Why Attention, Not Information, is the Golden Goose of Marketing

The data presented in this video is astounding. This talk is only 2 years old, and already that data has been dwarfed. If you're having a hard time raising your brand message above the noise, join the club. 

As Seth Godin says,

The sound of a small bell during a dark night is louder than the din of traffic outside your window at rush hour. Surprise and differentiation have far more impact than noise does.

It's not necessarily that your message is bad. Your message is just being drowned out by the sheer power of overwhelming noise.

Information vs. Attention

In this video, designer Brad Frost gives a talk about the clutter; the noise that is polluting valuable information in the world we live in.

Some Offensive Language Warning

Even though the term, "information overload," was coined in the 1970's, Frost reveals some amazing truths:

• 10% of all books (at the time) were created in 2012.
• 10% of the world's 3,800,000,000,000 photos were taken in 2012.
• 4,000,000,000 things were shared of Facebook every day in 2012.
• In 2012, IBM claimed that 90% of data that has ever existed was created over the previous two years.

Frost goes on to show examples of noise and clutter that are shouting for our attention, not just on the internet, but all around us.

Your Brand Vs. The Noise

How is your brand going to break through the noise? How is it going to spread it's message in this environment of overwhelming information?

When we consider this environment, it leads us to two truths:

First, your brand cannot survive, simply adding to the noise.

The content you create, from microcopy ads to whitepapers cannot simply be more noise. It can't be pitches or focused on adding value to your company. 

The things your brand creates has to be 100% focused on adding value to your target customers. And it has to be delivered in a method which your customers prefer to receive it.

Second, your brand cannot ignore the marketing environment.

Some people will watch this video and decide there is no use in trying. With so much clutter vying for our attention, it can be overwhelming for brands to even try to be heard.

That's why value for companies is shifting from information to attention.

How does your brand capture the attention of your target customers? Let us know in the comments!