Magazines lead the way in inaugural 2026 Quality of Attention Index

The Magazine Publishers Association (MPA) is celebrating the results of the inaugural 2026 Quality of Attention Index.

The practical tool draws on research by Martelletti Consulting, enabling advertisers and agencies to compare the quality of attention generated across 12 different media channels.

The index is built from a survey of 1,037 New Zealanders representative of the 18+ population. It asks active users of each media channel about five elements, with each measured through four statements on a five-point agreement scale.

Its results are a cumulative score of their responses. The five elements are:

1. Focused attention looks at concentration
2. Low distraction measures the absence of multitasking
3. Active engagement looks at mental involvement
4. Receptive mindset captures trust, enjoyment and openness
5. Memory or residual effect considers recall and lasting impact

Measuring attention quality

The index also specifically measures the quality of attention advertising receives within each media channel.

The ad attention index is measured against five statements including:

1. I notice the advertising
2. Advertising catches my attention
3. Advertising feels relevant
4. Advertising fits naturally with the content
5. I am more likely to act on the advertising in this medium

A practical framework

The advantage of magazine brands becomes even clearer when looking at attention achieved for advertising partners.

Printed magazines recorded an ad attention index of 64.1, magazine websites and apps rank second at 61.5, giving magazine media the top two positions.

MPA chair Stuart Dick says the index provides marketers with a straightforward way to consider the value of different types of media attention.

“Reach remains important. However, not all reach is created equal. The Quality of Attention Index gives advertisers a practical framework for comparing media channels, and confirms what magazine publishers and their advertising partners consistently experience: readers actively choose magazine content, spend meaningful time with it and are receptive to the brands and ideas they discover within it.

“In a fragmented media environment, being exposed to an advertisement does not necessarily mean someone has meaningfully engaged with it. The index brings together the factors that influence whether attention is likely to have genuine value for an advertiser,” Dick adds.

The post Magazines lead the way in inaugural 2026 Quality of Attention Index appeared first on stoppress.co.nz.

stoppress.co.nz