How Selective Attention Shapes Brand Engagement on the Open Internet

As the volume of online content continues to grow exponentially, the available hours in a day remain the same. This means that brands have a narrower window of opportunity to capture audience attention, and it’s no longer enough to simply put out a message hoping that it sticks. To make a real impact, brands must understand the concept of selective attention – the process in which consumers focus on your message, while filtering out the surrounding distractions.

Selective attention is driven by context and relevance, as audiences choose where to direct their focus. For brands, it represents the powerful trifecta of environment, technology, and experience to connect with others. Our Attention & Interaction Media Kit is a concise and valuable resource for anyone looking to revamp their branding strategy, featuring compelling success stories that demonstrate how brands are leveraging the Open Internet to turn attention into outcomes.

What has Led to the Increased Attention on Multichannel Marketing?

For the first time since 2014, spend outside the walled gardens surpassed 50% of total ad spend in the U.S. and continues to rise. As consumers devote a majority of their time engaging with content across the Open Internet, it brings growing value for advertisers to get the selective attention of their audiences in this space.

Broken down further, advertiser demand for top destinations on the Open Internet has grown faster (49%) than the rest of the overall Open Internet (25%). This puts a focus on premium environments for brands as they align to consumer preferences for premium content. In fact, Adelaide benchmarks show attention metrics are positively impacted by environment, and that Open Internet branding solutions like Onyx drive 45% more attention on average versus most social media platforms.

How to Catch Attention in Advertising?

As much as premium environments matter to reach audiences where they are most likely to give their attention, high-attention placements carved out within premium publisher pages elevate that environment further for maximum attention. 

This is partly what makes Onyx a distinct offering for brands to strategically position their content, leveraging both environment and placement in order to best capture attention. Measured and verified by Adelaide, Onyx placements consistently deliver higher attention against benchmarks:

• 53% higher attention vs. standard display banners
• 20% higher attention vs. other rich media high-impact experiences
• 19% higher attention vs. online video benchmarks 

See here in this attention marketing example how environment and placement can captivate audiences, demonstrated by the impact of the Ad Council’s initiative to bring awareness to higher education classes through a campaign running within high-attention placements on premium U.S. publishers.

How do Advertisements Attract our Attention?

Placement is a key element to capture attention, but it only means so much if you are able to hold the attention of your audience as well. With immersive storytelling, visually captivating imagery, and compelling narratives, creative experiences – such as video – have the power to deepen that connection. Video is especially effective on the Open Internet, given the fact that 80% of internet audiences prefer video as their format for media consumption. 

Onyx Brand Studio is an essential pillar of the Onyx offering, and an award-winning hub that designs innovative data-driven experiences to resonate with audiences. By integrating captivating storytelling with interactive designs, brands like Leica are able to build superior attention and engagement for lasting impact.

Rethink What’s Possible for Your Brand’s Attention and Interaction

Attention in marketing is a pivotal aspect of consumer engagement. By understanding selective attention, embracing multichannel strategies, and creating interactive experiences, brands can effectively capture and retain audience attention, driving meaningful impact.