Few topics in digital media gain as much attention as, um, attention.  Whether it’s a potential ad buying currency or a tool for optimizing results, people love to talk about it.  Integral Ad Science (IAS) has taken a more systematic approach with this survey of media experts.  Key findings: over 80% of companies report improved results after implementing an attention strategy; the most important components of an attention measure are visibility, situation, and interaction; and social media is the most measurable channel.

Enough frivolity.  Industry-specific (vertical) martech is a way for small vendors to grow in the shadow of big ones. Malou, a marketing system for restaurants, has just baked itself a $10 million funding round. (Apparently the real figure is €10 million but whoever wrote the press release thought Americans couldn’t handle it.  Did I mention Malou is French?) They serve over 2,000 restaurants across twelve countries.

Media mix models (MMM), originally developed in the 1960’s, have undergone a resurgence as new technologies make them easier to execute and click-based attribution becomes less credible. But evaluating MMM brings its own challenges. Australia-based Mutinex offers a vendor-neutral Open Source MMM Validation Framework which is now available for free to North American marketers and agencies.