video: Marketing in an attention scarce world
- Matt Davies
- Apr 23
- 2 min read
Last week, I had the honour of joining a sharp and diverse panel for A1mOne’s Brand & Tech series, where we tackled one of the most pressing questions facing marketers today: how do we earn and hold attention in a world where it’s in such short supply?
With 116 attendees tuning in from across the globe - especially a strong presence of marketing leaders from Nigeria 🇳🇬 - it was a rich, cross-cultural conversation. I was joined by Tolulope Medebem, Oyindamola Fakile, and Aizehi Itua, with the brilliant Oghale Mafuru, M.Sc, MNIMN, MNIM guiding the discussion.
I was there to bang the drum for more strategic thinking among leadership teams and marketers. The core challenge, as I see it, isn’t just brand salience (or memorability in buying situations) - it’s salience plus relevance.
Grabbing attention is one thing. But doing it in a way that delivers value - even when consumers aren't in buying mode - is where the real challenge lies.
Why? Because, generally speaking, 95% of potential customers aren’t in-market right now. But when they do enter buying mode, you want to already live in their minds.
But salience alone isn’t enough. You also need relevance - to be remembered for the right reasons.
So how do you earn mindshare before the sale? You offer value when it’s not expected. You show up in ways that are meaningful, consistent, and aligned with your brand’s purpose. Its a value exchange.
Because getting noticed isn’t the goal - getting remembered is. And ideally, for the right things.
We also explored how:
👉 Short-termism weakens long-term equity
👉 Content over-saturation blurs differentiation
👉 Too many brands still confuse visibility with meaning
One of my favourite questions of the day was: If you stripped away all the tactics, platforms, and tools—what’s the most valuable thing a brand can focus on?
My answer:
👉 A clear, sharp positioning—rooted in an “onlyness” idea and real, unique value your audience can’t get elsewhere. That’s what truly cuts through.
If I could leave just one principle behind, it would be this:
If brand's want to win in today’s attention-deficit economy, we don’t just need to be seen - we need to be remembered for the right things. But here’s the catch: that takes all takes strategic thinking!
Huge thanks again to A1mOne and my fellow panelists for such a thought-provoking session.
📺 Watch the full session here:
