Advertising Bodies IAB and MRC Unveil Attention Metrics Standards for Public Feedback and Discussion
Get Ready for a Wild West-Free Future of Attention Measurement 🤠
Attention’s a hot topic in the advertising world, but without a standard measurement system, chaos reigns. That's changing with the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Media Rating Council (MRC) releasing draft Attention Measurement Guidelines for feedback.
Angelina Eng, IAB’s VP of measurement, addressability, and data center and center of excellence operations, explains, "Attention's gotten a lotta hype—but we gotta clear things up. Too many different ways to measure it, and that's confusing. These guidelines will bring order to the mess, baby!"
The IAB Attention Task Force—a diverse group of ad, media, measurement, and tech folks from various corners of the industry—developed these guidelines. Their goal: provide a consistent foundation for measuring and reporting attention across various media platforms.
You've got 60 days (until July 12, 2025) to get your feedback in—head to https://www.iab.com/attention to voice your piece.
Once the public comment period closes, the IAB and MRC plan to release a final version by year's end. This revised version will pave the way for future MRC accreditation audits of attention measurement services.
The guidelines outline four primary methodological approaches:
- Data Signals: Collect and analyze user data to gauge attention
- Visual Tracking: Guesstimate attention using visual cues
- Physiological and Neurological Observations: Check heart rates, brainwaves, and more to measure cognitive and emotional engagement
- Panel or Survey-Based Inputs: Benefit from user feedback and survey responses to assess attention
According to Ron Pinelli, SVP of digital research and standards at the MRC, "These guidelines create a framework for attention measurement that's grounded in rigor and ready for scrutiny. They define attention and how to measure it in a transparent, comparable, and trustworthy way." Remember, this ain’t replacing delivery or outcome metrics—it's just boosting our understanding of exposure and engagement.
Want the industry to move beyond experimentation and start using attention measurement consistently and accountably? Join the discussion during the public comment period—submit your remarks before July 12, 2025, at [email protected]. Let's bring some sanity, stability, and shared trust to the Wild West of attention measurement! 🤝🤠🚀
- The development of the Attention Measurement Guidelines, aiming to provide a consistent foundation for measuring and reporting attention across various media platforms, includes professionals from diverse areas such as advertising, media, measurement, and technology.
- In the digital world of finance and business, these guidelines outline four primary methodological approaches for measuring attention, including data signals, visual tracking, physiological and neurological observations, and panel or survey-based inputs.
- The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Media Rating Council (MRC) plan to use the feedback collected during the public comment period to refine these Attention Measurement Guidelines, which will later be used in MRC accreditation audits of attention measurement services.
- These Attention Measurement Guidelines, grounded in rigor and ready for scrutiny, aim to create a standard system for measuring attention in a transparent, comparable, and trustworthy manner, moving the industry beyond experimental stages and towards consistent and accountable use of attention measurement.
