In the attention economy, every brand wants more eyeballs on it.

But how, exactly, do we measure “attention”?

Is it enough for someone to view your content? Or does it only count as “attention” when they engage with it? Because it’s one thing to get a person to look your way. But isn’t the whole point of getting attention that they have to actually care?

In today's newsletter:

• Marketers say they want "attention," but what does that even mean? (plus, how do we actually measure attention anyway?)

• New Wallace & Gromit film breaks records after 19-year hiatus (find out how this brand has created such loyal fans with so few entries)

• Trend plug - Where's the ATV? 

• Ask the Editor - How do I compete with other businesses that do the same thing I do? 

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

p.s. Want some free marketing advice? Just reply with your question & I’ll answer it this week in Ask the Editor :-)

Attention is the currency we crave, but how on earth do we measure it?

Attention has always been advertising’s golden ticket—a conscious decision to focus on one thing at the expense of everything else.

In a world of endless scrolling and multi-screening, grabbing and holding that attention has become the ultimate challenge.

But, while marketers obsess over “attention,” no one can agree on what it actually is—or how to measure it.

From the surveys of the Mad Men-era to today’s eye-tracking tech, we’ve spent decades trying to quantify something as fleeting and subjective as human focus. Yet, the industry still doesn’t have a standardised definition or method.

Is it enough for someone to see an ad?

Do they need to engage with it?

And how do you measure something as intangible as whether someone cares?

The result is a chaotic landscape of conflicting metrics and competing technologies.

And in this Wild West of attention measurement, marketers are left wondering, are we even asking the right questions?

[Keep reading to find out why “attention” is such a misunderstood concept]

-Sophie, Writer

New Wallace & Gromit Film Breaks Records After 19-year Hiatus

Listen - I've never been to the UK and nothing about me (but the language I speak) is remotely English.

That said, the violently British claymation franchise, Wallace & Gromit, owned by Aardman Animations, is integral to who I am.

It's a fact I was recently reminded of after watching the series' first film in 16 years, Vengeance Most Fowl.

The new movie's been met with rave reviews and even broke a 25-year-old British TV record.

But how does this even happen?

The franchise turns 36 this year. In that time, it's only put out 4 half-hour films and 2 feature-length movies (plus a handful of video games, 2-minute shorts and commercial cameos in between).

The duo's latest adventure, released on Netflix on January 3rd, is their first theatre-length movie in nearly 20 years.

It's their first actual film since Bush Jr. was in office. (That's right, American readers, neither Obama nor Trump oversaw an historic Wallace & Gromit exploit).

So how is it that Wallace & Gromit - a decades-old franchise with very few entries and so many years between them - has lasted so long?

[Keep reading to find out why Wallace & Gromit never loses its audience appeal]

-Devin, Copywriter

Trend Plug - Where's the ATV?

Today's trending sound is a line Judge Judy says as she interrogates someone about a missing ATV.

The first 15 seconds are all rapid-fire questions—“Where is the ATV?” “The name of the friend and the phone number of the friend?”—delivered with her signature sass. It’s sharp, funny, and perfect for grilling someone when their actions just don’t add up.

TikTokers are using this sound for scenarios where they need to investigate or ask a lot of questions. For example, "when I told him I'm not the jealous type but he's telling a story that involves a girl" and, “when you lend them something and they won't give it back”.

How you can jump on this trend:

Use the sound to describe a time when you’ve been frustrated, suspicious, or just downright annoyed. It’s great for adding drama to everyday scenarios and calling people out in a funny, over-the-top way. Add your onscreen text to add context!

A few ideas to get you started:

• “When the team claims the project is finished, but there’s nothing in the shared folder.”

• “When I lend my sibling my ring light, and it comes back broken.”

• “When someone says, ‘We can just boost a post; we don’t need ads.’”

-Abdel, Social Media Coordinator

Today on the YAP podcast…

Want even more ‘YAP’ing? Check out the full podcast here.

Ask the Editor

Q - How do I compete with other businesses that do the same thing I do? - Sunita

Hey Sunita!

The only way to differentiate yourself in the market is to focus on building your brand. Especially if you're in a crowded industry, it's going to be tough to convince people your product's the best out there unless you have some proprietary technology the others don't have.

Assuming you don't (since you're asking this question), the only way to be different is to figure out what your core message, or single-minded proposition, is.

This needs to be something others can get behind. So maybe it's something like you exist to challenge the status quo or fight complacency. Then your marketing and content should centre around this, not just talking about how great your product is.

If you do this right, your audience will be willing to pay more to buy from you because they believe in your brand. Without this, it's a race to the bottom.

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

For the group chat

😲WTF: AI USES SO MUCH WATER
✨Daily inspo: watch this on the way to the gym
😊Soooo satisfying: Car clean ASMR
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Coconut pork adobo

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