GroupM Shifts Focus from Viewability to Attention – Launches Attention Algorithm

Through a recently initiated collaboration with the eye-tracking company Tobii, GroupM has developed an algorithm designed to increase the effectiveness of digital ads. The algorithm shifts the focus from viewability to attention and is based on Tobii’s leading eye-tracking technology and a completely new measurement method.

An ad that isn’t seen is worthless. Therefore, publishers and media buyers often focus heavily on viewability. However, just because an ad is visible doesn’t necessarily mean it’s been noticed, which can distort the true value of the investment. This is why Tobii and GroupM are now shifting the focus to actual attention—through the eyes of the visitor.

Viewability is a good start, but what we really care about is whether the user actually looks at the ad. Previously, we weren’t able to measure attention, which is why viewability was the best we could optimize for. Thanks to the collaboration with Tobii and our investments in technology, we can now shift focus to attention and become even more precise in our purchases, says Elias Bjerkeryd, Head of Product & Technology at GroupM.

Tobii is a world leader in eye-tracking technology, previously used to, for example, control computers with eye movements or characters in video games without a controller. Today, this technology can analyze where users’ eyes rest on a webpage, and more specifically, whether ads are noticed.

This is the new way to buy media. Advertisers will demand high attention rates, and publishers will optimize to drive attention rather than maximizing in-screen visibility. We see that through the collaboration, GroupM is a major force in pushing the industry’s quality standards forward, says Emelie Löfdahl, Director of Attention Data at Tobii.

The algorithm has already been tested by brands such as Arvid Nordquist and ELON through Mindshare. All of them have seen increased value after implementation. In a brand lift study, for instance, Arvid Nordquist saw an increase in ad recall by 19% and consideration by 15%, compared to a viewability-optimized campaign.

It’s great that we can now optimize directly for attention. That’s what we truly care about, consumers actually see our ads. It was exciting to see the results in ad recall and consideration, metrics that are very important for us as an FMCG brand, says Jenny Nilsson, Head of Marketing Coffee & Own Brands at Arvid Nordquist.

The developed algorithm is based on data from a representative online panel of 1,600 people, whose data traffic is stored and matched with registered eye movements while they browse news sites and social media platforms. The data Tobii continuously delivers to GroupM includes the historical ad fixation rate for ad placements, and how they vary by day of the week, time of day, and ad size. The unique algorithm created by GroupM then adjusts each bid based on the likelihood that the ad will actually be seen.

The next step is to explore how the algorithm can be adapted to brand categories and how creatives can be optimized. Sweden has acted as the pilot country for the algorithm, but both GroupM and Tobii intend to expand the initiative to other markets.

• Ad Recall: The percentage of people who remember seeing the ad.
• Consideration Rate: The percentage of people who might consider buying from the brand.
• Ad Fixation Rate: The percentage of all visible ads that users looked at.