In today’s digital marketplace, brands aren’t just competing against each other— they’re competing against the limits of human attention.

There’s a viral claim that humans now have an average attention span of 8 seconds, shorter than a goldfish. While that makes for a catchy headline, it’s not exactly accurate. However, the stat resonated because it feels true: attention has become more fragmented, more selective, and more difficult to earn than ever before.

We live in an era of digital overload. Consumers are bombarded daily with ads, messages, videos, and posts, all vying for a limited slice of cognitive real estate. For marketers, the central challenge is no longer just reaching audiences but cutting through the noise in ways that stick.

The solution? Cognitive science.