Ad exposure and attention: what each tells you

Exposure describes an opportunity

An exposure record describes an ad that appeared within the observed study scope. It does not, on its own, show that someone noticed the brand, understood the message or intended to buy. Those are separate research questions. A report should make clear which question each observation can answer.

Staying is a clue to interpret

Staying, skipping and subsequent actions offer different clues. A longer stay can be worth investigating, but it can also reflect the task or the state of the page. Compare records under appropriate audience, device, creative and observation conditions instead of treating duration alone as a ranking of creative quality.

Check comparability before comparing creatives

Start with the touchpoints, dates and audience you want to compare. Then review the usable records and missing coverage in each group. Missing attention evidence is not evidence of no attention. The available observations can also differ by device, app version and participant permissions; conclusions need to reflect those differences.

Turn findings into the next research question

Ask whether a creative is frequently skipped, or whether a placement offers an opportunity to view it. Use the finding to decide what to examine next. Attention and purchasing moving together does not establish that attention caused the purchase. A causal question requires a suitable research design beyond observing the sequence.