For KFC, Attention Is Finger-Lickin’ Good

TVision Insights, which measures viewer attention, has new data that says this attention is a much better predictor of whether an ad will drive consumers to stores than simple exposure. Working with research company Sense360, a study looked at an ad campaign for KFC to see if there was a link between whether viewers paid attention to the ads and whether they went to the quick-service restaurant.

TVision Insights measured attention on a second-by-second basis, while Sense360 monitored user location and activity. The two data sets were stitched together to correlate viewing and activity within a two-day period.

The study found that attention impressions for TV ads were four times more predictive of KFC store visits than non-attentive impressions. The results reinforce TVision Insights’ contention that attention is an important currency for advertisers.

“The TV industry is increasingly under pressure from advertisers on two fronts,” Dan Schiffman, chief research officer of TVision Insights, said. “First, to advance measurement of viewing; second, to attribute advertising spend and exposures to offline outcomes.

“This analysis we performed with Sense360 combines these two concepts, demonstrating how attention leads to offline outcomes,” he said. “For brands and agencies, the analysis shows that incorporating attention into the planning and buying process will increase outcomes.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.