Attention Pricing: A New CPM Model Based on Time Spent

How advertisers can pay for seconds of real attention — and why it matters

The old CPM playbook (cost per mille / cost per thousand impressions) treats every served ad the same. But not every ad is seen, and not every seen ad is valued equally. In an era of infinite inventory and shrinking attention, it’s time to rethink how we price media. Attention pricing ties what you pay to how long people actually engage with — or meaningfully view — an ad. That makes payments align with value, not just delivery.

Below is a practical, implementable guide to what attention pricing looks like, one clean sample pricing formula, an example calculation, and a short roadmap if you want to pilot it.

Why attention pricing matters

• Impressions ≠ Attention. Many served impressions are never viewable (off-screen, below the fold, auto-scrolled). Paying for served impressions is increasingly wasteful.
• Advertisers want outcomes. Time spent with creative (and whether a user interacts) predicts recall, brand lift, and conversion better than raw impressions.
• Publishers can capture fair value. High-impact placements and formats that hold attention deserve a premium; attention pricing lets them price that premium transparently.

Core concepts & metrics (definitions)

• Viewable Impression: An impression that meets a viewability standard (e.g., 50% of pixels in view for 1 second).
• Engaged Seconds (ES): The average number of continuous seconds an ad stays viewable/engaged. Measured via viewability + active tab/visibility APIs, pixel metrics, or attention SDKs.
• Attention CPM (aCPM): A CPM adjusted by the average Engaged Seconds — the unit advertisers pay per thousand impressions weighted by attention time.
• Attention Unit (AU): A normalized metric — for example, 1 AU = 1,000 engaged seconds across impressions (you can define your own unit).

Simple, transparent formula (recommended starter)

Use aCPM so the familiar CPM workflow stays intact:

aCPM = CPM_base × (ES ÷ ES_ref)

Where:

• CPM_base = the baseline CPM for a 1-second engaged impression (publisher/market sets this).
• ES = measured average Engaged Seconds for the placement/creative.
• ES_ref = reference engaged seconds (we recommend 1 second for simplicity).

Why this works: If your banner holds attention for 3 seconds on average and the baseline CPM is $5 for a 1-second engaged impression, you pay proportionally more because you’re getting more attention.

Example (step-by-step arithmetic)

Assumptions:

• CPM_base = $5 (this is the baseline price per thousand impressions for a 1-second engaged impression).
• ES = 3 seconds (average engaged seconds measured for the creative/placement).
• ES_ref = 1 second.

Calculate aCPM:

1. Compute the attention multiplier: ES ÷ ES_ref = 3 ÷ 1 = 3.
2. Multiply by baseline CPM: CPM_base × (ES ÷ ES_ref) = $5 × 3 = $15.
3. So, aCPM = $15.

If you buy 1,000,000 impressions under this agreement:

1. Number of thousands in 1,000,000 = 1,000,000 ÷ 1,000 = 1,000.
2. Total cost = aCPM × number_of_thousands = $15 × 1,000 =$15,000.

(Arithmetic checked digit-by-digit: 1,000,000 ÷ 1,000 = 1,000 → 15 × 1000 = 15,000.)

Variations & richer models

Attention pricing can be tailored:

1. Tiered aCPM: Different ES bands (e.g., 0–1s, 1–3s, 3–6s, 6s+) with pre-set multipliers or fixed aCPMs.
2. Hybrid model: Total Fee = Base CPM × impressions + Attention Premium where the premium pays for engaged seconds above a guaranteed minimum.
3. Price-per-attention-second (PPAS): Set a rate per 1,000 engaged seconds (an Attention Unit). Example: $X per 1,000 engaged seconds. This is cleaner where seconds, not impressions, are the focus.
4. Quality-adjusted attention: Weight Engaged Seconds by interaction (hover, video play, swipe), or by attention quality (active tab vs. background). Example: 1 second active = 1.0 weight; 1 second background = 0.2 weight.

Benefits (for advertisers & publishers)

• Advertisers: Pay more only when people actually engage; better ROI predictability; easier to link spend to brand lift.
• Publishers: Monetize premium placements fairly; capture value for creative that genuinely holds attention.
• Transparency: Measurement ties price to observable engagement signals — both sides can audit.

Risks & challenges

• Measurement fidelity: Requires reliable, standardized attention measurement (viewability + active-focus + SDKs). Without agreed measurement, disputes arise.
• Fraud & bot mitigation: Attention metrics must be protected from fake engagement and manipulated viewability.
• Complexity: Sales teams and buyers need education. Legacy DSPs and reporting may need upgrades.
• Inventory variability: Some placements (OOH, physical) require different attention proxies and careful mapping.

How to pilot attention pricing (90-day playbook)

1. Select test placements. Start with channels/formats where attention is measurable and meaningful (e.g., in-feed video, rich display, high-impact mobile interstitials, programmatic OOH with dwell-time proxies).
2. Agree on measurement. Decide on viewability standard (e.g., 50%/1s), attention SDKs, and any quality weights. Put SLAs in the IO.
3. Set CPM_base. Negotiate a baseline CPM for the 1-second engaged impression.
4. Run side-by-side tests. Compare a standard CPM buy vs. the attention-pricing buy using holdout groups to measure lift, cost-per-conversion, and brand metrics.
5. Report & iterate. Measure business outcomes (sales, visits, brand lift) and adjust multipliers/tiers.

Example attention pricing tier (starter matrix)

• ES 0–1s → multiplier 1.0 → aCPM = CPM_base × 1.0
• ES 1–3s → multiplier 2.0 → aCPM = CPM_base × 2.0
• ES 3–6s → multiplier 3.5 → aCPM = CPM_base × 3.5
• ES 6s+ → multiplier 5.0 → aCPM = CPM_base × 5.0

(Publishers can tune multipliers to market dynamics.)

Implementation note for OOH & offline

Out-of-home (OOH) can adopt attention proxies: dwell time at location, pedestrian flow, time-of-day, and screen on-time. These convert into estimated Engaged Seconds per exposure and feed the same aCPM formula with agreed measurement proxies.

Final thought — why this is the future

As digital inventory grows and attention becomes scarcer, the most sustainable pricing model is one that rewards attention, not mere delivery. Attention pricing aligns incentives: publishers build truly attention-holding experiences; creatives are optimized for memory and impact; advertisers pay for outcomes that matter.

Cybertron Ads: piloting attention-based buys

At Cybertron Ads, we’re building systems to measure attention, validate quality, and run pilots with advertisers who want to move beyond impressions. If you want to test an attention-priced campaign — with custom measurement, a 30-day pilot, and transparent reporting — let’s talk.

👉 Book a meeting with Cybertron Ads or read more on our Press site: press.cybertronads.com