Why are attention spans diminishing? If you say, “too many distractions”, well you are right. But, let’s dig a bit more. Why do we allow ourselves to be distracted knowing fully well it’s not doing us any good? That’s right, the distraction is often involuntary. We don’t even know that we have just been distracted in the moment that we have been distracted. In fact we believe that we are multitasking focus and not really shifting it. Like when we check our phone even if it’s in the middle of a meeting while you are talking. We pause momentarily and may get completely derailed before we apologise and get back to the point. Everyone thinks we have successfully multi-focussed.. Same when watching a thrilling twist in the plot in a riveting OTT series. We think we can effortlessly scroll through industry news highlights at the same time. Soon after we decide whether to rewind or check the news a little later.
The solution we all seek in a world where too many things are drawing us towards them all at once, at any given moment of awake and asleep time is to avoid distractions. So, we have apps that help us block apps. Then there is the concept of digital detox where we go off the grid entirely for a few days or longer. Strict sleep routine regimes are being prescribed by Doctors and Life coaches alike.
This culture where it is considered a virtue to actively work towards not paying attention to everything puts communicators, brands and marketers in quite the conundrum. Unsurprisingly, the discussion in marketing and advertising brainstorms continue to be aimed at fighting for audience attention. But what if we stopped fighting and started to ride the wave instead? It’s what prevents us from drowning in the sea, should work here too. Communicators who are already knowingly or unknowingly doing this are already enjoying the desired attention.
The reality we can’t fight is that the audience needs to do multiple things at once. It may be foolhardy to expect them to give up on other tasks to pay attention to our message. The answer then, is to say what we want to via a medium that doesn’t require them to stop everything else. They could still be driving, cleaning, exercising, falling asleep, cooking, designing at the same time.
I had given away the theme of this piece in the title but this cultural truth of the current times makes a strong case for why brands need to think about audio messaging a lot more deeply. The good news? We are not limited by gimmicky 30 min formats. If there’s one of the five senses that absolutely cant multitask, it is ‘seeing’. But hearing can. At any given point we are adept at processing several sounds around us.
So, there is merit in leveraging audio as much as possible in the media mix. Or incorporating audio into the entire media mix. The more our message can be multitasked with, the greater the willingness or sheer ability to follow what we are saying/selling. Of course the task doesn’t end there. Every area of focus in this arena is at risk of being replaced by multiple others waiting in line. This takes the need for consumer centricity to newer levels of sophistication. There is very little room for forcefit seller/manufacturers-speak. Brand messages have to constantly provide value. We need to understand consumer struggles in today’s day and age and talk about. A few non-brainers include how to stop wasting time? How to make better decisions? How to eliminate stress? How to balance work and family? How to improve sleep? No matter the industry, all brands need to do is cater to the universal need for self-care and/or self improvement in a mindlessly choice overloaded world. In a changed world, to be even one of the shimmery balls being juggled is to be on target. Aiming to grab consumer attention is passe, what we can aim for is some of their attention and then retain it by ensuring they don’t regret it through a sense of attention well spent.
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