The Power of Attention: A Conversation with Marc Guldimann

Philip McKenzieamp160 Tell us a bit about your background and your work with AdelaideMarc Guldimannamp160 I got into advertising accidentally about 13 years agoamp160 I started a company called Sponge Cell that raised money from IPGamp160 I pivoted that into a focus on display advertisingamp160 I then started a company called Ichen that was focused on privacy and individuals39 dataamp160 I saw how data was used to target people to drive socalled efficient advertisingFastforwarding and going through several other iterations of companies and projects I have evolved into Adelaideamp160 Simply put Adelaide is a performance tool for brand buildersamp160 Adelaide helps advertisers understand the value of media find bargainsamp160and avoid overpriced placementsMcKenzieamp160 It sounds like in the broadest sense you are creating an opportunity for arbitrage in the advertising marketGuldimannamp160 In this marketplace buyers often cannot discern low quality from high qualityamp160 So there is a mismatch in the quality of the advertising buy relative to the reach efficacyamp160and contentamp160 It is our model to identify those gaps and execute the arbitrage before we are left with a quotlemonquot market The highquality options price themselves out and everyone is merely left with quotlemonsquotMcKenzie How does the attention economy specifically play into this ideaGuldimann When you think about an attention economy and how it relates to advertising and communication there are two elements media and creative The media39s job is to get attention to creative in an environment where it will not be easily ignored or people are less likely to be distracted from that initial point of contact Creative39s job to maintain that attention and then to transition it into impact What do you want people to doThen you have high quality versus low quality Are you making ads that interrupt the user experience Are screens becoming cluttered with ads that only serve ineffective metricsThese are some of the factors when I think about the attention economy and what it means for advertisers and marketers We have to strike the right balance in the tension of creative being both exciting and driving the desired outcomeMcKenzie So creative messaging has to deliver on attention and also correspond to other environmental concerns if it is going to have highquality attentionGuldimann That is precisely why brand messaging and attention must deliver on salience All brands have an entry point and a position within their category That is the classic category entry point Beer is an excellent example of this If you39re a beer drinker several environmental positions demand a different type of attention and placement If you39re thinking about the beach then you might think about Corona Obviously under these conditions you might think of something else If you39re at a baseball game you might think about Budweiser If you39re in a pub you might think of GuinnessCreative has to take into account that environment to leverage saliency as it is more likely to get my attention within those constraints The media39s job is to make sure the brand environment where I am receiving that message is as pleasant as possible Is it the 32nd ad I have had to endure on YouTubeMcKenzie The attention economy is essential but we also have to be concerned about the measuring environment How does that factor into the equationGuldimann Looking at something whether it is an advertisement or a video is very different from getting me to engage in a way that drives me to action We have to think through that process and make sure we measure the right things Much of that is connected to the user experienceOur external environment matters incredibly Are we more likely to have more attention in a world dealing with COVID19 pandemic than less The metrics we are focused on will enhance the user experience and the quality of the content rather than encourage and reward poor operating under the guise of attention We want to measure but we don39t want to be intrusive or invasiveMcKenzie Given everything we have walked through what are the goals of the Attention CouncilGuldimann The goal is to not only promote the use of attention metrics in digital media but also ensure that all metrics are used responsibly and ethically If attention metrics aren39t used in that manner then we risk substantial privacy issuesRight now we are most engaged with those on the buyside of that equation meaning agencies and those facilitating the purchase of media We don39t want to see the trend of abusing or faking metrics become more prevalent because then overall trust in the media we consume falters and people begin to tune out This works against the idea of attention at a fundamental level Media buyers need tools they can trust and that they know are motivated in their best interest The Attention Council is ensuring an environment that will allow for transparency and measurement that makes senseMcKenzie Obviously with COVID19 2020 is not looking as many people had originally forecast but what are some of the plans you have in place for the year and beyondGuldimann In this environment we won39t be doing as many events as we have done in the past Our strategy going forward will be primarily digital utilizing things like webinars Our overall strategy and emphasis on the responsibility inherent to attention metrics aren39t going to change If anything it is time to be more focused on thisMore and more people are going to be at home and interacting with digital media It39s the perfect time to push back against a lack of clarity and demand a clear direction on what the attention economy means and how we create meaningful metrics that encourage ethical behaviorDon39t stop now Stay in the know on the impact of DampampI influence and influencers and marketing in culture with more from Phil McKenzie

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The Power of Attention: A Conversation with Marc Guldimann

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Philip McKenzie

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The Power of Attention: A Conversation with Marc Guldimann

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