Unlike viewability, which identifies opportunity, attention measurement adds interpretive value. It helps you understand how people actually experience an ad, not just whether they could have seen it. In that sense, attention builds on viewability rather than replacing it. It should be treated as a diagnostic input to interpret engagement, optimize creative and connect exposure to outcomes more effectively - not as an outcome in itself.
If you ask someone in ad tech what makes an ad "quality," chances are they'll fire off a familiar answer: "Viewable." "Human." And just like that - it's case closed. But consider this claim: The above barely scratches the surface. Yes, for years, these two metrics - human and viewable - shaped how advertisers measure, price and evaluate ad placements, treating them as matter-of-fact, not pausing to question them.
