--- description: Today, there is so much noise going on around us, it can seem impossible to get your message heard. In this video, Brad Frost shows the.... title: Why Attention, Not Information, is the Golden Goose of Marketing image: https://www.leanlabs.com/hubfs/blog_post_imgs/information-overload.jpg --- [Blog](https://www.leanlabs.com/blog)/ [Growth Marketing](https://www.leanlabs.com/blog/topic/growth-marketing) # Why Attention, Not Information, is the Golden Goose of Marketing 2 min read time ![Why Attention, Not Information, is the Golden Goose of Marketing](https://www.leanlabs.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog_post_imgs/information-overload.jpg?width=765&height=430&name=information-overload.jpg) The data presented in this video is astounding. This talk is only 2 years old, and already that data has been dwarfed. If you're having a hard time raising your brand message above the noise, join the club. As [Seth Godin says,](http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths%5Fblog/2013/12/the-sound-of-a-small-bell-during-a-dark-night.html) > _The sound of a small bell during a dark night is louder than the din of traffic outside your window at rush hour. Surprise and differentiation have far more impact than noise does._ It's not necessarily that your message is bad. Your message is just being drowned out by the sheer power of overwhelming noise. ## Information vs. Attention In this video, designer Brad Frost gives a talk about the clutter; the noise that is polluting valuable information in the world we live in. _Some Offensive Language Warning_ Even though the term, "information overload," was coined in the 1970's, Frost reveals some amazing truths: * 10% of all books (at the time) were created in 2012. * 10% of the world's 3,800,000,000,000 photos were taken in 2012. * 4,000,000,000 things were shared of Facebook every day in 2012. * In 2012, IBM claimed that 90% of data that has ever existed was created over the previous two years. Frost goes on to show examples of noise and clutter that are shouting for our attention, not just on the internet, but all around us. ### Your Brand Vs. The Noise ![noise-marketing](https://www.leanlabs.com/hubfs/blog_post_imgs/noise-marketing.jpg) How is your brand going to break through the noise? How is it going to spread it's message in this environment of overwhelming information? When we consider this environment, it leads us to two truths: **First, your brand cannot survive, simply adding to the noise.** The content you create, from microcopy ads to whitepapers cannot simply be more noise. It can't be pitches or focused on adding value to your company. The things your brand creates has to be 100% focused on adding value to your target customers. And it has to be delivered in a method which your customers prefer to receive it. **Second, your brand cannot ignore the marketing environment.** Some people will watch this video and decide there is no use in trying. With so much clutter vying for our attention, it can be overwhelming for brands to even try to be heard. That's why value for companies is shifting from information to attention. How does your brand capture the attention of your target customers? Let us know in the comments! 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Copilot ](https://copilot.microsoft.com/) Ask AI ```json { "@graph": [ { "@id": "https://www.leanlabs.com/#organization", "url": "https://www.leanlabs.com/", "logo": { "url": "https://www.leanlabs.com/favicon.ico", "@type": "ImageObject", "width": 60, "height": 60 }, "name": "Lean Labs", "@type": "Organization", "sameAs": [ "https://www.entities.org/entity/lean-labs", "https://www.linkedin.com/company/lean-labs", "https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/lean-labs-eed8", "https://twitter.com/leanlabs", "https://www.youtube.com/@LeanLabs1", "https://www.facebook.com/LeanLabs", "https://ecosystem.hubspot.com/marketplace/solutions/lean-labs", "https://clutch.co/profile/lean-labs", "https://www.g2.com/products/lean-labs/reviews", "https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_fl/P23000000218", "https://www.agencyspotter.com/lean-labs" ], "slogan": "We help companies on HubSpot Drive Growth", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "postalCode": "34638", "addressRegion": "FL", "streetAddress": 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Learn why capturing attention is more valuable than adding more content to the noise.", "dateModified": "2026-06-09", "isAccessibleForFree": true }, { "@id": "https://www.leanlabs.com/blog/why-attention-not-information-is-the-golden-goose-of-marketing#breadcrumb", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "item": "https://www.leanlabs.com/", "name": "Home", "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1 }, { "item": "https://www.leanlabs.com/blog", "name": "Blog", "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2 }, { "name": "Why Attention, Not Information, is the Golden Goose of Marketing", "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3 } ] }, { "@id": "https://www.leanlabs.com/blog/why-attention-not-information-is-the-golden-goose-of-marketing#article", "@type": "BlogPosting", "about": [ { "name": "Attention Economy", "@type": "Thing" }, { "name": "Content Marketing", "@type": "Thing" }, { "name": "Brand Awareness", "@type": "Thing" } ], "author": { "name": "Kevin Barber", "@type": "Person", "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/thekevinbarber", "https://www.thekevinbarber.com/", "https://www.entities.org/entity/kevin-barber" ], "jobTitle": "Head of AI Growth" }, "headline": "Why Attention, Not Information, is the Golden Goose of Marketing", "keywords": "attention economy, information overload, brand marketing, content marketing, marketing noise", "publisher": { "@id": "https://www.leanlabs.com/#organization" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "description": "Information overload means your brand message gets drowned out. Learn why capturing attention is more valuable than adding more content to the noise.", "dateModified": "2022-06-16T18:55:20.092Z", "datePublished": "2015-10-13T18:02:40.000Z", "articleSection": "Growth Marketing", "potentialAction": { "@type": "ReadAction", "target": "https://www.leanlabs.com/blog/why-attention-not-information-is-the-golden-goose-of-marketing" }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@id": "https://www.leanlabs.com/blog/why-attention-not-information-is-the-golden-goose-of-marketing" }, "isAccessibleForFree": true } ], "@context": "https://schema.org" } { "@type": "BlogPosting", "@context": "https://schema.org", "articleBody": "The data presented in this video is astounding. This talk is only 2 years old, and already that data has been dwarfed. If you're having a hard time raising your brand message above the noise, join the club. As Seth Godin says, The sound of a small bell during a dark night is louder than the din of traffic outside your window at rush hour. Surprise and differentiation have far more impact than noise does. It's not necessarily that your message is bad. Your message is just being drowned out by the sheer power of overwhelming noise. Information vs. Attention In this video, designer Brad Frost gives a talk about the clutter the noise that is polluting valuable information in the world we live in. Some Offensive Language Warning Even though the term, information overload, was coined in the 1970's, Frost reveals some amazing truths 10% of all books (at the time) were created in 2012. 10% of the world's 3,800,000,000,000 photos were taken in 2012. 4,000,000,000 things were shared of Facebook every day in 2012. In 2012, IBM claimed that 90% of data that has ever existed was created over the previous two years. Frost goes on to show examples of noise and clutter that are shouting for our attention, not just on the internet, but all around us. Your Brand Vs. The Noise How is your brand going to break through the noise? How is it going to spread it's message in this environment of overwhelming information? When we consider this environment, it leads us to two truths First, your brand cannot survive, simply adding to the noise. The content you create, from microcopy ads to whitepapers cannot simply be more noise. It can't be pitches or focused on adding value to your company. The things your brand creates has to be 100% focused on adding value to your target customers. And it has to be delivered in a method which your customers prefer to receive it. Second, your brand cannot ignore the marketing environment. Some people will watch this video and decide there is no use in trying. With so much clutter vying for our attention, it can be overwhelming for brands to even try to be heard. That's why value for companies is shifting from information to attention. How does your brand capture the attention of your target customers? Let us know in the comments!", "articleSection": ["Growth Marketing","ll-no-index"], "keywords": ["Growth Marketing","ll-no-index"], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ryan Scott", "url": "https://www.leanlabs.com/blog/author/ryan-scott" } ], "dateModified": "2026-07-22 09:15:52.000Z", "description": "The data presented in this video is astounding. This talk is only 2 years old, and already that data has been dwarfed. If you're having a hard time raising your brand message above the noise, join the club. As Seth Godin says, The sound of a small bell during a dark night is louder than the din of traffic outside your window at rush hour. Surprise and differentiation have far more impact than noise does. It's not necessarily that your message is bad. 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