How Viewer Tuning, Presence, and Attention Respond to Ad Content and Predict Brand Search Lift.

New technology measures TV viewer tuning, presence, and attention, enabling the first distinctions between TV ad viewability and actual ad viewing. We compare new and traditional viewing metrics to evaluate the new metrics' utility to advertisers. We find that 30% of TV ads play to empty rooms. We then use broadcast networks' verifiably quasi-random ordering of ads within commercial breaks to estimate causal effects of ads on new viewing metrics among four million advertising exposures. We measure ad metadata and machine-code content features for 6,650 frequent ad videos. We find that recreational product ads preserve audience tuning and presence. Prescription drug advertisements decrease tuning and presence, more so for drugs that treat more prevalent and severe conditions. We also investigate whether new viewing data can inform advertiser objectives, finding that attention helps predict brand search lift after ads.