If you’re not getting the same attention as you once were from your customers, I wouldn’t worry about it. Consumers are more distracted than ever before.
‘I’m bored’ has been a very prevalent sentence over the past 3 years. Consumers have looked for 'quick-fixes' to pass their time during lockdowns. Methods include (but are definitely not limited to), TikTok and e-Commerce scrolling for the latest and greatest trends or binge-watching series or movies on streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime.
And with the sentence ‘I’m bored’ comes lack of quality attention…
According to a study conducted by YouGov, consumers are spending 30 seconds or less reading or listening to online marketing which isn’t leaving a lot of time to capture your audience’s attention. However, with the help of viral algorithms, it is giving your content the opportunity to be viewed, and better perceived by consumers.
Consumers wanting quick, easy and digestible content has been massively influenced by the likes of TikTok and Instagram Stories. Throughout the pandemic, a mass of all genders and ages have been watching (and creating) 15-second long TikTok’s with tailored content to capture their audiences attention almost immediately – which is perfect for quick consumption of knowledge. The trend of short, snappy videos has been introduced into almost every walk of life. Allowing us to live in an era of ‘snackable’ content.
‘Snackable’ content shouldn’t be viewed as a sign that attention spans are shortening, but just that consumers are looking for content that fits in with their beliefs and values. Now more than ever consumers are devoting all of their time to media, in fact, it is the norm to use dual screens and connected devices (I mean, you can RECEIVE and REPLY to a text message on a watch!!) – people have changed their habits to adapt to this new media world and it’s up to you to understand what drives it. P.s. your ads can become 4x more persuasive and 43% more memorable using our research.
75% of people who see your ad won’t remember it
With all of this content and having endless amounts of videos at our finger tips, how do we as humans filter out what is actually relevant?
75% of people who see your ad won’t remember it and this is the difference between a consumer being aware and engaged or being unconscious and mindlessly scrolling. People often operate using the unconscious mind, and for your advertising to be remembered it has to trigger emotions. Recall and memory-based assessment captures only a fraction of the true power of your actual communication. Even without the viewer being aware of it, their unconscious mind can receive an impression that will have an impact on their long-term brand loyalty and price elasticity.
Having an omni-channel approach and deep diving into what your consumer really wants from your brand can help. However, one struggle with that is, is 53% of UK consumers are shifting from live TV to streaming services (which usually have no ads) because they offer more entertaining content.
Methods to engage with consumers are beginning to shift. According to a global report from Criteo, 62% of UK consumers are saying they watch more paid streaming services than before the start of COVID-19. With streaming services on the rise, and cable TV losing traction, this is eliminating the option to target your audience with ads during TV breaks. Finding alternative channels and options will be key to success.
The world is changing and marketing must change with it.
But the core principles of communication never change – it is a two-way street. If you want someone’s attention, it’s not about how flashy or unusual, loud or controversial you can be – it’s about making it worth their while and resonating with their honest, core beliefs.
Quickly get implicit results using Emotional Logic’s Communication Optimiser, our tool has been designed to pin-point specific words, sounds and visuals that trigger buying behaviour and ad-attention.
If you want to capture your audience’s attention, you have to ensure that communication is a positive experience and is presented with relevant context. Whether you’re advertising physically or digitally, testing press, TV, or radio we can support you at any stage from initial idea to full designed creative – to help deliver a fantastic experience and capture quality attention… To read our case study on how we have helped deliver smart, actionable insight, click here.
