Reports Critical Developments

Attention economy Reasons, not ways, to spend attention

Hanna Kahlert
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20,000 foot view:  Audiences are consuming in different ways, on different platforms, and at different times – from lean-back passive viewing, to lean-forward on-demand, lean-in social engagement, and lean-through creation. Web            largely driven by AI, will not change this. However, the resulting content saturation (in addition to existing attention saturation) will inflate the existing challenges that entertainment companies face in vying for limited audience focus. Thus, it is important for all entertainment companies to understand where they are meeting their audiences, and why.

Key insights 

  • Audiences already            enough ways to spend their            What they need now are            to do so 
  • Ultimately, all            compete, but each fits a            content and contextual niche in            entertainment lives 
  • User behaviour            not always favour platforms’ mass-audience            Only            of consumers post with            hope of going viral, while                       post for networking / promotional           
  • The majority            consumers are either neutral            or            inclined            towards more social features            entertainment platforms
  • However, entertainment            are being split by social,            previously static forms of ‘packaging’            distribution now becoming fluid and           
  • With the            of AI capabilities in the            of audiences, these new distinctions            become more pronounced and simultaneously            relevant to consumers 
  • Entertainment companies            hone in on the context            the usage of their platforms            offerings, rather than just greedily            for a little bit of           
  • Brands must            be increasingly aware of the            issues that matter to their            – especially as digital entertainment            commodified and increasingly competitive

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: AOL, BandLab, BeReal, Facebook, GarageBand, Meta, Instagram, Myspace, Netflix, Snapchat, Sounds, Spotify, TikTok, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube