From Exposure to Participation: What DMWF NYC Event Taught Me About Mobile Attention

I just spent two days at DMWF (Digital Marketing World Forum) in NYC, and my biggest takeaway was about attention, and what brand marketers in mobile need to do differently. The old metric of success was getting an ad in front of the user. The new metric is getting the user to actually participate.

The Attention Reality Check

One presentation resurfaced a stat we all love to debate: the average attention span for Gen Z is about 8 seconds (the infamous goldfish gets 9). Whether or not you accept the exact number, the implications for in-app mobile are clear:

• We don’t have time to ‘build up’ to the value. If your ad unit isn’t compelling in the first two seconds, it’s already lost the race.
• Passive viewing is fading. A standard 30-second video with a slow narrative build struggles in a world of infinite scroll.

The Engagement Funnel

Big Takeaway

Content that asks for higher user effort (tap, choose, play) consistently delivers higher engagement (often 20–50%). In mobile advertising, that points to playable ads, personalized quizzes, and in-ad polls. This isn’t a niche, high-end tactic anymore, it’s how you break through shrinking attention and privacy constraints.

Actionable Insight for Brands

If you’re serious about quality user acquisition:

1. Stop optimizing for low effort
   Shift budget away from passive formats (standard video, non-interactive display). They’re cheap, but low engagement often makes them a false economy.
2. Invest in micro-experiencesYour in-app ad should feel like a short, delightful demo or puzzle, instant payoff, one clear action (tap/choose/slide), and a friction-light path to the CTA.
3. Use context as the new targetingA high-effort ad that behaves like it belongs in the host app will outperform retargeting tricks, especially as privacy tightens.

Prado POV
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At Prado, we design high-effort, zero-friction interactive units, playables, choice-driven video, and micro-quizzes, that earn participation fast and compound performance across in-app environments. If you’re ready to move from exposure to participation, let’s build together. I'd love to chat further, drop me a line so I can help your performance soar! You can reach me at nadav@prado.co. 

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