In a guest post for FastCo, Attention CEO Curtis Hougland discusses the shift in millenial marketing.

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The most universal factor in marketing today is that consumers are busier than ever and their attention more taxed.

While Esther Dyson points out that attention is not truly fungible, it serves as an outstanding macro indicator of today’s changes in consumer behavior. And any imbalance of this magnitude invariably results in a correction.

This correction is manifesting itself in the profound re-assertion of word-of-mouth marketing as the dominant factor in purchasing and brand relationship, at the expense of other marketing. While word-of-mouth has always been at the center of smart campaigns, four factors conspire to amplify its impact and importance today:

New York Fashion Week used to be different…a lot different.  The shows were intended for a very specific audience and did not go beyond the tents.  Social media has extended an invitation to NYFW – engaging everyone no matter who they are or where they live – providing a deeper and more meaningful experience.

Volume of interaction by brand

Between perpetual Twitter updates, live streams of runway shows on Facebook and YouTube, as well as daily blogger roundups and recaps, New York Fashion Week has become just as much about social media integration as it is about the fashion itself.