Integral Ad Science (IAS) (Nasdaq: IAS), a global leader in media measurement and optimization, has announced a pioneering strategic partnership with Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) and Lumen Research to introduce a first-to-market, AI-powered social attention measurement solution tailored for Snapchat campaigns. This collaboration brings together Lumen’s cutting-edge eye-tracking technology and IAS’s advanced AI-driven media quality metrics to deliver a bespoke Snapchat attention score, now available through the IAS Signal platform.

This new solution arrives as marketers increasingly demand quantifiable insights into how digital audiences engage with content, moving beyond traditional metrics like viewability toward deeper indicators of true consumer attention. The partnership signals a significant leap forward in the evolution of the so-called ‘Attention Economy,’ positioning Snap and IAS at the forefront of data-driven advertising innovation.

The Technology Behind Social Attention Measurement

The novel attention metric combines:

• Lumen Research’s Eye-Tracking: Utilizes the largest global opt-in eye-tracking dataset to objectively track visual attention and engagement on Snapchat ads, offering direct insight into what truly captures user interest.
• IAS’s AI-Driven Impression-Level Data: Leverages proprietary algorithms and vast ad impression data to assess media quality, brand safety, fraud avoidance, and contextual relevance in real time.

The fusion of these two technologies produces a “Snapchat Attention Score,” a custom, campaign-specific metric that delivers actionable attention data directly inside IAS Signal—IAS’s unified campaign measurement and reporting platform.

What Sets This Apart?

• Custom Attention Metrics on Snapchat: Advertisers can now move far beyond legacy viewability metrics, leveraging Lumen’s predictive attention model blended with IAS’s performance and quality metrics.
• Holistic, Cross-Platform View: Campaign managers gain the ability to compare and analyze attention metrics not only within Snapchat but across digital and social channels, allowing for strategic cross-platform optimization.
• Independent Third-Party Validation: As a trusted, transparent third party, IAS now provides Snapchat advertisers with impartial attention measurement, reducing reliance on self-reported platform data.

Addressing the ‘Attention Economy’

Consumer attention has become one of the most valuable—and elusive—commodities in digital marketing. According to eMarketer, global digital ad spending is expected to surpass $700 billion by the end of 2025, with brands investing heavily in data-driven strategies that maximize engagement and ROI. As attention becomes the new benchmark for digital campaign success, being able to precisely measure how audiences actually see and interact with creative becomes paramount.

Lisa Utzschneider, CEO of Integral Ad Science, commented: “Our new, first-to-market partnership with Snap and Lumen Research creates a complete view of attention. By unifying real-world user data with advanced media quality data, we empower advertisers to understand and improve media performance in a leading global social platform.”

Mike Follett, CEO of Lumen Research, added: “This partnership is a major step forward for the Attention Economy—giving advertisers on Snap the clarity and confidence to measure exactly how attention drives action. We know it’s what people pay attention to that ultimately shapes their behavior.”

Market Relevance and Industry Impact

IAS’s expanded attention suite comes at a critical moment for advertisers facing a crowded and competitive social media landscape. Snapchat, with 422 million daily active users worldwide as of Q1 2025, remains a vibrant platform for brands targeting Gen Z and Millennial consumers.

In December 2024, IAS launched its Quality Attention™ Optimization product in beta, providing advertisers the capability for real-time programmatic optimization based on predictive attention scores. The rollout of Social Attention Measurement for Snapchat extends the company’s leadership position, offering comprehensive, multi-channel attention analytics across social and open web environments.

Independent validation of media performance is particularly critical as digital ad fraud, non-viewable impressions, and brand safety concerns continue to cause significant losses across the industry. IAS’s focus on transparency has earned it partnerships not only with Snapchat, but also with industry leaders such as Meta Platforms, Google, and major demand-side platforms (DSPs).

How Does It Work?

Advertisers running campaigns on Snapchat can now access a detailed attention report directly via IAS Signal. The report synthesizes:

• Attention Score: A custom rating for each campaign creative, derived from aggregate real-world eye-tracking and behavioral data.
• Media Quality Metrics: Insights into environment quality, ad fraud protection, and viewability, enabling a clear link between attention and campaign outcomes.
• Comparative Cross-Platform Benchmarks: Ability to assess Snapchat attention results alongside performance data from other social and open web platforms.

For advertisers, this translates into the ability to:

• Identify which creative elements most effectively engage target demographics.
• Optimize campaign budgets in real-time to channels or creatives that deliver the highest attention-per-dollar.
• Build more robust, data-backed cases for brand safety and measurement in partnership with agency and in-house teams.

Future Outlook

As regulations and privacy standards evolve, direct user engagement metrics like attention tracking are anticipated to represent the future of digital advertising measurement. With the deprecation of third-party cookies and increased consumer scrutiny around privacy, direct behavioral signals—collected with user consent—are becoming the new gold standard.

The new solution solidifies IAS’s and Snap’s leadership in redefining how value is quantified in digital advertising. By arming advertisers with objective, predictive, and actionable data, the partnership is poised to elevate the effectiveness and transparency of social media marketing.

For more details on Social Attention Measurement, visit integralads.com/solutions/attention/.