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WHY TRADITIONAL MARKETING FUNNELS FAIL IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA ERA

TLDR ~40 SECONDS⚡️

Author

CreatorVersed Team
May 02, 2025

LATEST DEVELOPMENT

After a decade of leading influencer campaigns, Digital Voices founder Jennifer Quigley-Jones reveals how the traditional marketing funnel (awareness, consideration, decision) has become obsolete in today's social-driven marketplace, requiring brands to adopt a new cyclical model built around discovery, hype, purchase, and community.

INDUSTRY TALK

"Shopping behaviors have changed, but most brands are still built for a traditional funnel, keeping paid and organic teams siloed. Innovative brands integrate them to drive better performance, improve ROI, and turn creator marketing into a real growth engine."

-Jamie Gutfreund, Creator Vision

BY THE NUMBERS

Consumer behavior indicators include:

  • Nearly 3 hours spent daily on social media by Gen Z

  • 171% growth in interest for Jellycat in 2024 through experiential retail

  • Hundreds of influencers and UGC creators driving Wonderskin's viral TikTok success

  • Multiple touchpoints required across platforms to maintain relevance

  • Significant ROI improvements when brands integrate paid and organic teams

NEW MARKETING MODEL

Key framework stages include:

  • Discovery Stage: Strategic product introduction across targeted channels where demographics naturally engage

  • Hype Stage: Creating FOMO through influencer saturation and unmissable social content

  • Purchase Stage: Frictionless buying experiences with surprise-and-delight elements

  • Community Stage: Converting customers into brand advocates through exclusive experiences and content sharing

SUCCESS STORIES

Brand examples include:

  • Crumbl Cookies excelling at discovery through signature packaging and weekly drops

  • Wonderskin dominating TikTok with viral blue lip stain and seamless social commerce

  • Refy Beauty building community by taking actual customers on influencer trips

  • Jellycat creating shareable in-store experiences with actors bringing toys to life

  • Expedia enabling influencers as travel curators through Travel Shops

THE BOTTOM LINE

In today's creator economy where culture moves at the speed of social media, successful brands must abandon the linear marketing funnel in favor of an integrated approach that continuously cycles between discovery, hype, purchase, and community—blending the art of viral moments with always-on content that maintains cultural relevance long after the initial sale.

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