It's Time to Stop Fighting for Attention

Let's face it—everything does kinda suck right now. Like, more than usual.

Our waterways are filled with pharmaceuticals creating "meth addict fish." Allergies worsen yearly thanks to "botanical sexism" (yes, that's a real thing). Trust is at an all-time low, with only 10% of Americans trusting those of us who work in advertising, and 96% saying they don't believe ads are truthful.

Welcome to the Era of Great Suck.

In this landscape, brands are locked in an endless battle for attention. Every platform, every feed, every ad break has become a warzone of competing messages, each louder and more desperate than the last. But here's the problem: attention is fleeting. It's borrowed, momentary, and often distracted.

The Shift from Attention to Participation

Attention is a commodity. It can be bought with bigger budgets, better targeting, and algorithmic wizardry. But participation? That's earned. When people participate in a brand's story, they become emotionally invested. They don't just watch your content; they shape it. They don't just consume your product; they champion it. This transforms casual consumers into brand advocates who drive organic growth, trust, and loyalty. No wonder a meta-analysis that examined 135 studies, found that customer participation positively influences brand satisfaction, brand loyalty, and overall brand performance.

How to Drive Audience Participation

1. Co-Create with Your Audience

Let's get real: empowerment isn't just a buzzword anymore. When you hand over the creative reins to your audience, magic happens. People don't just want to consume—they want to create alongside you. Give them the tools to design, suggest, and reinvent your offerings, and watch how quickly that transforms from passive viewers into passionate advocates.

2. Build Community, Not Just Campaigns

We're living through the death of the campaign mentality. In this fractured world, people are desperately searching for belonging. Don't just target demographics—nurture micro-communities where genuine connections form around your brand's ecosystem. It's no longer about interrupting people's lives; it's about becoming an integral part of them.

3. Empower User-Generated Content

The data doesn't lie:

• 84% of people are more likely to trust a brand if they use UGC in their marketing campaigns
• 86% of people consider customer reviews crucial for making purchase decisions
• UGC can boost conversion rates by up to 29%

In an era of deep fakes and algorithmic manipulation, authenticity is currency. Your most powerful content creators aren't on your payroll—they're already in your audience, waiting to be activated.

4. Make Participation Rewarding

We're navigating a mental health apocalypse, especially among Gen Z and younger millennials. Anxiety isn't just a diagnosis anymore—it's the ambient backdrop of daily life. Design participation models that provide dopamine hits, achievement rushes, and genuine satisfaction. Create systems that make engagement not just painless but actually pleasurable in a world that often feels void of joy.

5. Invite Playfulness and Creativity

Play the antidote to our optimization-obsessed culture. When you create spaces for unstructured creativity and joyful experimentation, you're not just building engagement—you're offering liberation. Playfulness breaks down the walls between your brand and your audience, creating the kind of emotional resonance that algorithms can't replicate and competitors can't steal.

The Future Belongs to Participatory Brands

The brands that will thrive in the next decade aren't the ones shouting the loudest; they're the ones inviting people in. Instead of chasing short-lived attention spikes, focus on fostering long-term engagement. Participation builds stronger emotional bonds, deeper trust, and ultimately, a more resilient brand.

So, the question isn't: "How can we get people to notice us in this noisy, overwhelming world?" The real question is: "How can we get people to join us in creating something meaningful amid the suck?"

The brands that answer that question will be the ones leading the future. Because in an Era of Great Suck, what we all crave isn't more noise—it's meaningful connection and participation in something that makes us feel good, if only for a moment.