The death of the marketing funnel

 This week we're tackling one of marketing's most enduring debates: is the traditional marketing funnel still useful, or is it quietly holding brands back? We dig into why the funnel persists despite strong evidence against it, and what to use instead.  

—Elena

 

Concern about short-termism among marketers jumped from 25% in 2022 to 55% in 2025.

WARC calls this the say-do gap. Marketers increasingly believe in brand investment, but last-touch attribution keeps defunding it anyway.

 

Why the funnel survives (and why that's a problem) 

Is the funnel actually wrong?

The funnel is a useful shortcut, but it was never an accurate map of how people buy. Most purchases are habitual and low-involvement. People reach for what is familiar. Mental availability, not rational progression, drives most buying decisions.

Why do ad platforms keep reinforcing it?

Because funnel-stage campaigns sell more inventory. Platform measurement is built on last-touch attribution, giving credit to whatever happened closest to purchase, which makes your paid search look brilliant and your brand advertising look weak.

What is the creative cost?

Funnel thinking splits emotional and rational work into separate channels. The best creative holds both jobs at once, building memory for out-of-market viewers while giving in-market buyers something clear and actionable.

What should replace it?

Tom Roach proposes swapping awareness, consideration, and conversion for building, nudging, and connecting. For media planning, start with reach. Most brands are reaching a shockingly small share of their total category buying population, and fixing that is where the biggest growth opportunity lives.

Listen in on our discussion.

 

“Marketers' Constant Attempts to Reinvent the Funnel Are Losing Them Credibility” 

This Marketing Week article tested new marketing frameworks with senior executives and got brutal feedback. It makes the case that constant funnel reinvention may be hurting marketers' credibility more than the funnel itself.

Read the article.

 

The Funnel as a Starting Point 

"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful."

— George Box, Statistician

This newsletter comes from the hosts of The Marketing Architects, a research-first show answering your biggest marketing questions. Find us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.