Beers & Innovations 8: The Attention Seekers March 6, 2007

The Attention Economy describes the way in which times have changed over the last three years. While the old world revolved around access to information, the new world recognises that the former audience's attention-span is scarce. At the same time, information is overloading them (and us) left, right and centre.

The new currency is getting people to look at you. Success will require a flexibility and an understanding of markets and the multiplicity of channels to market like no challenge before. People, on the other hand, are increasingly likely to reject advances from organisations. Sixty-nine percent say they are interested in products that will help them skip or block marketing and advertising. Their "attention data" - what they look at and care about - is theirs, arguably, and anti-spyware and ad-blocking software is helping them to achieve this possession. Where can the attention seekers go next?

Anyone working on the Internet needs to understand the ways in which they should - and should not - act to make themselves valuable enough to overcome the seemingly inevitable decline that an information glut creates.

So can social media offer a potential answer to this dilemma? Our panel may or may not be able to answer all these questions, but do expect to feel startled and informed by the end of the evening. And slightly inebriated, as usual...

Chair: George Nimeh, MD Digital, Iris;

Panel: Chris Seth, MD Piczo, Sam Sethi, media commentator and entrepreneur; Alan Moore, co-author ‘Communities dominate Brands’ and CEO of engagement marketing firm SMLXL

Tickets: £15

Official Website: http://www.nmk.co.uk/event/2007/03/06/beers8-attention