NEW YORK, June 30, 2025 — In an industry-first, Integral Ad Science (IAS) (Nasdaq: IAS), in collaboration with Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) and Lumen Research, has announced the launch of a ground-breaking AI-powered attention measurement product for Snapchat. This strategic partnership is poised to redefine how advertisers gauge user engagement and optimize campaign performance across the social media landscape.

Bringing Advanced Attention Metrics to Snapchat Advertisers

As digital advertising becomes increasingly crowded and complex, measuring true user attention, rather than simply ad viewability, has become a top priority for marketers. The new Snap Attention Measurement solution integrates Lumen Research’s predictive eye-tracking technology with IAS’s AI-driven media quality analytics, offering advertisers comprehensive, real-time insight into how Snapchat users interact with ads.

“Advertisers are increasingly seeking deeper understanding into how consumers engage with their media,” stated Lisa Utzschneider, CEO of Integral Ad Science. “Our first-to-market partnership with Snap and Lumen Research creates a complete view of attention, unifying real-world user data and AI insights to drive stronger media performance within one of the world’s most influential social platforms.”

AI and Eye-Tracking: The New Standard in Attention Measurement

The solution combines anonymized, consent-based eye-tracking data from Lumen’s industry-leading opt-in panel — currently the largest worldwide — with IAS’s proprietary AI models that measure media quality at the impression level. The result is a custom Snapchat attention score available within the IAS Signal platform, offering a bespoke view of how ads capture and retain user attention.

• Beyond Viewability: Unlike traditional metrics that focus solely on whether an ad was seen, this partnership provides attention signals that account for both the quality and duration of engagement.
• Cross-Channel Insights: Advertisers can now compare attention metrics across Snapchat and other social or programmatic channels, enabling more informed decision-making for campaign optimization.
• Independent, Trusted Data: The integration offers third-party verification, fortifying campaign measurement with impartial, transparent attention data.

According to Mike Follett, CEO of Lumen Research, “This partnership is a major step forward for the attention economy, giving advertisers on Snap the clarity and confidence to measure how attention drives action. At Lumen, we have long demonstrated that what people pay attention to matters most in shaping behavior and campaign success.”

What This Means for the Ad Industry

The launch comes at a pivotal time. According to IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report 2024, social media advertising revenue in the US alone surpassed $87 billion, a figure that continues to grow amid increasing scrutiny on effectiveness, data privacy, and transparency. Global brands now seek more robust metrics beyond click-through rates and impressions. IAS, a leader in secure and transparent media measurement, has been at the forefront of providing tools to measure media quality and performance across all major platforms, and this move with Snap Inc. cements its leadership in the rapidly emerging field of attention-based optimization.

Snapchat, with its predominantly Gen Z audience, remains a vital channel for brands aiming to reach younger demographics. The new attention scoring system aligns with Snap’s commitment to transparency and advertiser value. As of Q1 2025, Snapchat reported over 420 million daily active users, according to Snap Inc. earnings, and continues to innovate in AR, visual communications, and immersive content — all environments where user engagement is crucial, but increasingly difficult to measure using legacy metrics.

IAS Signal Platform: Unifying Advanced Analytics for Marketers

The new Snap Attention Measurement tool is integrated within IAS’s Signal platform, a unified environment that simplifies how advertisers analyze, compare, and act on performance data from across the programmatic ecosystem. Marketers can now harness both historic and real-time attention data, unlocking the ability to:

• Instantly compare attention performance across Snapchat, Meta, open web, and other major digital channels.
• Optimize campaigns in-flight using actionable AI insights, rather than relying on after-the-fact reporting.
• Further segment audiences and creative strategies based on true engagement metrics, enabling a test-and-learn approach.

Advertisers using these metrics report increased return on ad spend (ROAS) and improved campaign lift, as highlighted by early IAS-Lumen pilot campaigns.

Building on a Track Record of Innovation

IAS has consistently led the industry’s shift from passive to active measurement. Its recent rollout of the Quality Attention™ Optimization suite (beta launched in December 2024) enables advertisers to activate attention insights and optimize campaigns programmatically, leveraging Lumen’s predictive analytics in tandem with IAS’s AI-driven data science. The expanded partnership with Lumen now brings these advances to social platforms, delivering end-to-end attention metrics both within walled gardens and across the open web.

IAS serves the world’s largest advertisers, media agencies, and publishers. The company’s clients include global brands, Fortune 500 advertisers, and major media buyers seeking to guarantee media suitability, brand safety, and measurable engagement.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Attention Measurement

With the rise of privacy-first environments and the depreciation of third-party cookies, advanced attention metrics will grow in importance. Agencies and brands face mounting pressure to justify media budgets, especially in social and mobile environments where fleeting engagement is common.

By marrying AI analytics with empirical eye-tracking and independent data, IAS’s new tool for Snapchat sets a new benchmark for media accountability, transparency, and campaign effectiveness.

For more details on this innovation and broader IAS solutions, visit the IAS Attention Solutions page.