Ad Age.com reported today on the unveiling of the new metric for advertising effectiveness by the Advertising Research Foundation.
Engagement is turning on a prospect to a brand idea enhanced by the surrounding context...It's short, sweet and maybe even a little sexy. But if you're unsure exactly how it will turn the media world on its head with regard to research, you could be forgiven. [link]
The article goes on to note that whether advertisers, and media buyers in particular, will surrender their passion for eyeballs for a more audience-centered approach remains to be seen. In addition, it will no doubt be many months before this innovation reaches a tipping point.
I'm having some difficulty trying to figure out how to operationalize this definition of engagement, let alone put it into practice for measuring the effects of communications programs of any kind - not just the commercial ones. Yet, if you are involved in the evaluation of media activities, add engagement value to your vocabulary and start working on a methodology. I will be waiting to see if this shift in measurement targets helps to further tilt the emphasis away from the traditional mass media outlets onto newer forms of digital and social media for health communications and social change programs.
Technorati Tags: Advertising Effectiveness, Communication Effects, Engagement, Mass Media
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