Uber Bets on Attention, Not Just Views, to Prove Ad Value

In a move to prove its ads actually work, Uber Advertising has partnered with attention firm Adelaide and brand analytics company Kantar to launch a new proprietary measurement framework, as reported by AdExchanger. The system is designed to move beyond flimsy "viewability" metrics and connect ad exposure directly to business outcomes.

• A notoriously low bar: The initiative takes direct aim at the advertising industry's weak definition of a “viewable” ad, which only requires 50% of the pixels to be on screen for a single second. Uber's new approach is built to prove its ads deliver genuine engagement, not just fleeting impressions that may never have been truly noticed.

• Connecting the dots: The system works by fusing multiple data sources to create a more complete picture of ad effectiveness. Adelaide’s technology produces an "Attention Unit" (AU) score by evaluating everything from an ad’s size to on-screen clutter, which Kantar then links to brand lift studies measuring the real-world impact on consumer awareness and preference.

• Bringing the receipts: Uber is backing its claims with performance data showing its ad formats handily outperform industry benchmarks. While in-ride tablet ads saw an 11% lift, key mobile and post-checkout video formats jumped ahead by more than 40%.

With this move, Uber sets a new precedent for major media platforms, building a custom attention framework at a scale not seen before. It’s a strategic bet on the unique value of its environment: a passenger in the back of a car is far more captive than someone endlessly scrolling through a crowded feed.

The push for better metrics is an industry-wide trend, with measurement giant Nielsen also partnering with Adelaide to fuse traditional audience reach with attention data. Meanwhile, Adelaide's CEO argues that a shared understanding of media quality is the key to fixing some of ad tech's biggest problems, including invasive privacy practices.