In this paper we’ll look at how the impact of consumer generated media and third party shopping websites have changed the way the considered purchase marketing funnel model works and discuss the new tools necessary to fuel the funnel, maximize customer throughput, and marketing ROI. Discussion includes our thinking on how considered purchase brand marketers can best: • Fill the top of the funnel with both returning customers and conquest prospects • Minimize attrition from top to the bottom of the funnel • Close those in market • Maximize the depth of repeat for their products and services

1. Summer
11
A Marketing Funnel For The Second
Digital Age
An US+Partners CMO Briefing
advertising for the second digital age www.usandpartners.com
The ideas, concepts and processes expressed on this page and throughout this document are the property of the
US+Partners LLC. They may not be duplicated, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or retransmitted without the express
permission of US+Partners LLC. Copyright © 2011, US+Partners LLC.

2. Purpose
This whitepaper advances the concept of the marketing funnel in considered purchase
product and service categories.
When it comes to making a considered purchase, whether it is a vehicle, a home, an
education, an insurance policy, medical services, or a destination for their charitable and
activist contributions, shoppers go to the Web for information, reviews, pricing, and owner
opinions.
In this paper we’ll look at how the impact of consumer generated media and third party
shopping websites have changed the way the considered purchase marketing funnel model
works and discuss the new tools necessary to fuel the funnel, maximize customer
throughput, and marketing ROI.
Discussion includes our thinking on how considered purchase brand marketers can best:
• Fill the top of the funnel with both returning customers and conquest prospects
• Minimize attrition from top to the bottom of the funnel
• Close those in market
• Maximize the depth of repeat for their products and services
Organization
Discussion is organized in the following way:
• Old Funnel / Old Fuel ‐ A look at the old funnel concept and the old fuel that
powered mass marketing
• New Funnel / New Fuel ‐ Discussion of how the online environment has changed
how consumers migrate and the new fuel necessary to maximize marketing ROI
• Suggested Pilot Initiatives – Exploration of several ideas for action
The ideas, concepts and processes expressed on this page and throughout this document are the property of the
US+Partners LLC. They may not be duplicated, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or retransmitted without the express
permission of US+Partners LLC. Copyright © 2011, US+Partners LLC.

3. Discussion
Old Funnel / Old Fuel
Many of us have been trained that brand awareness was best achieved by mass
communications with marketing dollars directed to the purchase of mass reach and
frequency. Brand consideration was built by imbuing a product with meaning and
positioning it vis‐à‐vis competition in the mass‐market psyche.
Preference was achieved by 56'7,88#)
communication of relevant and often
differentiated features and benefits *+,('-'##) 9*::)*;:)<)=)1%()&,##)(',24),-/)1('>"'-26)
while purchase intention was based on !%-#./'(,$.%-) ?@*A;)95*A3AB)
the perceived value of that being
offered. Finally, purchase was, and is 0('1'('-2') C5*DE@5:)*A;)?5A5C3D:)
in many channels of distribution, a 3-$'-$.%-) 0@3!5)<)F*GE5)
product of the “deal” the retailer
makes to close a sale. 0"(24,#') ;5*G)
Management of the after‐sales !"#$%&'(#) HHHH))&,-,I'#),1$'()#,8'#)'JK'(.'-2')
customer experience was often left to
the retailer, with occasional post sale customer communication from the manufacturer.
It was and, in some quarters, still is accepted that significant attrition occurs moving from
the top of the funnel to the bottom as not all consumers are in the market for a given
product at a given time. Brand, product attribute, and retail promotion messaging as well
as retailer attempts to guess at owner timing suffer from being directed at individual
consumers who won’t or can’t act on channel communication. The net effect from the
brand marketer’s perspective is often unsatisfactory ROI on the communications and
media investment.
Today, the problem with the old funnel model is that it does not come close to mapping
considered purchase decision behavior on the Web.
It does not account for how consumers use online research to expand their consideration
set or how consumers take advantage of an existing owner’s / user’s experiences to help
guide their choices.
A new, evolved funnel model and new funnel fuel is necessary to maximize marketing ROI.
The ideas, concepts and processes expressed on this page and throughout this document are the property of the
US+Partners LLC. They may not be duplicated, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or retransmitted without the express
permission of US+Partners LLC. Copyright © 2011, US+Partners LLC.

4. The New Funnel / New Fuel
A new funnel model has evolved from an understanding of consumer shopping behaviors online
and how consumer generated media, social media and third party sites are used in making
purchase decisions.
This new funnel model recognizes three critical aspects of the decision making process:
1. The initial stimulus is more likely "@@1(5(#@?:0@(30:EE@0( 3-!,,*-(2-*#!.3!6"(
to be an event in the life of the
consumer than a marketing or
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advertising campaign – an
odometer reading, 2@@0(
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relocation, or the arrival or %,.(
departure of children in the 7:9<=(':?;(+@;( -*!"76-.*#(-*'*$&".*(
household.
2. The model acknowledges !9;@9;:>9( !"#!$!#%&'(2-!$&3*(677*-(
that while having a brand in
the initial consideration set is 2D0AB<?@( #*&'*-(5(-*3&!'*-(*",&,*)*"3(
important, the final brand
selection can easily include
brands not originally *FC@0:@9A@( 68"*-(&#$6.&.4(5(+6.!&'()*#!&(
considered.
3. The model suggests that investment in the user experience not only impacts re‐purchase; it
can also create favorable mentions online. Mentions that either reinforce or question
consumer belief and preference.
New fuel is required to power this new funnel model.
Rather than spending to create awareness, the new model suggests spending to identify and
predict consumer events that trigger brand need and desire. Initial brand consideration continues
to be based upon latent brand belief, both good and bad, but greater emphasis is placed on the
relevance of brand meaning to an individual consumer.
The presence of readily available third party opinion, generated by individuals, other websites,
blogs and forums, can have a significant influence on an in‐market consumer’s final consideration
set. This suggests marketing spending to:
• Leverage social media to be where brand opinions and reviews are expressed
• Understand owner and prospect life‐stage, lifestyle, and brand affinities
• Recognize the in‐market owner or prospect wherever they may be on the Web and
provision messaging and offers appropriate to them as individuals to promote purchase
intention
Retailer, dealer, and channel engagement in this process is also critical. Whether communications
are developed and sent directly by the channel partner or by the brand on the channel’s behalf, it is
important to leverage knowledge of the individual triggers and post sales experience to maximize
customer satisfaction and favorable online mentions. Ding so will maximize both trial and depth of
repeat purchase of product and related services.
The ideas, concepts and processes expressed on this page and throughout this document are the property of the
US+Partners LLC. They may not be duplicated, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or retransmitted without the express
permission of US+Partners LLC. Copyright © 2011, US+Partners LLC.

5.
Suggested Pilot Opportunities
Powering this new funnel requires collaboration between the brand’s database group, marketing
department, often an external data provider to recognize customers and prospects online, a
personalization service, and the brand’s creative agency.
Integration of these resources is illustrated below.
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Within an US+Partners solution responsibilities are illustrated in the following figure.
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Brands should consider a pilot program to evaluate the ROI on the recognition and personalization
initiative, beginning with one product to learn, refine, and understand the implications of a
successful pilot and scale.
Metrics for such a pilot program include:
• Funnel metrics, specifically change in funnel input and throughput
• Sales, specifically incremental sales as measure by sales match versus control
• Site behavior as read by click stream data, requests for information or price quotes versus
control
• Offer response rates on differential messaging versus control
• And finally the implications of these measures on ROI and scaled up impact on enterprise
EPS
To Continue The Dialogue
Contact Steve Stepanek at US+Partners L.L.C. steve.stepanek@usandpartners.com or call 313 701
9172.
The ideas, concepts and processes expressed on this page and throughout this document are the property of the
US+Partners LLC. They may not be duplicated, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or retransmitted without the express
permission of US+Partners LLC. Copyright © 2011, US+Partners LLC.