Philadelphia, PA – In an era of data-driven campaigns, strategic marketing expert Camar Clunis is challenging the traditional marketing funnel. He argues this linear model is no longer sufficient for building lasting brand value. The future belongs to brands that move beyond the funnel to prioritize community and connection, fostering relationships that transform customers into loyal advocates.
The marketing funnel, with its distinct stages of Awareness, Interest, Consideration, and Action, has long been a staple of marketing. It is a logical pathway designed to guide a prospect to a final purchase. For decades, it served its purpose well. However, in today’s digital landscape, Clunis believes this model is fundamentally flawed. It views the customer relationship as a finite, one-way journey that ends with a transaction.
The Funnel’s Fatal Flaw
The central problem with the marketing funnel is its endpoint. It assumes that once a customer makes a purchase, the marketing team’s job is done. This mindset encourages a cycle of continuous, and often costly, customer acquisition without a focus on retention or advocacy. In a world of infinite choices, a brand’s most valuable asset is its existing customers, not just the next new one.
The funnel-centric approach leads to a transactional relationship. It’s about securing the sale, not building a connection. This is a critical error in an age where consumers crave authenticity and purpose. They want to be part of something, not just a line item on a spreadsheet.
Furthermore, the funnel’s linear nature fails to account for modern consumer behavior. The customer journey is rarely a straight line. It’s a complex web of interactions, referrals, and feedback loops. A purchase is not the end of a journey; it’s the beginning of an opportunity to build a community.
The Power of Community
In place of the funnel, Clunis advocates for a model where the brand acts as a hub, and the customer journey is a continuous cycle. This model centers on community building. A brand community is more than a social media group; it is a dedicated space where customers feel a sense of belonging and shared purpose. This feeling of connection is what drives long-term value.
When a brand cultivates a community, its customers become its most powerful marketers. They share their experiences, offer support, and defend the brand. This organic advocacy is more authentic and influential than any paid advertising. It’s a direct result of a brand’s commitment to its customers beyond the point of sale.
Building a community is an investment in a brand’s future. It turns a temporary customer into a permanent partner. This relationship ensures that even when market trends shift, the brand has a resilient base of support to carry it forward.
From Transaction to Relationship
The shift from a transactional to a relational model requires a fundamental change in mindset for marketing teams. It means re-evaluating success metrics. While sales and conversion rates remain important, they should be viewed as outputs of a healthy relationship, not the sole objective.
The new focus should be on metrics of engagement and loyalty. How often do customers interact with the brand post-purchase? Are they participating in brand-led events? Are they sharing their positive experiences? These are the questions that truly measure the health of a brand in a community-first world.
This approach requires marketing to collaborate with other departments, particularly customer service and product development. A seamless, positive experience across all touchpoints is essential for building trust. It’s about a holistic commitment to the customer, not just a marketing campaign.
The New Model: Brand as a Hub
In this new model, the brand functions as a central hub. Instead of pushing content down a funnel, it pulls people in, creating a gravitational force that attracts and retains an audience. Content is no longer a one-way broadcast; it’s a catalyst for conversation.
This hub-centric model is circular. A customer is brought in through a compelling story or a valuable product. From there, they are invited to join the community. As they engage, they provide feedback and insights that inform new products and services. Their advocacy brings in new people, and the cycle continues, growing the brand from the inside out.
The brand’s role shifts from a provider of goods to a steward of a community. It facilitates connections, celebrates its members, and leverages their collective knowledge to improve. This creates a virtuous cycle of value creation for both the brand and its customers.
A Strategic Shift
Adopting this model requires a bold strategic shift. It means investing less in one-off acquisition campaigns and more in platforms that facilitate ongoing conversation. It requires a long-term perspective and the patience to nurture relationships over time. This approach may not yield instant, explosive growth, but the growth it does produce is resilient and sustainable.
It also means that brands must become more human. They need to show their personality, share their purpose, and listen more than they speak. They must be transparent about their successes and failures. This vulnerability builds trust and makes the brand feel more accessible and relatable to its community.
The strategic shift also involves reallocating marketing budgets. Instead of pouring funds into broad, top-of-funnel advertising, brands should invest in community managers, content that sparks dialogue, and exclusive experiences for their most loyal members.
The Role of Leadership
This fundamental change cannot happen without strong leadership. Clunis feels a profound responsibility to guide marketing leaders in this transition. He emphasizes the need for a shift in perspective at the highest levels, from a focus on short-term gains to a long-term commitment to community.
He mentors young marketers to understand that their most valuable skills will be in building relationships, not just optimizing ad campaigns. He encourages them to think like community leaders, to be empathetic listeners, and to use technology not to automate human connection, but to enhance it.
The marketers of the future will be those who master the art of blending data-driven insights with the human-centric principles of community building. They will understand that a brand’s strength is not just in its market share, but in the loyalty and passion of its people.
A Final Word on Community
In his final remarks, Clunis states, “The funnel is a relic of a bygone era. It served us well, but it’s time to move on. In a world saturated with noise, the only way for a brand to truly stand out is to become a place where people belong. When you build a community, you are not just selling a product; you are creating a shared experience. And that, in the end, is what generates true, lasting value.”
He concludes, “This is not about abandoning data. It’s about using data to find the people who are a natural fit for your community and then using your purpose to connect with them on a deeper level. The brand that becomes a hub for its people will be the brand that wins.”