Marketing professionals capitalize on 'Focus Measurements' to attract Gen Z audience
In the ever-evolving landscape of advertising, a significant change is underway in India, particularly when it comes to targeting the Gen Z demographic. According to Ajimon Francis, Managing Director at Brand Finance India, this cohort is an ideal target audience for FMCG and fashion brands.
Recent studies have shown that the attention span in a classroom has decreased to approximately 20 minutes at a stretch, especially since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. This trend is mirrored in the digital world, where Gen Z exhibits a "persistent attention deficit" problem online, paying 34% less attention than millennials.
Recognising this challenge, the current strategy for measuring the effectiveness of advertising to Gen Z in India is shifting from traditional exposure metrics (like View-Through Rate and reach) to attention-based metrics that capture genuine engagement—defined as "a person’s eyes truly on an ad."
An 'attention metric' such as Attention Per Mille (APM) and Cost per APM measures the actual attentive time users spend on ads rather than just the number of views or clicks. Research by Lumen and Snapchat shows that even a small increase (e.g., 5%) in attention can double brand perception and significantly improve business outcomes, making attention a far stronger predictor of brand recall than legacy metrics.
This attention-centric measurement strategy is especially critical in India, where Gen Z consists of 377 million users with a projected $2 trillion spending power by 2035. Brands use attention data to adjust their media plans in three key areas: platform, format, and creative.
Platforms that naturally garner more attention from Gen Z, such as Snapchat, are prioritised. Non-skippable videos and augmented reality (AR) lenses are emphasised, and ads are designed with native-feeling, user-generated content (UGC) styles, early branding, and relevant music to hold attention.
This India-specific attention metric framework enables marketers to bridge the gap between media exposure and actual consumer engagement, making ad spend more accountable and ROI-driven.
Lloyd Mathias, business strategist and independent director, believes that attention metrics are a step up from traditional measures of media consumption like television rating points (TRP). He emphasises the importance of understanding receptivity in an attention deficit era and suggests that attention should be measured in a meaningful way to address ad fatigue.
In summary, attention metrics function as the new currency in measuring advertising effectiveness among India’s Gen Z, enabling brands to target, measure, and optimise campaigns based on where and how this cohort truly pays attention rather than just how many times ads are shown.
- The shift in strategies for measuring the effectiveness of advertising to Gen Z in India is focusing on attention-based metrics, such as Attention Per Mille (APM) and Cost per APM, to capture genuine engagement.
- Recognising the attention deficit problem online exhibited by Gen Z, brands in India are prioritising platforms like Snapchat that naturally garner more attention from this demographic.
- To hold attention, brands are emphasising non-skippable videos, augmented reality (AR) lenses, and ads designed with native-feeling, user-generated content (UGC) styles, early branding, and relevant music.
- The India-specific attention metric framework is crucial for making ad spend more accountable and ROI-driven, as it bridges the gap between media exposure and actual consumer engagement.
- Lloyd Mathias, a business strategist and independent director, believes that attention metrics are a step up from traditional measures of media consumption like television rating points (TRP) and emphasises the importance of understanding receptivity in an attention deficit era.
- According to Ajimon Francis, managing director at Brand Finance India, Gen Z, with a projected $2 trillion spending power by 2035, is an ideal target audience for FMCG and fashion brands, and brands use attention data to adjust their media plans in three key areas: platform, format, and creative.
- In the ever-evolving landscape of advertising, attention metrics function as the new currency in measuring advertising effectiveness among India’s Gen Z, allowing brands to target, measure, and optimise campaigns based on where and how this cohort truly pays attention, rather than just how many times ads are shown.
