According to WARC (2024), “Creative is twice as important as ad placement in driving the performance of display ads”. Content optimised for attention increases share of voice and lowers costs. And, on the other hand, poor attention can increase costs because it takes more media spend to have the same impact.
The idea of ‘attention’ isn’t new. What has changed though is the world around us. On average, people are exposed to around 400 adverts each day (not 10,000 like some blogs will tell you!). Attention has become a scarce commodity that brands and organisations must fight for. Some adverts cut through. Some are ignored.
How can we make sure our creative wins? Creative folk will attest that this is a question that has consumed many hours of brand conversations and conference calls. Will people notice it? Will they understand it? Is it memorable? Will it increase sales? Critically, if we switch on our media budget, will we get results? Stressful right?
Maybe not if we think about this scientifically. What it boils down to is probability. How do we increase the likelihood of being seen and the probability of a successful campaign (i.e. ROI)? The first step is the thought process; from inside out (what do I/we think) to outside in (what do customers/data tell us). In short, stop worrying about what might happen and test it. Fail forward: fail now to win later.
The answer lies in research. Not research that takes 6 weeks. Not research that costs more than your media spend. Iterative, agile and targeted research that can address specific creative challenges. Most marketers have great creative intuition but hold on to their doubts. “Will our ad be seen” is a brilliant research question, so let’s do the research.
So, how do we test creative? I get asked that all the time, and the answer is “it depends”. For us, it’s not about having one method we routinely follow, but having many faster and simpler methods that can be combined to quickly answer research questions.
For instance:
- “Will our ad be seen” = AI powered attention mapping: using eye tracking data to calculate what will be seen, and what will be missed.
- “Which route is better” = remote A/B preference test, reaching statistically significant results in a matter of hours.
- “Will people understand this” = 5 second surveys, replicating short attention spans and creative recall.
The reality is, our creative is only deemed successful if people buy our products, and we need to remember that they have limitations, biases and are often distracted. Therefore, it’s in behavioural data and research we need to seek answers to the question “will this work”.
Case in point: our work with Castrol, a leading lubricant brand with a broad target audience, including fans of the Premier League. Seeking to leverage their partnership with the Premier League to acquire new first-party data and enhance brand awareness, Castrol collaborated with us to implement attention mapping strategies in their advertising campaigns.
In 2022, we partnered with the Premier League to create an end-of-season Game Changers voting platform, aligning the Game Changer award with Castrol's reputation as a global innovator in the lubricant sector.
This initiative not only provided Castrol with an opportunity to collect valuable first-party data but also engaged the Premier League's extensive fanbase.
Using attention mapping techniques, we optimised the campaign for mobile engagement, recognising the limited screen real estate and potential for user distractions. By tailoring messaging and user journeys for shorter attention spans, we ensured maximum impact and more valuable interaction.
The results?
A 42% conversion rate for competition engagements. Over 96,555 votes cast.
Oh, and it won Castrol the award for Best Use of Digital Channels at the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) Awards.
By providing insights into viewer behaviour, attention distribution, and design effectiveness, this fusion of tech and expertise empowers marketers to make data-driven decisions, optimise and iterate content, and enhance user experience to drive higher engagement and conversions.
You’re no longer fighting for attention, you’re creating enriched content that has been designed to make an impact.