Episode Details
Back to Episodes
The Death of the Funnel
Episode 168
Published 3 days, 11 hours ago
Description
Concern about short-termism among marketers jumped from 25% in 2022 to 55% in 2025. Budget allocation barely moved. The funnel may not be dead, but it might be damaging your brand.
This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob debate whether the marketing funnel still belongs in the boardroom. They unpack why the funnel persists despite strong evidence against it, how ad platforms reinforce flawed thinking for commercial reasons, and what alternatives actually work.
Topics covered:
• [01:00] Marketing Week article on why funnel reinvention is backfiring
• [02:00] The funnel as a mental shortcut vs. a map of how people buy
• [05:00] How ad platforms built funnel logic into their products for commercial reasons
• [07:00] Categories where the funnel fits (and where it falls apart)
• [11:00] The say-do gap: marketers believe in brand investment but budgets barely moved
• [15:00] Tom Roach's alternative: building, nudging, and connecting
• [18:00] How to plan media without the funnel
• [20:00] What great creative looks like when you stop thinking in funnel stages
To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at
marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.
Resources:
2025 Marketing Week Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/reality-check-funnel-reinvent/
Google Messy Middle Research: https://business.google.com/us/think/consumer-insights/navigating-purchase-behavior-and-decision-making/
WARC Multiplier Effect Report: https://page.warc.com/the-multiplier-effect-report
Thinkbox Profitability 2 Report: https://www.thinkbox.tv/profitability2
Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob debate whether the marketing funnel still belongs in the boardroom. They unpack why the funnel persists despite strong evidence against it, how ad platforms reinforce flawed thinking for commercial reasons, and what alternatives actually work.
Topics covered:
• [01:00] Marketing Week article on why funnel reinvention is backfiring
• [02:00] The funnel as a mental shortcut vs. a map of how people buy
• [05:00] How ad platforms built funnel logic into their products for commercial reasons
• [07:00] Categories where the funnel fits (and where it falls apart)
• [11:00] The say-do gap: marketers believe in brand investment but budgets barely moved
• [15:00] Tom Roach's alternative: building, nudging, and connecting
• [18:00] How to plan media without the funnel
• [20:00] What great creative looks like when you stop thinking in funnel stages
To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at
marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.
Resources:
2025 Marketing Week Article: https://www.marketingweek.com/reality-check-funnel-reinvent/
Google Messy Middle Research: https://business.google.com/us/think/consumer-insights/navigating-purchase-behavior-and-decision-making/
WARC Multiplier Effect Report: https://page.warc.com/the-multiplier-effect-report
Thinkbox Profitability 2 Report: https://www.thinkbox.tv/profitability2
Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.