Attention, trust, creativity: what traditional media are reminding advertising of

Attention, trust, creativity: what traditional media remind advertising of

If attention has now become a structuring KPI, the conference forcefully reminded us of one essential point: attention never exists on its own. It is the result of a fragile balance between context, content, and creativity.

The studies presented confirmed it clearly: attention cannot be decreed — it must be built.

It depends on the editorial environment, the format, the moment… but also — and above all — on a message’s ability to create an emotional connection, to surprise, to make sense.

In other words: creativity is not an optional layer on top of attention. It is one of its core drivers.

When creativity respects attention, it multiplies it

Two cases presented during the conference perfectly illustrated this point.

• On one side, Hydratis, supported by Buzzman and its media agency Tyers (Havas Group).

• On the other, Grand Frais (Prosol), with a creative approach led by Rosa Paris (Havas Group).

Two brands. Two universes. But one fundamental common point: never treating attention as a given. In both cases, creativity does not aim to “make noise”, but to create a genuine encounter.

A clear idea. An assertive tone. A form of surprise that respects the audience’s intelligence.

The result: attention is not captured through pressure or repetition, but through adherence.

The decisive role of the media environment

These creative successes also highlight an often-overlooked truth: creativity never exists in a vacuum.

Television — and more broadly traditional media — provide a setting : a recognizable framework, a chosen moment, a more available, more collective, more embodied form of attention.

It is precisely this combination of credible editorial environments, powerful formats, and demanding creativity that allows attention to move beyond a fleeting instant and become a lasting moment — one that fosters memorization and trust.

What platforms attempt to rebuild through technology, data, and algorithms, so-called “traditional” media (in fact, media in transformation) continue to embody through their very nature.

Attention ≠ performance: a necessary reminder

One point came up repeatedly during the discussions, notably emphasized by Radovan Aleksic, Deputy Managing Director, Marketing at FranceTV Publicité: attention is not performance.

It is a necessary condition — never a sufficient one. Measuring attention helps to:

• better understand real exposure,

• assess cognitive load,

• optimize media setups.

But advertising effectiveness does not stop there. Attention prepares the ground. Trust enables the step forward.

Without extension — without proof, without real experience, without post-exposure credibility — attention remains fragile, volatile, reversible.

What traditional media remind advertising of

At its core, the conference conveyed one essential message: advertising is not facing an attention crisis.

It is facing a crisis of meaning and continuity. Traditional media, through their editorial standards and their ability to structure attention, show that another path is possible:

• creative advertising,

• respectful of audiences,

• embedded in trusted environments,

• designed as a complete experience, not a simple touchpoint.

In a landscape where the temptation is strong to reduce effectiveness to scores, they remind us that attention is an implicit contract.

A contract that binds both media and brands. And without trust, no KPI — however sophisticated — can deliver on its promises over time

The singular role of traditional media

This is perhaps one of the most structuring takeaways of the conference: attention is not captured in the same way across all environments.

Historical media — television in particular — are not mere distribution channels. They are editorial settings:

• a clearly identified screen,

• a chosen framework,

• a shared, collective moment of attention.

This dimension is essential. It creates a different mental availability — less fragmented, less defensive.

An attention that relies not solely on constant stimulation, but on trust in the context itself.

Added to this is a strong cultural and editorial responsibility: programs, content, information, entertainment… traditional media build long-term relationships with their audiences.

👉 It is precisely this combination — editorial credibility, collective attention, responsibility — that platforms struggle to replicate at scale. Not for lack of technology, but because trust does not “scale” like inventory.

From advertiser reactions to a concrete gap

During post-conference discussions with several advertisers, one point surfaced repeatedly.

Those already familiar with the real impact of consumer recommendations — and their decisive weight in purchasing decisions — immediately connected this insight to the current debate around advertising and media.

Not as a theoretical or prospective issue, but as a very concrete gap: the difficulty today of integrating credibility derived from real-world experience into advertising systems that are structured, visible, and measurable at scale.

The feedback was not a critique of media, nor of their effectiveness. It pointed to the absence of mechanisms capable of turning existing trust into explicit, shareable, and lasting proof.

What emerged from these exchanges was not a demand for more promises, but a clear need to once again rely on demonstrable messages — capable of reconciling advertising effectiveness with durable trust.

The missing link: from attention to decision

The conference reiterated it several times: attention is not performance.

It is a prerequisite — never the outcome. Attention prepares the brain: it opens a cognitive window and makes the message audible.

What triggers the decision belongs to another register altogether: proof, real usage, lived experience, post-exposure credibility.

Without proof:

• attention remains fleeting,

• memorization is fragile,

• impact erodes quickly.

With proof:

• cognitive continuity takes hold,

• the message anchors itself in reality,

• trust becomes a lever for action.

Attention creates the context. Proof creates trust. Trust creates impact.

This is precisely the missing link that attention measurement alone — however sophisticated — cannot resolve by itself.