.

This FAQ explains what attention metrics are, why they matter now, and how advertisers can use them to improve media performance beyond viewability.

Attention metrics (AUs) in the social media video landscape are gradually fragmenting as audiences shift to platforms with interest-driven feeds, per our industry KPI data provided by Adelaide. Consumer attention fragmenting across platforms means that advertisers who are already struggling to reach target audiences on social media are facing an uphill battle. Focusing on interest-driven platforms like Reddit and Pinterest as they gain AUs can help drive stronger results, while maintaining investment in leaders like YouTube will remain essential.

The advertising industry is moving from “opportunity to see” to “proof of impact.” The new IAB and MRC Attention Measurement Guidelines formalize a shift long visible in audience behavior in which people respond to what they feel, not what they scroll past, per MarTech. Attention standards raise the bar so it’s no longer enough for an ad to be seen—it needs to elicit an emotional response. Brands targeting specific demographics should design creative around their emotional triggers, measure attention as a quality metric, and build media plans that prioritize resonance over reach.

Uber partnered with ad measurement firms Kantar and Adelaide to launch a custom attention metric for in-ride ads and Uber Eats checkout screens, the companies announced Tuesday. The partnership is Adelaide’s first custom, platform-specific attention metric partnership. As the ad industry inches toward universal standards, Uber’s launch shows the challenges in creating a one-size-fits-all approach. Even post-standardization, advertisers will have to navigate an ecosystem with multiple platform-specific offerings.

Connected TV (CTV) attention metrics (AUs) declined between 2024 and 2025, but remain strong overall, according to our industry KPI data provided by Adelaide. Even with slight declines in effectiveness, Adelaide’s findings prove that CTV is relatively unmatched in capturing audience interest, cementing its position as a key touchpoint for brands looking to connect with broad audiences.

Snap debuted a new ad suite for marketers and developers, offering an “App Power Pack” that includes new bid strategies, ad formats, optimization strategies, and targeting capabilities to boost ROI, per MediaPost. Snap’s ad suite is an important step in the company’s efforts to cement its strength in advertising and curb slowing growth. We forecast the platform’s ad revenues will continue falling in the low single digits through 2027. But with competitors already offering similar products, Snapchat needs to go a step further to stand out.

The news: A Snapchat, WPP Media, and Lumen study unveiled key insights on the growth of attention-based metrics as key indicators of ad success. Even 5% more attention can double brand perception. Attention was 8 times more effective than view-through rates for predicting brand recall and 4 times more effective at determining brand favorability. Our take: Snap is looking to be a leader in a metric that advertisers are increasingly paying attention to—but on the back of a lukewarm quarter, can Snap’s emphasis on attention help it bounce back?

The news: Influencer marketing is leading the way in attention metrics, with viewers in India spending 2.2 times longer viewing ads with influencers before skipping, per Kantar research. The average skip time for traditional branded content is 7.9 seconds—but for ads with influencer content, that number jumps to 17.8 seconds. Our take: While a necessary part of the media mix, traditional ads are not enough to drive consistent growth—and partnering with reliable influencers will prove valuable as social media represents a critical path to purchase. Influencer voices are able to cut through the noise of social media.

The news: Connected TV (CTV) commands higher attention metrics (AU) than online video (OLV) and display advertising thanks in part to its wide variety of interactive ad formats, per industry KPI data provided by Adelaide. Our take: CTV's growing attention metrics reflects its shift toward becoming a performance marketing channel

Attention metrics can be applied throughout the campaign life cycle to minimize waste and facilitate performance. Get up to speed on how attention works and what offerings are in-market.

57% of US ad buyers use performance metrics to help determine attention levels, according to an August 2023 survey from Integral Ad Science and YouGov.

As an optimization lever and digital currency, viewability has incentivized a web full of intrusive ad clutter. More than a fifth (21%) of observed ad impressions run on MFA websites that game viewability, according to a January 2023 study from the Association of National Advertisers (ANA).

Attention metrics are moving beyond consumer research into programmatic bidding strategies. But a lack of measurement standards is preventing mainstream adoption, even as AI-generated content threatens to upend engagement rates.

When it comes to video advertising, viewability used to be king. But as identifiers go away, advertisers are migrating to “attention” metrics that better gauge meaningful interactions with advertisements. In fact, 36% of buy-side advertising decision-makers plan to focus more on attention metrics this year, according to November 2022 data from the Interactive Advertising Bureau.