The Untapped Power of Earned: Why Attention is No Longer for Sale

This fall, the marketing community gathered across Canada for the ICA’s Social East and Social Pacific Summits. From Halifax to Vancouver, these conferences brought together hundreds of marketing professionals to explore the future of brand storytelling, behavioural science, and the evolving media landscape. Among the industry leaders taking the stage were Citizen Relations’ own Lindsay Page and Cher Lee, who delivered a compelling presentation on “The Untapped Power of Earned to Drive Effectiveness in 2025”.

While the conferences covered a breadth of topics—from AI to influencer marketing—Lindsay and Cher centered their discussion on a critical shift in the industry: the resurgence of earned media in an era of distraction.

The Attention Economy: A New Reality

The core of the Citizen Relations point of view is that the battle for consumer attention has fundamentally changed. While time spent on social media has risen to over 2.5 hours daily, actual engagement has plummeted to a mere 47 seconds. Lindsay noted that the “human brain has become adept at ignoring clutter, efficiently discarding what is irrelevant.” Consequently, the traditional “pay-to-play” model is losing its efficacy. As noted in each presentation, “Attention is not for sale.” The brands currently winning are not necessarily those with the deepest pockets, but those telling stories worth listening to.

The Power of Earned

Despite headlines suggesting the decline of traditional media—marked by layoffs and shrinking newsrooms—Lindsay and Cher argue that earned media (PR) holds the greatest potential in modern marketing. Their rationale is grounded in consumer skepticism. Audiences today are savvy regarding paid and sponsored content. This skepticism gives the storytelling-centered discipline of PR a distinct advantage in generating authenticity and relevance. They referenced data (WARC) that supports this pivot: PR was a key metric in 71% of the most-awarded ideas for creativity and effectiveness, compared to being a metric in only 29% of all awarded campaigns. Rather than just viewing Earned Media as an amplification tactic, marketers should consider it a strategic foundation, leveraging its strengths in driving cultural relevance and brand engagement from the start. 

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Friction, Feeling, and Truth

To harness this power, Lindsay and Cher outlined a strategic framework designed to break through the apathy of the scrolling consumer:

• Add Friction and Tension: Contrary to the seamless user experience often preached in tech, they argued that “friction is good.” It represents effort and possibility, forcing the consumer to pause and engage rather than passively scroll.
• Feeling Over Doing: The focus must shift from the product to the audience. As Lindsay explained, understanding the audience means “getting the mundane right”—understanding the annoying bits of their lives and what riles them up, not just their dreams.
• Find the Truth: Cher  emphasized that “effective work centers on the consumer’s desires and fears.” Meaningful marketing must bridge the connection between the brand and the audience, rather than simply listing product features.
• Be Attention-Worthy: In a world where engagement is measured in seconds, brands must earn their place. The goal is to show up in the consumer’s world rather than inviting them into the brand’s world.

The Future of the Industry

Looking toward 2026, both leaders expressed optimism about the industry’s evolution, provided marketers are willing to adapt. For Cher, the future is defined by a reversal of the traditional dynamic.

“For the first time, human behavior is driving marketing, not the other way around,” she noted.

Where advertisers once created needs, they must now root their work in deep human insight. She also highlighted the necessity of adapting to AI, which is reshaping search and discovery, requiring brands to optimize for new algorithms to break through.

Lindsay emphasized resilience and the “creative playground” that small markets can offer when they are properly understood. She championed the idea that “change is good,” advocating for constant reinvention and the resilience required to stand out as a brand.

Ultimately, their message to the attendees at Social East and Social Pacific was clear: In an age of infinite content but finite attention, the future belongs to those who can earn it.