Attention Economics: The New Battlefield for Video Advertising

Published: February 3, 2025

Americans encounter between 6,000 to 10,000 advertisements daily across various channels. In this saturated landscape, attention has become the scarcest resource for marketers. Nobel laureate Herbert A. Simon recognized this emerging challenge in 1997, and his insights have only grown more relevant in our multi-screen world.

The Cross-Channel Video Challenge

As video consumption fragments across platforms, brands face increasingly complex challenges in capturing and maintaining audience attention. Two critical issues stand at the forefront:

Channel Fragmentation: Consumer attention is now split across multiple video platforms, each with its own measurement methodologies and targeting capabilities. This fragmentation makes it difficult for brands to deliver consistent, effective campaigns at scale.

Attribution Complexity: Modern customer journeys span multiple devices and platforms, creating significant challenges in connecting touchpoints and measuring campaign effectiveness. Brands struggle to piece together comprehensive performance insights across disparate channels.

Data-Driven Performance

However, brands that successfully integrate their video strategies across channels are seeing remarkable results:

50% increased unique reach when combining OLV, CTV, and DOOH versus single-channel campaigns (IAB)
20% reduction in media waste through consolidated planning (EY)
35% higher ad recall with coordinated creative assets (Kantar)
20% higher ROI when implementing a cross-channel strategy (Bain & Company)

Smart Video Integration: Key Components

Forward-thinking brands are leveraging two key approaches to optimize their video strategies:

AI-Powered Optimization

Dynamic budget allocation based on real-time performance
Holistic frequency management across touchpoints
Real-time reach and frequency optimization
Unified measurement across the video ecosystem

Enhanced Campaign Performance

Coordinated messaging strategy across channels
Cross-channel creative optimization
Improved reach and frequency management
Unified creative strategy and deployment

The Path Forward

Success in the attention economy requires more than just presence across channels—it demands intelligent integration. By unifying video campaigns across CTV, DOOH, OLV, Amazon, and YouTube, brands can optimize both their reach and impact. The key lies not in choosing between channels, but in orchestrating them effectively to capture and maintain consumer attention in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Written By: Julia Cramer

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