Mon Sep 16 15:30:55 UTC 2024: ## Attention Metrics: The Future of Digital Marketing?
**New York City, NY** – Albert Thompson, Managing Director, Digital, at the ad agency Walton Isaacson, will be speaking at AdExchanger’s Programmatic I/O conference on September 24-25. Thompson, a buy-side veteran with over 20 years of experience, argues that the industry is moving past metrics like clicks and viewability and towards the importance of attention.
“The war is really for attention,” Thompson states. “It’s not for clicks, viewability, or all these other media metrics we’ve made up.” He believes that attention measurement offers a more meaningful understanding of consumer behavior, moving away from chasing cheap impressions and instead focusing on reaching people who genuinely engage with content.
Thompson also addresses controversial topics like made-for-advertising (MFA) sites, brand safety, and the role of AI in the future of advertising. He criticizes MFA sites for their focus on low-intent audiences, highlighting the importance of aligning content with target audience interests. He also criticizes the over-policing of brand safety, suggesting it creates collateral damage for publishers and hinders cultural expression.
Thompson believes AI can play a crucial role in addressing these issues. He advocates for using AI to identify safe and relevant ad placements based on page content and user behavior, cutting out middlemen and costs.
Thompson concludes by emphasizing the importance of publishers specializing in niche audiences and aligning their content with specific purchase behaviors. He urges them to move away from the pursuit of top 100 publisher lists and focus on building a deeper understanding of their audience and the potential for verticalized expertise.
**The AdExchanger Programmatic I/O conference will be held at the Marriott Marquis New York on September 24-25, 2024. To register, please click here. **
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