It's Time To Bury The Marketing Funnel

More than a century after its first use, marketing leaders still turn to the "marketing funnel" to describe three key aspects of their work: consumer psychology, marketing mix measurement, and the business value of marketing. However, as marketing has grown more complicated over the past decade, the funnel has struggled to continue to reflect reality. Forrester believes the funnel's value as a framework is finished, and a new model — the customer life cycle — provides a better fit with modern marketing, as it puts the customer at the center of the effort, involves the entire brand experience, and describes an ongoing relationship with the customer. Just as the funnel infused every aspect of marketing historically, the customer life cycle will transform how marketers talk and think about their discipline in the digital world.