TORONTO – With the Canadian television upfront sales kicking off in a couple of weeks, a new study says that how we pay attention – where and what we watch – is a much more important question for advertisers to consider rather than how much attention we pay.
Commissioned by thinktv and conducted by Brainsights, The Spectrum of Attention and Connection in Video Advertising was presented Tuesday at the first thinktv Breakfast in Toronto. Using neuroscience techniques to learn more about how audiences digest different forms of content on different screens, the study measured attention, connection and encoding (memorability) in 600 respondents, 300 of which used a TV screen, 150 a laptop and 150 a mobile device.
Noting that different devices play different roles in our lives, the study says a screen’s features and usage have a profound effect on what audiences take away from what they see. The message for advertisers is that if ads are not on the right screen, viewers will miss crucial brand-building moments and the message will be lost.
Other highlights include:
– Viewers were better able to connect with visually intensive content – including landscapes and wide shots of people – when they watched it on TV;
– Viewers were more receptive to story-driven ads when they watched them on television, as the larger screen helped them pick up on rapidly changing themes and text, elaborate storylines, subtle visual cues; and
– Ads need a clear and simple call to action to work on digital screens.
