Advertising is about grabbing attention, but when it comes to engagement, eyeballs are only part of the story. Connection and memorability also play crucial roles in creating unforgettable brand moments. That’s why how we pay attention – where and what we watch – is a much more important question for advertisers to consider than how much attention we pay.
A new study from Brainsights and thinktv takes a deeper look at the connections made – and the moments missed – on both large screens (TV) and small screens (laptops and mobile devices). What they discovered is pivotal information for anyone looking to maximize impact with their video advertising:
A screen’s features and usage have a profound effect on what we take away from what we see.
The Spectrum of Attention and Connection in Video Advertising – presented today at the first thinktv Breakfast in Toronto – used the latest neuroscience techniques to learn more about how audiences digest different forms of content on different screens.
“How we pay attention is a much more important question than how much attention we pay,” said Dan Iwasa-Madge, Chief Production Officer at Brainsights. “The more connected viewers are, the more they enjoy the experience, which in turn makes them watch, engage, and remember more.”
What does that mean for advertisers? It’s simple: If ads are not on the right screen, viewers will miss crucial brand-building moments and the message lost. The good news is that TV is the most versatile medium of all the video platforms; one that drives engagement in a number of key creative formats, including:
Story-Driven Ads
Viewers were more receptive to story-driven ads when they watched them on television. Why? Because TV is the main channel for engaging with that kind of content. TV’s larger screen helps the audience pick up on rapidly changing themes and text, elaborate storylines, subtle visual cues and more.
Visually Complex Ads
Viewers were better able to connect with visually intensive content – including landscapes and wide shots of people – when they watched it on TV. A bigger, high-definition screen enables total engagement. On the wrong screen, emotional impact is lost, resulting in less attention and connection with viewers.
Brand-Focused Ads
Brand-focused ads are right at home on TV, where they drive higher attention and connection than the same ads on laptops and mobile screens.
A Word About Methodology:
What We Measured: Attention, Connection and Encoding (Memorability)
Study Size: 600 respondents
Content Used: Three TV genres (drama, comedy and reality), 30 minutes of user-generated content and 10 minutes of focal ads
Devices Used: 300 respondents used a TV screen, 150 a laptop and 150 a mobile device
For further information: www.thinktv.ca
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