Not all attention is created equal

Hi folks, Gabriella back for Edition 106!

Before we dive in, a lot of the themes we cover in this edition will be explored live at SEG3 London this June 18-19, with leaders from BBC Studios, Universal Music Group, Mastercard, Unity and more joining.

Now, back to what you came for.

This week, we’re digging into Dentsu’s Brand Reset report, and what kind of attention can actually help you to drive sales vs grow your brand.

Plus Speed Reads of:

Dentsu has released its landmark The Brand Reset report, surveying 40,000 respondents across 10 platforms, testing 60 ads per platform, and measuring what actually happens to a brand's long-term sales trajectory when someone watches, or skips, an ad.

We talk a lot in this newsletter about the battle for attention. About how most content gets ignored, and how building connection in a world where we’re programmed to scroll, swipe and skip is the defining challenge of modern marketing.

What jumped out at me when I read through this (twice, it’s dense!) was that it challenges the assumption that all attention is created equal…it’s not.

What matters now isn’t just how much attention you get - but what kind, where it happens, and how efficiently you can buy (or attract) it.

On that note, I’ve plucked out four key takeaways which can be helpful as you start to define the type of attention you need or want:

Despite the long-standing assumption that linear TV is the best channel for driving long-term growth, the data doesn’t necessarily support that anymore.

Yes, linear continues to drive stronger lift per exposure (4.5% vs ~2% for digital video) - but when you factor in cost, short-form starts to outperform on efficiency, with it being cheaper per unit of brand growth.

That efficiency means it’s become a scalable way to build brand equity, especially when it reaches audiences that more traditional channels miss.

In the context of entertainment, an analysis of 38 theatrical campaigns found audiences exposed to TikTok movie promotions were 172% more likely to buy tickets, with 60% of those purchases coming from people linear TV never reached.

And I think that’s an eye-opening stat that shows the most valuable discovery is now happening outside your vertical. Leaning into the blurred lines between industries and passion points is where growth opportunities exist.

So remember: Short-form isn’t just for maintaining relevance, but if positioned well, it can be used to build your brand and generate new revenue.

Connected TV is closing the gap to linear TV (3.2% vs 4.4% long-term lift) - showing a clear change in behaviour.

As audiences increasingly consume long-form content through streaming platforms, and major sporting competitions, awards shows and more move to CTV in major markets, attention is shifting to CTV.

For sports and entertainment brands negotiating rights, planning media buys or building direct-to-fan streaming products, this is data worth having up your sleeve. Being present on streaming environments doesn't mean diluting brand impact - instead, it presents brands with another avenue for engagement.

We’ve all been there - waiting impatiently for the little ‘skip’ button to appear on our Yoga With Adriene YouTube video (just me?) so we can get to downward dog.

But sometimes there’s an ad that holds your attention (Three’s singing donkeys come to mind) and you don’t click that button.

And it turns out that those skippable ads that succeed in holding attention can have a huge brand-building effect if that attention can be sustained.

The takeaway, while skippable formats have a lower impact when viewed for just one to two seconds, their impact surpasses non-skippable ones when attention is sustained.

The important thing to remember is that this is voluntary attention, so it’ll require a different standard of creative to earn the attention. But as Jason Steele from the IOC, who spoke at SEG3 London in 2024, said:

“Do not run away from skippable formats. Build creative [and] people actually choose to keep watching (land the message early with brand cues). In sport, the right story, talent, emotion or moment can earn that attention”.

This also lines up with Netflix’s Still Watching report (which we covered in Edition #83), where over 70% of viewers say they actually pay attention to ads when they fit the story.

It means ads that earn their place in the feed, that feel native, that land emotionally, that connect to culture, will get watched.

And for brands that have fans (most of you reading!), you’re at an advantage. For example, the sports fan will watch a 90-second brand story because it features their favourite athlete, references their team's rivalry, or taps into something current - and all of this gives you more valuable attention.

There is a ceiling I’m afraid. After ~20 seconds, attention delivers little additional impact. 

In short: the goal isn’t necessarily to maximise time spent - but to maximise the impact within a limited window.

So, the real question becomes what are you doing with those first 20 seconds? How good can your hook be? What story can you tell? What is your objective with the content? All of this helps to create memorable content that delivers against your objectives.

Successful campaigns have always been about earning attention in the environments where fans are choosing how to spend their time. That isn’t going to change.

What has changed is how that attention is garnered - it’s fragmented, it’s harder to keep for long periods of time, and it’s increasingly happening outside of your usual lanes.

That means battling changing algorithms, noisy platforms and consumer behaviour that is to scroll, swipe, and skip.

So in order to drive growth, it’s no longer just about reach, volume or ‘doing more’. It’s more about being deliberate about where you show up, the formats you use, and the stories you tell.

That way, you’ll be on the right track to capture more valuable attention.

Working on anything cool, or have a press release you would like us to cover? Send it in for the chance for it to be covered in next week’s edition!

That’s all for now, everyone - thanks again for reading the latest edition of The SEG3 Report. If you found it of interest, please do consider sharing with a colleague or friend who’d enjoy it too!