Attention is nothing without trust

As brands fight for every second of consumer attention, artificial intelligence, deepfakes and increasingly sophisticated online scams are making it harder for advertisers to be believed.

The advertising industry is increasingly looking beyond impressions and reach towards measuring whether consumers actively pay attention to advertising.

Research by Adelaide-based attention measurement company Amplified found at least 2.5 seconds of active attention was needed for memory to form.

However, Cloud Cartel Director Liam Fariss said trust was more important than attention for advertisers as consumers grew increasingly wary of what they encountered online.

Mr Fariss said brands could build trust by humanising their content, including putting founders in videos, alongside third-party influencers, testimonials and reviews.

He said consumers who were suspicious of an online advertisement could independently search for the company’s legitimate website, rather than relying on the advertisement itself.

But as AI makes convincing imitation increasingly accessible, the advertising industry faces a broader question: who should carry responsibility for establishing authenticity online?

Seed Insights Managing Director Veronica Mayne said responsibility should be shared among advertisers, platforms, regulators and consumers, but social media platforms needed stronger systems to properly vet advertisers.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs told Reuters that stricter regulations had reduced scam advertisements involving investments by 96 per cent, and identity impersonation scams by 94 per cent, following measures that included mandatory advertiser verification. Meanwhile, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told Reuters that advertiser verification was not a silver bullet and worked best alongside other anti-scam measures.

Ms Mayne said the challenge would become greater as AI improved, making it increasingly difficult for even discerning consumers to distinguish genuine content from fake material.

Similarly to Mr Fariss, she said advertisers needed to take a more genuine approach to capture attention, such as by telling real stories and showcasing real people in situations meaningful to the target audience.

“They have to do whatever they can to get people’s attention – I just think they need to do it in a more trustworthy way,” she said.

Author bio:

Fleur Mayne is a Bachelor of Creative Writing student at Edith Cowan University who enjoys journalism, research and storytelling.