How can marketing engage today’s consumers? Lose the funnel, use a loop

A company’s success often depends on how many customers it retains and, as a result of those relationships, new customers who are drawn by recommendations and favorable reviews.

Marketing plays a creative role in attracting potential buyers, but the funnel concept many businesses have long relied upon doesn’t prioritize the customer experience, which is vital to retention and growth, says Jeff Pedowitz, President/CEO of The Pedowitz Group and ForbesBooks author of “F The Funnel: A New Way To Engage Customers & Grow Revenue.”

“Marketing departments need to transform into thriving revenue centers, and to do that they must adopt a new model,” Pedowitz says. “It’s one based on creating a dynamic, ongoing relationship with customers.

“For the past century-plus, the model that sales and marketing teams have used for generating customer revenue has been the funnel. The problem is, the funnel was designed for a bygone era – one of traveling salesmen and matchbook advertising.”