How Viewer Tuning, Presence, and Attention Respond to Ad Content and Predict Brand Search Lift

Date
2022-02-09
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Marketing Science
Abstract
New technology measures TV viewer tuning, presence, and attention, enabling the first distinctions between TV ad viewability and actual ad viewing. We compare new and traditional viewing metrics to evaluate the new metrics’ utility to advertisers. We find that 30% of TV ads play to empty rooms. We then use broadcast networks’ verifiably quasi-random ordering of ads within commercial breaks to estimate causal effects of ads on new viewing metrics among four million advertising exposures. We measure ad metadata and machine-code content features for 6,650 frequent ad videos. We find that recreational product ads preserve audience tuning and presence. Prescription drug advertisements decrease tuning and presence, more so for drugs that treat more prevalent and severe conditions. We also investigate whether new viewing data can inform advertiser objectives, finding that attention helps predict brand search lift after ads.
Description
This article was originally published in Marketing Science. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2021.1344
Keywords
advertising, audience measurement, attention, ad content, ad avoidance, ad response
Citation
Matthew McGranaghan, Jura Liaukonyte, Kenneth C. Wilbur (2022) How Viewer Tuning, Presence, and Attention Respond to Ad Content and Predict Brand Search Lift. Marketing Science 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2021.1344