Resources

Attention, Viewability, and Other Creative Performance Metrics

A data-driven guide to understanding how ads are seen, processed, and acted on.

Book a 15-min help call Back to Knowledge Hub

Why Creative Metrics Matter

Media delivery isn’t enough

Reach alone doesn’t guarantee engagement or conversions—creative quality drives outcomes.

Viewability vs attention

Viewability confirms on-screen opportunity; attention shows cognitive engagement and interaction depth.

Better optimisation

Richer metrics enable evidence-based creative decisions and smarter budget allocation.

Key Creative Metrics Defined

Viewability

On-screen thresholds (e.g., 50% in-view for 1–2s) to confirm opportunity to see.

Attention Rate

Combines time-in-view, interaction, and scroll velocity for holistic focus signals.

VTR / Completion

Video progress and completions (15s/30s) indicating storytelling pull.

Engagement & Interaction

Clicks, hovers, swipes, taps; interaction rate for rich media.

Brand Lift

Awareness/perception shifts versus control.

Cost per Attention Second

Media cost divided by total attention seconds — efficiency lens.

Viewability Standards

MRC baselines: Display 50%/1s • Video 50%/2s • Large 30%/1s • Audio audible 2s. GroupM: stricter 100% in-view and audio criteria.

Verified via DV, MOAT, IAS, Comscore, Nielsen. Remember: viewable ≠ noticed.

Understanding Attention Metrics

Time-in-view

Duration on screen; correlates with recall and engagement.

Scroll velocity

Slower scrolling implies higher interest.

Exposure sequencing

Multiple exposures build recall over journeys.

Tools

Adelaide, Amplified Intelligence, DV Attention Index.

Creative Format Impacts on Metrics

Static

Medium viewability; low-medium attention — good for retargeting.

Video

High on both; ideal for awareness and product explainers.

HTML5 / Native

High viewability; medium attention with interaction and story.

DOOH

Mass exposure; attention inferred via dwell models.

Factors That Influence Attention

  • Creative quality: branding, hook in first 2s, clear CTA.
  • Placement: above-the-fold and premium contexts drive higher attention.
  • Device: mobile short bursts vs desktop longer dwell.
  • Format: motion > static; interactivity extends dwell.
  • Frequency: optimise around ~3–7 exposures to avoid fatigue.

Attention Benchmarks (Indicative)

Static banners

~0.5–1.2s average attention.

Video (skippable)

~2–4s; 6s+ on non-skippable; sharp drop after 3s.

In-feed native

~1.5–2.5s; context match helps.

DOOH

~1.5–2.2s based on dwell modelling.

Adjust for vertical, audience, and creative quality (±40%).

Attention vs Engagement

Attention = passive viewing signals (time, scroll, viewability). Engagement = active interactions (clicks, shares). Optimise for both; attention often better predicts recall and consideration than CTR alone.

Why CTR Is Not Enough

  • Can be gamed by clickbait.
  • Misses upper-funnel effects.
  • Heavily confounded by format, placement, audience, and competition.

Pair with attention (time-spent, scroll depth), VTR, and meaningful engagement for a fuller view.

Creative Testing Metrics

  • A/B tests isolating one variable.
  • Segmented reads by audience, placement, device.
  • Stat significance (p<.05; adequate sample).
  • Include attention: time-in-view, scroll depth, interactions.

Tools That Help Measure Creative Impact

DoubleVerify

Viewability, brand safety, Authentic Attention™ signals.

MOAT

Attention time, video analytics, IVT.

Amplified Intelligence

Human eye-tracking-based attention scoring.

Looker Studio

Custom dashboards aggregating metrics for insight.

Applying Learnings to Optimisation

Video length

Use VTR drop-offs to set 6–15s (conversion) vs 15–30s (awareness).

Creative refresh

Rotate when attention decays (often 3–5 days for static).

Message sequencing

Awareness → consideration → conversion across formats.

Format personalisation

Use first-party data & DCO to tailor by segment.

Creative Insights by Platform

Meta

Hook in 3s; 4:5; test CTAs; read Attention Index & VTR.

YouTube

Brand early; captions; watch skip/retention curves.

Programmatic

Viewability & dwell; HTML5 rotations; cap frequency.

Native

Headline/context match; test copy variants.

TikTok

Native feel; sound-on; creator style; completion & shares.

LinkedIn

Professional tone; segment by seniority/job function.

X (Twitter)

Timely, concise; lean into cultural moments.

CTV/OTT

TV-quality, emotional storytelling; use sequential messaging.

Viewability & Brand Safety Integration

  • Wrap creatives with DV/IAS/MOAT tags; QA pre-launch.
  • Set thresholds (e.g., ≥70% viewability) aligned to KPIs.
  • Block IVT/unsafe with pre-bid filters + real-time blocking.
  • Monitor weekly and adjust targeting/placements.

Campaign Reporting Structure

  • Report by creative, not just channel.
  • Break out by device, format, size.
  • Tag every asset (UTMs/DSP naming).
  • Use attention/engagement heatmaps when available.

Common Pitfalls

  • Over-indexing on CTR.
  • Not tracking creative assets separately.
  • Leaving creatives live too long (fatigue).
  • Reusing the same assets across all platforms.

Interpreting Results Holistically

  • Blend quant + qual insights for context.
  • Use time-in-view as an upper-funnel proxy.
  • Decide via a balanced scorecard, not a single metric.
  • Prioritise trends over time vs one-week spikes.

How KBR Supports Creative Performance

Tag setup & verification audits

Ensure accurate tracking and clean data across platforms.

Dashboard builds

Combine attention, engagement, and conversion into clear insights.

Creative rotation & testing

Cadence, hypotheses, thresholds, and learning libraries.

Platform-by-platform analysis

Identify where/why assets win and scale them.

Want Better Creative Insight?

We’ll help you build a measurement framework that drives action — not just clicks.