Advertisers can work directly with attention providers and activate programmatically via ad tech vendors

There are a handful of big names in the attention space and a complicated web of partnerships that support advertiser activation of attention metrics. But there are three main vendor groups that operate in the space:

• Pure-play attention providers. These companies offer attention metrics products directly to advertisers. Some of them make their attention metrics available for programmatic activation through ad tech vendors without requiring a direct contract with the advertiser. Some also supply raw biometric attention data to verification vendors.
• Verification vendors. These companies supply brands with attention metrics alongside other campaign and inventory data, including viewability and brand safety. They rely mostly on contextual attention data gathered through their tags.
• Ad tech vendors. These demand-side platforms (DSPs) and sell-side platforms don’t contribute their own attention metrics. Instead, they make certain pure-play attention providers’ metrics available through PMPs, custom algorithms, and/or pre-bid segments.

Agencies may act as an additional intermediary between any of these vendor groups and brands. Some agencies have enterprisewide agreements with attention providers that allow clients to access and use attention metrics at no additional cost.

Read the full report, Attention Metrics Ecosystem 2024.