Hasta La Creative!

Every time an online user registers for a site or service, votes on an issue, or comments on a story he is demonstrating that he has understood something, not just seen it. This is the concept of cognition, which the Oxford Dictionary defines as “the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.”

In the pecking order of metrics, cognition sits well above mere viewability, which does not guarantee that an ad is understood. But when an ad runs in most media, we can’t know whether cognition occurred. We can know this only if a user takes a measurable action.

Marketers have been patient with us as an industry for way too long, as we have championed mindless “engagements” that will never move brand key performance indicators or satisfy lift goals. Instead, we should strive for “verified engagements,” where a certified human audience comprehends a specific marketing message.

Continue reading at AdAge.com