Cheerful Twentyfirst has launched its new white paper, GOLDFISH. GOOSE. DINOSAUR — The Art of Attention, adding to a growing industry focus on how brands can earn and sustain audience attention. While the report draws on established behavioural and psychological research rather than introducing new data, it reflects a much broader shift happening across live experiences.
For years, the industry has repeated the idea that audiences now have “goldfish attention spans.” In reality, as the paper highlights, attention hasn’t disappeared. It has become more selective, shaped by choice overload and digital habits. Audiences aren’t unfocused; they’re filtering more decisively. And that’s exactly why attention has become the new battleground for event marketers.
What stands out isn’t just the Goldfish/Goose/Dinosaur framing, but what it signals: brands are no longer satisfied with footfall, impressions or applause metrics. They want to know whether key messages truly land. That expectation is pushing agencies to lean more intentionally into audience psychology, engagement science and experience design – a sign that the events sector is catching up with the more established strategic thinking long embedded in marketing and media.
The other clear takeaway? Sameness is the enemy. Formulaic events are falling flat, and audience expectations are rising fast. Familiar formats and predictable attendee journeys no longer hold attention in a world where novelty, contrast and immersion matter more than ever.
The paper captures a meaningful shift. Attention isn’t a buzzword anymore. It’s fast becoming the metric brands care about most, and the area where agencies are now racing to differentiate.