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Simba’s Five Forces: How Attention Shapes Success in the Digital Age

In today’s digital landscape, the most valuable currency isn’t money—it’s attention. Every brand, every entrepreneur, and every content creator is fighting for a slice of that attention, hoping to convert it into customers and, eventually, profits. But here’s the catch: before you ask how to make more profits, you need to first ask how to get and keep attention.

This is the central insight behind Simba’s Five Forces, a new framework introduced in the book Clickonomics, designed specifically for the digital age. It’s inspired by Michael Porter’s famous Five Forces model, which shaped how businesses understand competition and strategy. However, in today’s attention-driven economy, the rules have changed. Simba’s Five Forces helps entrepreneurs, marketers, and content creators navigate this new terrain by focusing on how to win and sustain attention.

The Attention Economy: The New Battlefield for Brands

We live in an age where attention is scarce and distractions are everywhere. People are bombarded by hundreds, if not thousands, of digital messages every day—emails, ads, social media posts, and notifications. The challenge isn’t just about creating content; it’s about creating the right content in the right places that will actually capture attention.

In this economy, brands that can command attention win. But unlike traditional industries, the digital economy doesn’t just have competitors in the form of other companies selling similar products. Your competition is any other content that steals the spotlight—be it a viral TikTok video, a trending news story, or even a meme.

That’s why Simba’s Five Forces redefines how we think about competition, content creation, and online marketing. Here’s how the five forces work.

The Five Forces of Attention in the Digital Age

1. The Threat of New Content Every minute, thousands of new pieces of content are uploaded online—blogs, videos, tweets, podcasts, and infographics. This endless stream of content constantly competes for your audience’s attention. The more saturated a niche becomes, the harder it is to stand out.

   The key to surviving this force is consistency and innovation. Brands that thrive in the attention economy are those that constantly create fresh, valuable content. Take Canva, the online graphic design tool, as a perfect example. Canva consistently rolls out new tutorials, templates, and design tips, ensuring that their content remains relevant, useful, and ahead of the competition.

   While many brands struggle to stay in the game, Canva has found a way to continually offer something new that captures attention, from step-by-step design guides to ready-made templates for everything from Instagram posts to business cards.

2. The Threat of Different Types of Content It’s not enough to simply create content. You have to create content in the formats your audience prefers. In the digital age, attention spans are shorter, and people consume content in more ways than ever before—short-form videos, podcasts, infographics, long-form blogs, social media stories, and more.

   Canva excels here by offering resources and content in multiple formats. They not only provide detailed blog posts but also cater to the video-loving crowd with YouTube tutorials and Instagram reels. They understand that some users prefer to watch a design tutorial, while others prefer to read a guide, and they offer both. By being flexible and present across various content formats, Canva keeps their audience engaged, regardless of how they prefer to consume content.

3. Competition for Attention (Direct and Indirect) In traditional markets, competition often comes from direct competitors—businesses offering similar products or services. In the digital space, however, your competition also includes indirect sources. These could be influencers, unrelated viral content, or even just a news story that captures the attention of your potential audience.

   Canva faces competition not only from other graphic design tools like Adobe Spark or Crello but also from the endless sea of content vying for attention online. Their secret to thriving? Canva doesn’t just market their tool; they market a solution that resonates with their audience’s Customer Ikigai—the deep motivation to create beautiful designs easily, affordably, and without technical skills. Canva understands the problems and passions of their audience, and they use this insight to create content that speaks directly to them.

   This approach allows Canva to outshine its competitors, both direct and indirect, by consistently offering value and positioning itself as a helpful, easy-to-use tool for all types of content creators, from small business owners to influencers.

4. The Bargaining Power of Content Platforms & Content Creators: Social media giants like Google, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube wield immense power over brands, because they control the platforms where attention is gathered. Brands often have to “pay to play” by spending heavily on ads to reach their audience. However, some brands break free from this need to constantly pay for visibility by creating content that attracts organic traffic.

   Canva is a great example of a brand that doesn’t rely solely on paid ads. While they do run ads, Canva’s organic traffic is strong, largely because they’ve built a robust library of useful content that ranks well on Google. Their blog posts, tutorials, and templates provide such value that they naturally attract backlinks and mentions. They’ve also earned their place on social platforms through user-generated content—Canva users frequently share their designs, effectively promoting Canva without the company needing to invest in costly advertising. Additionally, influencers on YouTube frequently create tutorials or use Canva in their content, further spreading Canva’s reach without the need for expensive sponsorships.

   Influencers, bloggers, and other content creators play a huge role in the success of brands in the digital age. While many brands struggle to get mentions from popular influencers, Canva has excelled in building strong relationships with creators who are genuinely passionate about their product.

   Canva has mastered the art of working with content creators who love using their product. These creators, whether YouTubers making tutorials or Instagram influencers sharing design tips, talk about Canva organically, simply because it adds value to their lives and their followers’ lives. The result? Canva gets exposure without having to constantly spend on influencer marketing campaigns. Instead, they receive authentic recommendations, which resonate more with potential customers than paid ads ever could.

5. The Bargaining Power of Internet Users In the digital age, the audience wields tremendous power. Every time an internet user engages with content—by clicking, commenting, sharing, or leaving a review—they signal to algorithms that the content is valuable and worthy of more exposure. Users aren’t passive consumers; they’re active participants in spreading and amplifying content.

   Canva benefits significantly from this force. Their satisfied users frequently leave positive reviews on platforms like Trustpilot, Google, and even in app stores. These reviews not only build trust with new users but also help Canva rise to the top of search results. Canva users also create organic buzz by sharing their creations, templates, and tips online, driving more traffic to the brand without Canva needing to spend extra on paid ads. This organic engagement amplifies Canva’s reach and makes it more visible to a larger audience, which in turn, feeds into a cycle of more user-generated content and greater exposure.

A Concrete Example: How Canva Thrives in the Attention Economy

Let’s break down how Canva uses Simba’s Five Forces to thrive in the attention economy:

• Constantly creating new content: Canva releases new design templates, blog posts, and video tutorials regularly. This ensures they stay top of mind and maintain a consistent presence in a crowded market.

• Offering content in multiple formats: Canva’s content isn’t limited to one platform or format. They create engaging tutorials on YouTube, bite-sized design tips on Instagram, and in-depth blog articles for users who prefer written guides.

• Understanding their audience’s Customer Ikigai: Canva taps into their audience’s deep passion for design and their desire to solve problems quickly. They create content that addresses these needs, ensuring their audience stays engaged.

• Relying on organic traffic and user-generated content: Instead of constantly paying for visibility, Canva has built a strong foundation of organic traffic. Users love sharing their Canva designs online, generating free exposure for the brand.

• Leveraging influencer relationships: Influencers and content creators mention Canva not because they’re paid to, but because they genuinely find the product useful. This results in authentic recommendations that carry more weight with potential customers.

Putting Simba’s Five Forces Into Practice

So, how can entrepreneurs and brands put Simba’s Five Forces to work for them?

1. Constantly create new content: Never let your content become stale. Regularly release fresh, valuable content that keeps your audience engaged.

2. Use multiple formats: Diversify your content across different formats and platforms. Don’t assume your audience prefers just one type of content—offer blog posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, and more.

3. Outshine your competition by connecting with Customer Ikigai: Get to the heart of your audience’s problems and passions. Create content that speaks to their core motivations, and you’ll stand out in a crowded marketplace.

4. Break free from the pay-to-play model: Focus on building organic traffic and relationships with your audience so you’re not reliant on paid advertising to reach them. Create content that’s so valuable, people can’t help but share it.

5. Build relationships with content creators: Collaborate with influencers and creators who genuinely love your product. Authentic recommendations from trusted voices can be far more powerful than paid promotions.

The Future of Digital Strategy

In today’s attention economy, businesses must adapt or risk becoming irrelevant. Simba’s Five Forces offers a clear framework for understanding the dynamics at play in this new landscape, where the fight isn’t just for market share, but for attention. Brands like Canva have shown that it’s possible to not just survive but thrive by mastering the art of content creation, understanding their audience deeply, and building organic relationships.

For any entrepreneur or brand looking to grow in the digital age, Simba’s Five Forces is an invaluable tool for navigating the complex world of attention-driven marketing. The key takeaway? Before you ask how to make a profit, first ask how to capture—and keep—attention. The profits will follow.