“We've moved from an oil economy to an attention economy.” A sentence by Prof. Scott Galloway, NYU Stern, that sticks — and that can no longer be discussed away. Attention is the scarcest resource today — and the hardest currency in marketing. Without attention, there is no perception. Without perception, there is no effect. So easy.
Content piles up in screens and formats, feeds rush, attention span shrinks, it's not enough anymore, just To be there. Is the advertising material even noticed? How Is it noticed? Where does the gaze get stuck? Which elements activate — which distract? What sticks at the end?
Jens Hinz, Consumer & Brand Psychologist at adlicious, explains how we answer these questions. With experience in market research, strategy and concept for a wide range of industries, brands and products, he works closely with the creative and media teams to better understand target groups and make design even more effective and relevant. This includes analyzing campaign assets, in which we combine our expertise in design and perceptual psychology with insights from predictive AI assessments. For Jens, attention is essential for successful design:
Using design expertise, AI insights, and neuro-data to improve advertising
In order to effectively design advertising, we must think from the perception of the target group: How can we ensure that our messages are noticed, processed and remembered? Design must find an answer to this question. Here, AI supports us with scientifically based predictive neuro-insights.
At adlicious, we analyze visual advertising media along central perception metrics. Not from gut feeling, but on the basis of hard, empirical data: heat maps, neuro-insights and predictive perceptual KPIs to optimize advertising media for all formats and channels, which we can include in the design of campaign assets even before launch.
To do this, we study various perceptual parameters:
- Focus points & attention diversification: Which areas lie at the center of perception? Which content is competing?
- Processing difficulty: Are key messages easy to understand and the advertising material still sufficiently stimulating at the same time?
- More emotional Appeal: What triggers the asset? Is it emotionally engaging?
- Brand & message reminder: What is remembered? Do key messages really stick?
More Science, Less Buzzwords
We all know a basic law in AI: Shit in, Shit out. But what if we feed the AI with gold? We work with a specialized partner who uses data from real surveys. More than 100 billion human data points are combined in over 100 machine learning models to create solid, objective and statistically proven predictive insights. Not black box AI, but real, scientifically based models with psychological depth.
Artificial Intelligence x Human Intelligence
Of course, this is not automatic. AI provides objective patterns. Our teams provide contextual knowledge and design expertise. We combine AI-supported analyses with human interpretation: perceptual psychology, strategic and media know-how, paired with creative flair. The result: Assets that not only look good — but also function visibly.
The basics often don't sound all that complicated. Nevertheless, a good understanding of design is required:
- Less is more. Clutter kills effect.
- Focus beats diversity. One A strong visual idea is better than five competing ones.
- Emotionalization pays off. Not everything has to be loud — but everything has to make you feel something.
- Design needs a goal. Without a plan, every message goes down.
Would you like to learn more about creative assessments at adlicious? Put your own assets to the test? We are looking forward to your message!
