How Top Brands Win Your Attention. Every Time.

Today, you’ll consume 74GB of information. That’s the equivalent of watching 16 movies. In one day. 

Our inboxes are overflowing, our social streams are noisy, we doom scroll short form content on apps purpose-built to hijack our attention, designed by the world’s smartest minds.

But as the volume of information we consume grows each day, our capacity as humans to focus and make sense of the world remains basically unchanged. 

And this is the essence of the attention economy—where information is no longer the scarce commodity; instead, our attention is the prize to be won.

In today’s episode, we’ll cover 

• What, exactly, the attention economy is and how the world's most successful brands have mastered it to gain an unfair advantage
• Then, we’ll break down the 4 key pillars these brands use to win in the attention economy and how you can apply them to to your social impact strategy

Resources:

• The Revolution is Digital: A Manifesto for Today’s Social Impact Leader
• We Are For Good Podcast: How to Grow Your Social Impact in the Attention Economy
• The ROI of Brand Building
• 4 Scroll-Stopping Digital Experiences to Inspire Your Nonprofit's Content
• 3 Must-Have Digital Elements Every Social Impact Organization Needs
• Community Building Might Not Feel Like Your Core Work, But It Should Be

Transcript:

Today, you’ll consume 74GB of information. That’s the equivalent of watching 16 movies. In one day. 

Our inboxes are overflowing, our social streams are noisy, we doom scroll short form content on apps purpose-built to hijack our attention, designed by the world’s smartest minds.

But as the volume of information we consume grows each day, our capacity as humans to focus and make sense of the world remains basically unchanged. 

And this is the essence of the attention economy—where information is no longer the scarce commodity; instead, our attention is the prize to be won.

In today’s episode, we’ll cover 

• what, exactly, the attention economy is and how the world's most successful brands have mastered it to gain an unfair advantage
• Then, we’ll break down the 4 key pillars these brands use to win in the attention economy and how you can apply them to to your social impact strategy

Point 1:

What makes a brand not just known, but unforgettable? 

A brand is so much more than your logo, color palette, and messaging. And I think when I use the word brand, that’s often what comes to mind for people. 

But when you think about the brands and organizations that have created the strongest impression with you, you’re probably thinking about so much more than that. 

These brands have built a reputation. They stand for something. They mean something — to you. 

[Tooltip: Winning brands stand for something]

How do they do this? Is it their marketing and advertising? Their social content? Their influencer campaigns? Yes, and, no. 

Just like a concert is so much more than individual musicians playing different instruments at the same time, effective brand building is much more than just a collection of marketing tactics and content.

[Tooltip: Brand Building is more than marketing tactics]

Key Strategy Number 1 for winning in the attention economy is focusing on brand building instead of transactional marketing.

Brand building is about building trust and forging deeper relationships with your audience and supporters. 

[Tooltip: Build trust to deepen relationships]

It’s about having a clear promise, a focus on creating lasting impact, and developing a unique point of view or approach to your work that sets you apart from other organizations in your category. 

Brand building prioritizes long-term reputation over short-term tactics or conversions or campaigns. 

The attention economy has led many brands to try to skip the brand building approach and go straight to transactional marketing. 

If you’re focusing on near-term results, A/B testing and analytics, attribution reporting, and other data-driven approaches to marketing, but losing sight of the long-term credibility and reputation of your brand, you’re practicing transactional marketing. 

I want to be clear, all of these tools should be in your marketing toolbox. But let’s make sure you have a holistic view around what you’re building before you start to pull out a hammer or screwdriver.

[Tooltip: Develop a holistic brand strategy]

You have a super power as a social impact leader. Your brand, built on an authentic mission to move humanity forward, is poised to create fierce support and loyalty from your audience. But only if you take a brand-building approach and not a transactional marketing approach.

To put it simply, brand building is a strategy based on playing the long game. Today, too many organizations are playing the short game, and that’s partly why they are losing.  

[Tooltip: Play the long game to win]

Point 2:

Do you ever stop to think why some content instantly hooks you, and other content feels like a noisy distraction?

Today, we’ve all become brutally protective of our time and attention, often making decisions about what to engage with within a matter of seconds. The human brain is amazingly efficient at analyzing and prioritizing the constant flood of inputs vying for our present focus. 

But how do we make these decisions? 

Top brands know how to use psychological shortcuts that tap into our deepest programming to cut through this noise — for better or for worse.

[Tooltip: Tap into human psychology]

As a social impact leader, you have to learn how to leverage these same strategies to ensure that your social cause isn’t drowned out by cleverly-crafted content or messages built to drive a profit by the top brands.

You need external support and momentum to power your work and your mission. 

And this is true whether you are trying to reach the general public, but also if you are targeting policy-makers or elected officials, or those in positions of influence who are integral to making change happen. 

[Tooltip: You need external support to power your mission]

Key strategy Number 2 for winning in the attention economy is learning how to craft scroll-stopping content. 

Today, boring, run of the mill content just doesn’t  break through.

[Tooltip: Boring content doesn’t break through]

But by exploring creative formats and ideas, and embracing human-centered storytelling that resonates at an emotional level, your content can transform from forgettable noise into a distinct brand message that generates awareness, loyalty, and action. 

The big idea here is to get truly creative with your approach to content strategy and creation.

[Tooltip: Get truly creative with your content]

How can you craft content that doesn't just inform, but moves your supporters? Can you bring in some personality, story, or even a sense of humor?

Turn your annual report into a digital, interactive experience.

Instead of another blog post, create a few bigger features per year that are more memorable and sharabele.

Ditch the stale monthly newsletter for a more personalized, conversational format.

[Tooltip: Explore rich media and interactive formats]

Leverage rich media like video, audio, and interactive microsites.

Look to your favorite brands content (in an out of the social impact space) as inspiration for what you might create.

And then you have to publish, experiment, listen, and iterate—consistently. 

[Tooltip: Publish, experiment, listen, and iterate]

In the attention economy, brands with scroll-stopping content are winning, and brands with boring content are lost in the digital fray.

Point 3:

Imagine this: you’re scrolling through your social feed and see a piece of scroll-stopping content from a brand you’ve never heard of before called the FutureGreen. The message is compelling, speaks to a cause close to your heart, and you’re eager to learn more, possibly even considering making a contribution. 

So you click through to the website, only to be met with a slow, dated page, full of inconsistent messaging, confusing navigation, and a clunky layout. You start to wonder…is this even the same organization? 

[Tooltip: Digital friction creates bad user experiences]

Your initial enthusiasm is quickly replaced by confusion, frustration, and doubt. In a matter of seconds, what could have been the beginning of a new relationship turns into a lost opportunity.

Unfortunately, this scenario is far from rare in today's social impact digital landscape. As we explore the key strategies of winning in the attention economy, we've talked about the power of brand building and the importance of scroll-stopping content. But you can’t just nail the first 2 key strategies to see success for your mission. 

Key Strategy Number 3 for winning in the attention economy is Investing in best-in-class digital experiences.

Now, let’s imagine the same scenario clicking through to the FutureGreen website. But instead of a slow, clunky, confusing experience, you're greeted with a smooth, fast-loading page that radiates the same passion and clarity of their mission that initially hooked you from the social post.

[Tooltip: Good user experience builds trust and credibility]

The messaging is clear and consistent, echoing their commitment to environmental advocacy and painting a vivid picture of their vision for a better future. The site navigation is intuitive, leading you effortlessly through their stories of impact, ways to get involved, and dynamic content that educates and inspires you to take action.

Your initial enthusiasm not only remains intact but grows. The experience builds a sense of trust and credibility that this is an organization that has it together. That is already creating material impact, and has the potential to scale that impact with your support. 

You’re not just browsing a website. You’re being welcomed into a movement.

Best-in-class digital experiences form the digital backbone of your social impact engagement strategy. And they're not just about looking professional and working well; they're about capturing the spirit of your mission and welcoming each visitor into your community. 

[Tooltip: Digital Experiences are the backbone of your engagement strategy]

In the attention economy, your digital platform is the central hub that activates and organizes your community. 

The best social impact brands have built their digital hub and digital experiences into well-oiled machines that are an integral part of their broader activation strategy. 

Point 4

In a culture where our digital communications outnumber face-to-face interactions, our craving for real, human connection is unmet for many of us. 

The power of social missions and movements to connect us with others who share our values, dreams, and aspirations has a rich and proven history. 

But in the recent era of digital acceleration, the essence of these connections has often become diluted into transactional and impersonal exchanges. And this is a massive, missed opportunity. 

Key Strategy Number 4 for winning in the attention economy is a commitment to Community-Building

Let’s continue the example of the theoretical organization  "FutureGreen" from our last point.  

FutureGreen doesn't just broadcast their message across digital channels; they actively cultivate a vibrant community. They embrace a culture of listening and learning, ensuring every supporter feels a sense of belonging and inclusion. 

[Tooltip: Embrace a culture of listening and learning]

This culture of community building guides the approach to all of FutureGreen’s work. Their virtual events prioritize listening as much as informing, creating a platform where supporters can share their stories and voice their questions and concerns. These digital spaces become hubs of social connection, turning supporters from just audience members into active participants.

Embracing digital tools, FutureGreen breaks down geographical barriers to engage a global audience. They don't just think of their membership model, live discussions, and interactive content as strategies; they power a global community, scaling their ability to create a meaningful impact. 

[Tooltip: Think of your audience as active participants]

FutureGreen evolves beyond an impact brand and into a tight-knit community creating collective action, leading the conversation in their social impact niche. 

Imagine the transformation across the globe if every social impact organization harnessed the power of authentic community building. By prioritizing genuine connections over impersonal transactions, we can ignite a global movement of passionate supporters, ready to stand up for what they believe in.

[Tooltip: Prioritize genuine connection over transactions]

In the end, the brands and organizations that create lasting, meaningful relationships with their supporters are those that foster strong, authentic communities. It's not just about spreading a message; it's about sparking conversations, nurturing relationships, and building a community where everyone feels connected, valued, and empowered to make a difference. 

This is the future of social impact—a future rooted in the extraordinary human capacity for connection and community, an evolutionary hallmark of our species.

Outro

Today we covered the four key strategies that top social impact brands use to win in the attention economy: 

Brand-Building over Transactional Marketing, Scroll-Stopping Content, Investing in Best-in-Class Digital Experiences, and a Commitment to Authentic Community-Building. 

Each strategy is more than just a concept; you can use these strategies today to shape your decision-making and make real, tangible progress.

You can build a lasting social impact brand, turn passive scrolling into active engagement, transform digital spaces into communities of action, and elevate your mission to create positive social change.

In future episodes, we’re going to explore these core concepts  — and many others — in much more detail. We’ll give you new ways of thinking about your work and your mission, and actionable strategies and tactics that you can use to transform your approach to creating social impact. 

For now, I’m Eric Ressler, and this has been Designing Tomorrow. Thanks for joining me.