With every imaginable channel on the ever-expanding media landscape bombarding audiences with more information than they could possibly consume in one lifetime, a common assumption is that as attention spans shrink, marketing engagement will inevitably dwindle, too.
As it turns out, though, this may not be the case; in fact, a recent attention study from Viacom's creative consultancy division, Scratch, has just revealed that 75% of consumers believe their ability to pay attention is improving or remaining constant.
This is encouraging news for marketers, many of whom have been compensating for perceived attention deficits by flooding the channels with content in the hopes that it will reach interested eyeballs. But as Scratch SVP Anne Hubert smartly asserts in this article on FastCompany, it's not a question of whether or not they are paying attention; but, rather, "it's about how consumers are paying attention, and knowing them well enough to give them content that matters to them."
Hubert's words are so near and dear to our hearts here at Prove, that we can practically hear a choir of angels singing.
Our engagement strategies are all built on the important realization that customers are now in charge. They may automatically filter out marketing messages that irrelevant or self-serving; but as we see it, this opens up a tremendous opportunity to earn their trust — and, eventually, their loyalty — by serving their needs with meaningful, targeted content, wherever and whenever they want to engage.
This means the focus of every engagement solution we develop is centered on gaining an understanding of what matters most to them — the influencers they consider credible and trustworthy; the qualities they value and identify with; and the actions they consider acceptable (and unacceptable) — and applying those insights in a way that enables them to drive the conversation forward.
Businesses that aren't prepared to communicate with consumers on their terms have little hope of winning their attention, let alone their ongoing engagement. It's not an easy goal to accomplish, but we think it's the only way we can help our clients truly make a difference.
If you are looking to change your marketing outlook and start engaging your audience on their terms, we would like to give you our undivided attention.
Let's talk. We're here to help.