Digital
Mind the attention gap: How brands can retain the attention span of their consumers
Mumbai: The digital age has brought many benefits to consumers, such as convenience, choice, and access to information. However, it has also created a new challenge for brands: how to capture and retain the attention of their consumers in a crowded and noisy online environment. According to a Microsoft study, the average human attention span has dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to eight seconds in 2015, which is less than that of a goldfish. This means that brands have only a few seconds to make an impression and persuade consumers to engage with their content, products, or services.
The attention gap is a serious problem for marketers, as it affects the effectiveness of their campaigns and the return on their investments. According to a report by HubSpot, 91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that provide relevant offers and recommendations, and 72% of consumers expect brands to personalise their communications. However, only 22% of consumers are satisfied with the level of personalisation they receive from brands. This indicates that there is a mismatch between what consumers want and what brands deliver, which leads to lower engagement, loyalty, and conversion rates.
How to bridge the attention gap
To overcome the challenge of the attention gap, brands need to adopt a customer-centric approach and create content that is relevant, valuable, and engaging for their target audience. Here are some strategies that can help brands achieve this goal:
● Use data and analytics to understand customers: Brands need to leverage data and analytics tools to collect and analyse information about their customers, such as their demographics, preferences, behaviors, needs, and pain points. This will help them segment their customers into different groups based on their characteristics and interests, and tailor their content accordingly. For example, Netflix uses data and algorithms to recommend personalised content to its users based on their viewing history and preferences.
● Create compelling stories that resonate with customers: Brands need to craft stories that connect with their customers on an emotional level and convey their value proposition in a clear and compelling way. Stories can help brands capture the attention of their customers, build trust and credibility, and inspire them to take action. For example, Airbnb uses storytelling to showcase the experiences of its hosts and guests, and how they can discover new places and cultures through its platform.
● Use multimedia and interactive content to enhance customers’ experiences: Brands need to use multimedia and interactive content formats, such as videos, podcasts, infographics, quizzes, games, etc., to deliver their messages in a more engaging and memorable way. Multimedia and interactive content can help brands attract the attention of their customers, stimulate their senses, and encourage them to interact with their brand. For example, Nike uses interactive videos to showcase its products and features, and allow its customers to customise their own shoes.
● Optimise content for different channels and devices: Brands need to optimise their content for different channels and devices that their customers use, such as websites, social media platforms, mobile apps, email newsletters, etc. This will help them reach their customers where they are, provide them with a consistent and seamless experience across different touchpoints, and increase their chances of engagement. For example, Starbucks optimises its content for different channels and devices by using responsive design, mobile-friendly features, social media integration, etc.
Giving his two cents on this rapid transformation, Wing Communications CEO & founder Shiva Bhavani said, “We believe that in today’s competitive market, it is not enough to just create content for our clients. We have to create content that matters to their customers. That’s why we use cutting-edge tools and techniques to understand the needs and preferences of our clients’ target audience and craft personalised and relevant stories that capture their attention and inspire them to take action.”
Conclusion
The attention gap is a reality that brands have to face in the digital age. However, it is not an insurmountable obstacle. By using data and analytics, creating compelling stories, using multimedia and interactive content formats, and optimising their content for different channels and devices, brands can bridge the attention gap and retain the attention span of their consumers.
The article is authored by Wing Communications CEO Shiva Bhavani.
Digital
Ethical AI must benefit society, not dominate it, says WFEB chief Sanjay Pradhan at IAA event
At Mumbai event, ethics expert urges businesses and governments to shape AI responsibly
MUMBAI: Artificial intelligence may be racing ahead at lightning speed, but its direction must still be guided by human conscience. That was the central message delivered by Sanjay Pradhan, president of the World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB), during the latest edition of IAA Conversations held in Mumbai.
The session was organised by the International Advertising Association (IAA) and the Artificial Intelligence Association of India (AIAI) in association with The Free Press Journal at the Free Press House on 7 March. Addressing a packed audience, Pradhan called for stronger ethical leadership to ensure AI remains a tool that benefits humanity rather than one that governs it.
“Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most powerful technologies humanity has created,” Pradhan said. “It is unlocking breakthroughs in medicine, science and creativity at a pace unimaginable just a few years ago.”
But he warned that the same technology carries serious risks. AI, he noted, can amplify disinformation faster than facts can travel, compromise privacy, deepen discrimination and disrupt millions of livelihoods. Referencing concerns raised by AI pioneers such as Geoffrey Hinton, often called the godfather of AI, Pradhan stressed that the real challenge is not whether AI will shape the world, but whether humans will shape it with ethics and wisdom.
Structuring his talk around four guiding questions, why, what, how and who, Pradhan introduced the audience to WFEB’s emerging AI Ethics Partnership, a global platform aimed at advancing responsible artificial intelligence. He outlined four priority concerns that demand urgent attention: disinformation, bias and discrimination, data privacy and job security.
To make the idea of ethical AI easier to grasp, Pradhan offered a simple metaphor. Ethical AI, he said, is like a three layered cake. The outer layer represents the visible value ethical AI creates for businesses and society. The middle layer is organisational culture that moves ethics from written codes to everyday practice. The innermost layer, however, is the most crucial, the conscience of individual leaders.
Drawing from Indian philosophical thought through WFEB co-founder Ravi Shankar, Pradhan noted that while artificial intelligence can reproduce stored knowledge, true intelligence is boundless and rooted in conscience, creativity and compassion. Practices such as breathwork and meditation, he suggested, can help leaders develop the calm clarity needed for ethical decision making.
The event also featured a discussion with Maninder Adityaraj Singh, chief of staff and head of innovation at Rediffusion Brand Solutions Pvt Ltd, and Yash Johri, lawyer, Supreme Court of India.
Opening the session, IAA India chapter president Abhishek Karnani, highlighted the need for industries to understand and engage with AI responsibly.
“AI has to be befriended and understood,” added Rediffusion managing director and AIAI national convenor Sandeep Goyal. “Its ethical use will determine whether it becomes a friend or a foe.”
As AI continues to reshape industries and societies, Pradhan ended with a simple but powerful call to action. Businesses, governments and individuals must work together to ensure that the algorithms shaping the future reflect human values rather than just cold logic.
