The McKinsey Podcast A more accurate way to measure consumer engagement
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Nov 6, 2025 In this discussion, Kabir Ahuja, a Senior Partner at McKinsey, dives deep into the concept of the 'attention equation'—an innovative approach to measuring consumer engagement. He explains how attention has fragmented in today's media landscape and emphasizes the difference between reach and effective attention. Ahuja also highlights under-monetized opportunities in streaming and gaming. Additionally, he shares insights on leveraging AI to create targeted content and recommends strategies for advertisers to optimize their messaging based on audience attention.
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Media Time Has Ballooned And Fragmented
- Average people now spend roughly 12–13 hours per day with media and increasingly use two devices at once.
- Content supply has exploded (especially UGC), so attention is larger but even more fragmented than before.
Reach Is Easy; Effectiveness Is The Hard Part
- Reach is easier than ever in digital channels, but finding people isn't the hard part anymore.
- The key question is whether reach is effective and used in the right way to convert attention into value.
Channels Produce Very Different Focus Patterns
- Channels differ widely in how they generate focus: social video grows fast and isolates viewers while gaming yields very high focus.
- Premium streaming draws loyalty but also high multitasking, so focus patterns vary by medium.