Both Active and Passive Attention play crucial roles in information processing, particularly in advertising.
Active Attention involves deliberate and focused mental engagement, closely linked to memory creation and decision-making through active learning processes. However, sustaining Active Attention on ads is challenging because ads are often not the viewer's primary focus.
Passive Attention, in contrast, involves less deliberate and unfocused engagement where the brain processes information subconsciously relying on implicit memory without intentional focus. Passive Attention is more prevalent when high-quality content engages the viewer, keeping ads in the periphery. This type of attention is suitable for contexts where sustained mental effort isn’t required.
Combined ,Active and Passive Attention form 'Total Attention'.
Amplified Intelligence conducted research to examine the effects of Active, Passive, and Total Attention on their ability to predict business outcomes.
They conducted a study of 59,000 ads across 40 brands to uncover the impact of different types of attention on various business outcomes, including Short Term Sales Lift (STAS), Site Traffic (measured using a 7/7/7 attribution window *),and long-term brand equity (assessed by Mental Availability). This study encompassed brands of varying market sizes across six countries and industries such as food & drink, retail, beauty, financial services, hospitality, fashion, auto, and household goods.
Human attention data was collected in real-time on the Pinterest platform using Amplified’s advanced smart eye-tracking and facial detection technology. This data was integrated with survey responses and behavioural campaign data to analyze performance variance across the specified business outcomes.
A gradient-boosting regression analysis was then conducted on 89 creatives across32 campaigns. The site traffic conversion rate and attentive seconds (Passive, active, and total) for each creative were indexed to the campaign/brand total. These indices, along with other features (such as reach, spend, vertical, creative best practice adherence, etc.), were processed through the gradient boosting algorithm and ranked by their ability to predict site traffic performance, STAS, and Mental Availability. The analysis was further refined by segmenting brands into Large and Small Market Share categories.
Key findings
Passive Attention is the highest importance predictor of driving outcomes for big brands, while Active Attention is the highest importance predictor of outcomes for small brands.
Human attention to advertising, whether Active, Passive, or a combination of both (Total Attention), was found to be the most strongly related to all tested outcomes, including STAS, site traffic, and long-term brand equity. However, the ranking of influence of attention types varied slightly when the analysis was split between large and small brands.
For smaller and less established brands, the leading predictors of measured outcomes were Active Attention, followed by Passive Attention. These brands, with lower market share and typically reduced levels of brand equity, benefit significantly from advertising strategies that emphasize Active Attention. Active Attention involves more sustained and deliberate mental engagement, which is crucial for creating memory and influencing decision-making through active learning processes.
For larger and more established brands, the leading predictors of measured outcomes were Passive Attention, followed by Total Attention (a combination of Passive and Active Attention),with Active Attention ranking third. This suggests that well-established brands, which typically possess strong mental availability and distinctive assets, benefit more from attention that reinforces brand equity rather than educating consumers. The higher ranking of Total Attention over Active Attention implies that having access to both types of attention on the same platform creates a synergistic effect for large brands.
Conclusion
The research found that both types of attention – Active and Passive – are integral to driving key business outcomes, with the relative importance of each type determined by brand size and specific campaign objectives.
In essence, while Active Attention is crucial for immediate sales lift, particularly for smaller brands, our findings underscore that Passive Attention is equally vital, offering a cost-effective way to enhance site traffic and build long-term brand equity.
This work demonstrates that to maximize impact potential, it is essential to understand the lifecycle stage of a brand and how different platforms can help capture and harness attention effectively. This understanding empowers brands to plan and strategize with attention at the forefront, optimizing their marketing efforts for greater effectiveness and efficiency.
By leveraging both Active and Passive Attention strategically, brands can achieve a balanced approach that supports immediate engagement and long-term growth, ultimately leading to more successful marketing outcomes and sustainable business performance.
