From Attention to the Dog-Pile Economy

In 1971, Nobel laureate Herbert A. Simon observed:

“What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence, a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”
(Simon, H. A. Designing Organizations for an Information-Rich World, 1971) [1]

This insight defined the Attention Economy long before digital transformation. Today, we see its logical conclusion: the Dog-Pile Economy – an era of relentless, AI-accelerated content churn where competitive forces optimize solely for placement, visibility, and monetization at any cost.

The net result is a giant digital detritus, requiring customers to wade through endless low-value noise. This wastefulness consumes AI cycles, petabytes of storage, and terawatts of energy – all to momentarily rise atop a fleeting heap.

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Insights from Leading Firms

The “dog-pile” is a real world challenge, and top, global consultancies are researching, publishing and advising clients to help cope with current market trends.

McKinsey’s Attention Equation advises brands to measure not just reach, but quality of attention based on focus and intent [2]. They urge optimization of content-context fit to deliver value at the precise moment of customer need.

Accenture highlights an “attention deficit” as a core business challenge, noting that capturing user focus is harder than ever despite AI-enhanced engagement strategies [3].

PwC reports consumers are overwhelmed, advising brands to anticipate behavior shifts and adapt formats across social, video, and interactive media to stay relevant [4]. Bain emphasizes that attention-based business models are becoming critical as traditional ad paradigms erode [5].

Gartner recommends CMOs benchmark digital spend, improve efficiency, and align budgets toward high attention ROI, emphasizing that mere presence in the dog-pile is no longer enough [6].

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Despite these recommendations, the dominant strategic responses remain optimization within the pile itself rather than re-imagining its very construct. Left unaddressed, the Dog-Pile Economy will:

• Continue to erode trust, meaning, and user dignity
• Be increasingly driven by AI-generated inauthentic content
• Undermine the sustainability and resilience of digital ecosystems

As Zeno of Citium reminded us:

“We have two ears and one mouth so we should listen more than we say.”
(~5th c. CE)

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While we respect the insights of our consulting peers, Alton Veridian advocates moving beyond optimization to systemic transformation. Our recommended strategic imperatives include:

1. Strategic Listening

Rather than engineering ever-louder messages, we recommend building listening systems that sense unmet needs and evolving user contexts. This approach:

• Anchors brand actions in reality rather than assumption
• Enhances relevance and relational trust
• Reduces wasted digital output and carbon footprint

2. Attention Circularity

We propose designing “circular attention ecosystems,” drawing on circular economy principles:

• Reduce redundant attention extraction tactics
• Reuse and repurpose digital assets meaningfully
• Regenerate user attention through authentic engagement and co-creation

This ensures attention is treated as a finite, valuable resource, fostering healthier digital economies.

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The Path Forward

The Dog-Pile Economy reflects capitalism’s tendency toward volume-driven competition without systemic stewardship. AV’s approach:

• Acknowledges market incentives
• Elevates digital stewardship to optimize human potential rather than exploit cognitive vulnerabilities
• Creates future-proof strategies that combine technological maturity with humanistic design

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Conclusion

At Alton Veridian, we believe it is time to move beyond louder, faster, and cheaper, towards smarter, cleaner, and more meaningful markets. We stand ready to partner with organizations committed to building the next era of Full Spectrum Digital Resilience.

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References

[1] Simon, H. A. (1971). Designing Organizations for an Information-Rich World.
[2] McKinsey. (n.d.). The Attention Equation. link
[3] Accenture. (n.d.). In the Headlines. link
[4] PwC Strategy&. (n.d.). Digital Attention Economy. link
[5] Bain & Company. (2024). Advertisers Face Disruptions as Attention Weakens. link
[6] Gartner. (n.d.). Marketing Budget Benchmarks. link

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#FullSpectrumDigitalResilience #StrategicListening #PostAIEconomy #CircularEconomy #DogPileEconomy #AltonVeridian

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