My kingdom for attention!

I am not suggesting that attention is unimportant.
But I am suggesting that our obsession with attention is misplaced, at best. 
And the fact that major industries have evolved to feed this obsession, simply adds to the problem. 
Don’t be drawn in by the illusion.
Sure, if something pops into view, people will be compelled to look at it.
But spending money to force it to pop repeatedly into view is a flawed approach. 
Like the buzz of mosquitoes, the annoyance will ultimately be ignored or brushed off. 
Instead, attention must be infused with value.
So that people get drawn into it, talk about it, and return to it.
What you are really after is sustained attention.
And creating and conveying value to gain sustained attention is not a marketing afterthought. 
It’s not something that you paint on.
Or something that you purchase, outsource or glean from focus groups.
It’s strategic.
As Michael Porter makes clear, “Strategy is about being different.
It means deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value.
Otherwise, a strategy is nothing more than a marketing slogan.”
Today’s marketplace is polluted with marketing slogans.
The proliferation of low cost digital channels encourages dumping.
And so many businesses have traded their kingdoms for the fleeting attention of fickle consumers.
Don’t make the same mistake.  
Attention matters. 
But value matters more.
Because value creates sustained attention.
And gaining sustained attention is hard work.
It must be earned each and every day.