Polish advertising industry announces unified attention measurement standards

Three Polish advertising industry organizations announced the formation of standards for attention measurement on September 18, 2025. IAB Polska, Stowarzyszenie Content Marketing Polska (SCMP), and Polska Organizacja Reklamodawców (POR) established the Grupa ds. Standaryzacji Pomiaru Uważności to create unified methodological frameworks for measuring attention in digital advertising campaigns.

According to a comprehensive study titled "Attention w praktyce" conducted by IAB Polska's Research Group in collaboration with SCMP and POR, over 80% of industry experts believe the market requires standardization of attention measurement. The research shows 93% of respondents confirm that attention metrics directly impact marketing communication effectiveness.

Industry study reveals measurement gaps

The research examined how the Polish market understands attention metrics in advertising and whether companies utilize these measurements during campaign planning, execution, and billing processes. The complete report will be published in the coming weeks according to the announcement.

"This is the first such study in the Polish market covering the full range of digital activities. Nearly half of the study participants are managers, and almost a quarter are directors. This means the conclusions come primarily from the perspective of people who actually make strategic decisions regarding campaigns and marketing budgets," states Tomasz Wileński, Head of IAB Polska's Research Working Group.

Results indicate that attention metrics in Poland remain innovative rather than standard practice. Nearly 75% of respondents treat attention measurement as an experimental area rather than established market practice. However, close to two-thirds of respondents believe attention research significantly impacts campaign effectiveness.

"Attention is still an innovation, but research clearly shows the potential is enormous. Attention is slowly becoming a real element of commercial products in Poland, and importantly - practitioners are willing to pay for quality. Some participants declare willingness to pay premiums of even several dozen percent to obtain guaranteed attention effects," comments Agnieszka Gajzler from SCMP.

This trend confirms findings from a SCMP study where 83% of marketers declared readiness to pay more for more accurate qualitative metrics. Primary barriers include insufficient measurement guidelines, limited scalability, and high implementation costs for innovative solutions.

"We encounter differences in standardization of measurement metrics - agencies, publishers, clients - everyone perceives them somewhat differently. Lack of precision in this area seems to be the main obstacle for attention development in marketing communication. It's time to define metrics and standardize the market regarding attention measurement in Poland," adds Tomasz Wileński.

Quality-focused measurement approach emerges

The three organizations - IAB Polska, SCMP, and POR - responded to growing quality measurement needs by establishing the Attention Measurement Standardization Group. The group's task involves developing methodological frameworks for attention measurement consistent with international guidelines from IAB US and Media Rating Council (MRC) from 2025.

"The impulse for creating the group was awareness that traditional metrics - reach (UU) or number of impressions - do not reflect contact quality with content. Today, for campaign effectiveness, qualitative metrics are gaining more importance, such as content retention or active attention time," explains Marek Zaborowski from IAB Polska's Research Working Group and Head of Media at BNP Paribas Bank Polska.

Global IAB/MRC guidelines recommend a broad spectrum of measurement methods including data signals (retention, attention time, time allocation, attention concentration, distraction), eye tracking, physiological and panel studies, and AI-based predictive models. In Poland, techniques generating highest trust include scrolling analysis, cursor movement analysis, and artificial intelligence solutions.

These signals serve as "proof of presence" - evidence of actual user interaction with content rather than accidental exposure or bot activity.

The new standard aims to provide the industry with consistent and reliable metrics reflecting real user engagement levels.

"Attention Economy is becoming a key trend in contemporary marketing. If we want to effectively measure communication effectiveness, we must move beyond simple impressions and visibility. The new attention standard will finally allow all market participants to speak the same language and consequently build a more transparent and qualitative online advertising environment," emphasizes Włodzimierz Schmidt from IAB Polska.

Technical framework development

The Attention Measurement Standardization Group currently concentrates on several key areas. Development of common definitions and metrics includes their division according to distribution channels including display, video, content, audio, and social platforms. Assessment of technological possibilities for implementing metrics in individual channels involves identifying technical and market limitations of attention-based measurements.

The group works on developing billing models for individual metrics, including formulas such as aCPM = CPM * Attention Metric (Attention Quality Score). Methodology adaptation to international MRC/IAB guidelines includes building transparent and credible research frameworks for the entire market.

"The creation of the Attention Measurement Standardization Group is an important step toward professionalization and unification of measurements that reflect the most valuable currency of contemporary marketing - user attention. The new standard will allow advertisers not only to better evaluate their campaign effectiveness but also to invest budgets more precisely and guarantee real audience engagement," comments Elżbieta Gorajewska from Polska Organizacja Reklamodawców.

Working group composition and expertise

The Attention Measurement Standardization Group includes IAB Polska's Research Working Group members: Tomasz Wileński, group leader (iSLAY Tech, SCMP), Agnieszka Gajzler (SCMP), Marek Zaborowski (BNP Paribas Bank Polska), Hubert Świtalski (DoubleVerify), Paulina Kozyra (Eskimi), and Anna Plachta (Credit Agricole). Leadership includes Włodzimierz Schmidt, IAB Polska Board President, and Elżbieta Gorajewska, POR Managing Director.

The initiative emerges during significant global momentum toward attention-based advertising metrics. Major measurement companies worldwide have expanded attention capabilities throughout 2024 and 2025, reflecting growing advertiser demand for granular engagement insights beyond traditional viewability metrics.

This development matters significantly for the marketing community because attention-based measurement addresses fundamental challenges in digital advertising effectiveness evaluation. Traditional metrics like impressions and viewability provide limited insight into actual user engagement with advertising content.

The standardization effort in Poland aligns with broader industry trends toward quality-focused measurement approaches. Recent developments show attention metrics increasingly influence programmatic advertising decisions, though standardization remains challenging across different platforms and measurement providers.

Research published by PPC Land demonstrates attention measurement complexity, with studies suggesting simple attention duration metrics may not directly correlate with advertising effectiveness across all contexts.

Major technology companies have introduced attention measurement capabilities across various platforms. DoubleVerify launched social media attention measurement through partnerships with platforms like Snapchat, while Nielsen integrated attention tracking through collaboration with measurement companies like Realeyes.

Addressing industry standardization challenges

The Polish initiative addresses specific market needs identified through comprehensive research. The study revealed that while practitioners recognize attention measurement value, lack of standardized approaches creates barriers to widespread adoption. Different market participants - agencies, publishers, and clients - currently employ varying interpretation methods for attention metrics.

International guidelines from IAB US and Media Rating Council provide foundation principles, but local market adaptation requires addressing specific technological capabilities and market conditions in Poland. The standardization group's methodological framework development aims to ensure compatibility with global standards while addressing Polish market requirements.

The economic implications extend beyond measurement standardization. Research indicates practitioners demonstrate willingness to pay premium rates for guaranteed attention effectiveness, suggesting market demand for quality-focused advertising approaches exceeds current supply capabilities.

Technical implementation challenges include varying measurement capabilities across different digital channels and platforms. The standardization group must address technological limitations while ensuring measurement approaches remain scalable across the Polish advertising ecosystem.

The initiative represents broader industry evolution toward quality-focused advertising approaches. As digital advertising markets mature, attention-based measurement provides alternatives to traditional volume-focused metrics that may not accurately reflect campaign effectiveness.

Market standardization efforts require coordination across multiple stakeholder groups including advertisers, agencies, publishers, and technology providers. The collaborative approach between IAB Polska, SCMP, and POR demonstrates industry recognition that attention measurement standardization requires unified rather than fragmented development approaches.

Timeline

• September 18, 2025 - IAB Polska, SCMP, and POR announce formation of Attention Measurement Standardization Group
• March 2021 - Snapchat and Lumen Research begin collaboration to refine attention measurement using eye-tracking technology
• July 2024 - Integral Ad Science expands Quality Attention measurement to mobile in-app environments
• December 2024 - Nielsen integrates attention metrics into campaign effectiveness measurement through Realeyes partnership
• June 2025 - DoubleVerify debuts social attention measurement with Snap partnership
• July 2025 - Industry panel discusses attention metrics influence on programmatic decisions during IAB Europe's Virtual Programmatic Day
• August 2025 - TVision releases State of Streaming report showing attention differences by content type and release strategy
• August 2025 - Nielsen launches interoperable measurement ecosystem with Realeyes partnership

Summary

Who: IAB Polska, Stowarzyszenie Content Marketing Polska (SCMP), and Polska Organizacja Reklamodawców (POR) established the Attention Measurement Standardization Group.

What: Creation of unified standards and methodological frameworks for measuring attention in digital advertising, including common definitions, metrics, billing models, and technical implementation guidelines.

When: Announced September 18, 2025, with full research report publication planned for the coming weeks.

Where: Poland's digital advertising market, with methodology aligned to international IAB US and Media Rating Council guidelines from 2025.

Why: Research shows over 80% of industry experts believe the market requires attention measurement standardization, while 93% confirm attention metrics directly impact marketing communication effectiveness. Current market fragmentation creates barriers to widespread adoption despite demonstrated value and practitioner willingness to pay premiums for quality attention measurement.