Attention Economics: Redefining Value in MENA Media Planning

From Impressions to Impact

For years, campaign planning in MENA has leaned on familiar KPIs: impressions, reach, frequency, CPM, CPC, CPV. In a fragmented digital landscape, however, sheer exposure is no longer enough. Audiences are bombarded with thousands of ads daily. What matters is not whether an ad was served, but whether it was noticed.

This shift has put attention metrics at the centre of media planning, moving value away from volume and toward measurable impact.

Defining Attention Metrics

Attention is not a single measure but a combination of signals that reveal whether a brand message has broken through the noise. Among the most widely used are viewability time, which captures how long an ad remains visible; scroll speed, which shows how quickly a user moves past it; screen size, which indicates how much space the ad occupies; and engagement, which reflects meaningful interactions such as taps, swipes, or clicks. Taken together, these signals provide a richer picture of consumer interest and intent than reach alone ever could.

Applying Attention in Media Buying

The move toward attention-first planning is already reshaping platform strategies in MENA. Practical ways to integrate it include:

1. Optimising to the right KPI – Platforms such as Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat allow buying against completed views, interactions, or engagement, giving planners more meaningful outcomes than impressions.

2. Prioritising immersive formats – Full-screen and non-skippable placements (Stories, Reels, YouTube bumper ads) naturally command higher attention.

3. Custom event tracking – Scroll depth, time on page, or interaction pixels provide more insight than a click-through rate.

4. Third-party measurement – Attention vendors offer benchmarking and cross-channel tracking, especially useful in programmatic environments.

5. Heatmaps and scroll maps – On owned platforms, these tools reveal where user focus lies and inform both ad placement and creative strategy.

The Road Ahead

Digital clutter is here to stay, and the opportunity lies in moving beyond exposure metrics toward an ecosystem built on attention. For brands in MENA, this means identifying where campaigns lose consumer focus, using behavioral signals to refine targeting, and linking media investments more directly to measurable outcomes. Attention is more than another KPI; it is fast becoming the currency of media effectiveness, and those who embrace it now will define the next chapter of advertising in the region.