Are 1,000 impressions on social media the same as 1,000 impressions on TV, online video, or AM/FM radio? Adelaide, an attentiveness measurement firm, says no. They conclude there is a significant difference in advertising attention across media platforms.
The Advertising Research Foundation defines advertising attention as “the degree to which those exposed to the advertising are focused on it.” Adelaide measures how ads on media platforms get noticed, hold attention, and impact memory.
Adelaide’s “Attention Unit,” or AU score, compares advertising attention by media. An analysis of Adelaide’s AU scores reveals what would have to be spent on other media to achieve the same attentiveness of a $1,000 AM/FM radio advertising investment:
In order to achieve the same degree of AM/FM radio advertising attention, twice as much would have to be spent on display digital ads, TikTok, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and Reddit. Platforms such as YouTube and connected TV would require less than $1,000 to match the attentiveness of a $1,000 AM/FM radio ad investment.