NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) today announced the findings of a first-ever Attention Study, which reveals the building blocks of consumer engagement in the economy of attention. Contrary to the conventional view that audiences are awash in distraction, the study reveals consumers feel empowered to choose where to focus and are more able than ever to engage deeply with the brands they love.
The groundbreaking study, led by Viacom’s Scratch division, applies the science of attention to the marketing discipline and delivers a powerful approach to creating engagement in a rapidly-evolving marketing environment. Informed by biometric audience analysis, quantitative surveys, and interviews with expert practitioners, the findings will be used with Viacom and its partners to help facilitate deep connections with consumers.
Specifically, the study finds that three-quarters (75%) say their ability to pay attention is getting better or staying constant, 70% feel they are paying the right amount of attention to the things in their lives, and 81% are intentionally limiting the amount of attention they give to various media. Their power allows consumers to dive deeper into what they love with others who share their interest - 76% consider themselves part of a fan community and nearly 2/3 of people say what they remember most they experienced with others.
Scratch’s insights on breaking through to real engagement will be brought to life through a dynamic interactive exhibition at Viacom’s New York headquarters from September 29-October 8. The experience includes initial biometric research on how different television show genres impact attention; a multitasking test, which neuroscientists say only 2.5% of the population can do effectively; a virtual reality demonstration of fully-immersive Viacom content experiences; examples of fandom expressed in increasingly rich ways; and case studies on breakthrough content and marketing and the link between context and attention.
Viacom’s commitment to diving deeper into the attention arena will expand to partnerships with Yale Center for Customer Insights and Spotify. The work with Yale will entail conducting new research surrounding intent, aspiration, and media consumption, while Viacom will collaborate with Spotify to apply advanced insights to user engagement with content and experiences.
“We know that engagement is the apex for content makers and marketers, and applying the science of attention to marketing in this new way allows Viacom to help its partners connect with consumers in more impactful ways,” said Anne Hubert, SVP and head of Scratch. “We know our audiences better than anyone in the world, and this Attention Study helps frame the job of marketers, brand builders and content makers in the economy of attention in which we are all operating. We have to move beyond simply counting eyeballs, clicks, ads viewed, and impressions delivered, and begin to value the mark made because of experiences delivered in all the places where consumers engage.”
Viacom’s study proves the idea that the quality and type of attention is nuanced, and that collective attention, context and communities of fans are key elements in relationships between brands and consumer relationships.
Other findings from Scratch’s Attention Study can be found at http://attention.viacom.com and include:
Collective Attention:
- 76% consider themselves part of a fan community
- Almost 2/3 of Millennials discover new things from their fan community
- 75% are influenced to watch content because “a lot of people are talking about it”
Deep Connection:
- Almost 50% would give up a week of social media in order to not miss the series finale of their favorite TV show; almost 1/3 would be willing to give up a night’s sleep for it
- Nearly 25% have binge-watched their favorite show for eight or more hours
Attention and Distraction:
- 10% or less feel they are spending too little time on phones, emails, smartphone games, and social media
- 20% feel they are paying too little attention to celebrities
- 38% of Millennials said "Seeing someone naked” was distracting, but nearly twice that number said “getting a text message” was distracting
Source: Scratch Attention Study, Summer 2015: 2,667 Total Respondents
About Viacom
Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create compelling television programs, motion pictures, short-form video, apps, games, consumer products, social media and other entertainment content for audiences in 180 countries. Viacom's media networks, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Spike, BET, CMT,TV Land, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., Channel 5 (UK), Logo, Nicktoons, TeenNick and Paramount Channel, reach a cumulative 3.4 billion television subscribers worldwide. Paramount Pictures is a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.
For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom's blog at blog.viacom.com and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/viacom.
