Measurement
Attention metrics
Attention metrics estimate how much people actually noticed or engaged with an ad, using signals like time in view, screen share, interaction and eye-tracking panels, beyond simple viewability.
Viewability says an ad could have been seen. Attention metrics try to estimate whether it was. The idea is simple: an ad that fills most of the screen for eight seconds while the user is interacting is probably worth more than a small banner in the corner that was technically in view for one second.
Vendors build attention scores from signals such as time in view, the share of the screen the ad occupies, ad clutter, sound on or off, scrolling speed, interaction, and whether the video was playing. Many calibrate their models with eye-tracking or facial-coding panels in which volunteers are observed looking at ads, then apply the model to live campaign data.
Attention metrics are useful for comparing placements and formats, and for exposing low-value inventory such as cluttered made-for-advertising sites pages. The caveat is standardisation: definitions differ between vendors, and IAB and MRC have been working on guidance for how attention should be measured and disclosed. Treat scores as directional unless you understand the method.
Think of it like this
If viewability is proof that a poster was on the wall, attention is noticing whether people actually stopped to read it.
An example
A car brand in South Korea compares two video placements with similar viewability; attention data shows one averages 7 seconds of active viewing and the other 1.5 seconds, so it shifts budget to the first.
Related terms
Viewability
Viewability measures whether an ad actually had a chance to be seen on screen; the MRC standard is 50% of pixels in view for one second (display) or two seconds (video).
Viewable impression
A viewable impression is an ad impression that meets a viewability standard, by default the MRC's: 50% of the ad's pixels on screen for one continuous second, or two seconds for video.
Made-for-advertising (MFA) sites
Made-for-advertising (MFA) sites are websites built mainly to generate ad revenue, typically with thin content, heavy ad density, fast refreshing ads and traffic bought through arbitrage.
Video completion rate (VCR)
Video completion rate (VCR) is the percentage of video ads that played all the way to the end, out of those that started playing.
KPI
A KPI (key performance indicator) is the specific, measurable metric an advertiser or publisher chooses in advance to judge whether a campaign or business is succeeding.
Sources: MRC standards and guidelines, IAB guidelines