Reference library · Inventory pricing
Attention-Weighted Pricing
Attention-Weighted Pricing sets the rate paid per impression or GRP by multiplying a base rate by a measured attention index, so placements that hold eyes longer cost more per unit and placements that don't cost less. It replaces a flat CPM/CPT with a rate scaled to actual attention capture, typically from eye-tracking panels or platform-reported active-attention metrics.
Formula
Worked example
A buy splits €4,000 evenly across two placements at a base CPM of €8.00: a native in-feed slot with an attention index of 135, and a banner with an index of 65. Adjusted CPM is €10.80 for the native slot (€8.00 x 1.35) and €5.20 for the banner (€8.00 x 0.65). At 250,000 impressions each, spend is €2,700 on the native slot and €1,300 on the banner, still €4,000 total but reallocated toward the inventory that actually held attention.
How it is used
Attention indices come from third-party panels (eye-tracking, dwell time, active-attention scoring) and get applied at the line-item or PMP deal level, usually against a published benchmark of 100. The recurring mistake is applying the index to CPM without recalculating effective reach, so the media plan still reports reach and frequency as if delivery were flat-rate, which understates the true cost of reaching the same number of people.
The common mistake
Don't treat the attention index as a stand-in for viewability, since viewability only confirms an ad had the opportunity to be seen while the attention index measures whether it was actually looked at.