Looking at the online videos that advertising agencies are creating for their brands, it is clear the main metric and causes for these online video is the viewers “attention”.

That would explain some of the entertaining, sorts stupid, commercials I saw yesterday at a late afternoon session on Video 2.0 at Web 2.0 Expo (like Obama Girl fighting girl McCain Hulk).

Here’s the marketing notes for this session:

PANEL: Marketers’ Dilemma: Finding and Managing Digital Resources Westside Ballroom – North

What does the disintermediation of Big Advertising mean, specifically, for Brand Marketers? Creatives these days seem to be everywhere and anywhere— some might say Madison Avenue is dissolving amid the rise of branded content providers, specialty marketing shops, even user-generated brand messaging. Others would include everyone—even a technology powerhouse like Google—as part of the New Madison Avenue. How does a brand manager look for quality, cost-efficient new media gurus in a splintering creative and media environment? What are the challenges of managing such a varied roster of talent, and how does the glut of options affect brand positioning?

MODERATOR:
Shane Steele, Digital Media & Marketing Consultant

SPEAKERS:
Lars Bastholm, Executive Creative Director, AKQA
Chris Curtin, Vice President, Digital Strategy, Hewlett-Packard Company
Pam Kaufman, Chief Marketing Officer, Nickelodeon
Bob Stohrer, Chief Marketing Officer, Virgin Mobile USA

Even though the purposes of a high end Brand video commercial is created for a much different purpose than a political satire and tension release, they share the goal of gaining attention, getting you undivided attention.

Connection Strategy? Consistent Touch point Multi dimensional strategy?

Well, doesn’t seem like digital agencies do that, today.

Here’s the paradoxical issue, but it was not voiced, that all brands want “undivided” attention, while people are now “multi-tasking” and doing a few things at once.

Even our desire to create a metric for “engagement”, or should I now call it “attention”, assumes that our attention, as measured via page click depth, time spent on site, visit volicity (all this stuff that Eric Peterson‘s new paper on “Measuring The Measurable” tried to put forth as a formula to measure “engagement”) is the sole thing we’re doing, when it’s often, not.

On my way to OMMA this morning, several people on the subway had their IPod or IPhone and earphones on; they were also being exposed to display ads on the walls and ceiling of the subway car and some were also reading a book or newspaper.

In the past, we might have simply described this multi-tasking capability as “clutter” that brands seek to get your attention from.

But, from another perspective, it’s precisely the “brands” messaging which we’re are often multi-tasking!

A question came up about Social Media and no one could figure out where it sits in a modern digital agencies.

Perhaps, there needs to be a certain amount put aside for “innovation”, but that is often the first thing that is cut.

Btw, I am writing all of this, as I was also doing yesterday, on my IPhone, and posting online directly, so please forgive my spelling and grammer errors.