🎯 The Marketing Funnel Is Broken: Welcome to the Era of Non-Linear Consumer Journeys 🚀

For years, I have relied on the trusty funnel to market video games: Awareness ➡️ Interest ➡️ Consideration ➡️ Intent ➡️ Conversion. It was neat, predictable, and gave me a sense of control over the player journey. But here’s the reality: that funnel is officially broken. At least for gamers.

Gamers no longer follow a linear path. They zigzag. They skip steps. They backtrack. And sometimes, they even jump straight to the end. What caused this disruption? These are my theories I’m researching:

1️⃣ Algorithms Changed Everything

The content people see isn’t just what they search for—it’s what algorithms decide they’ll engage with. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are now discovery engines, introducing products in unexpected ways. Suddenly, a brand someone had no awareness of becomes an impulse buy because it appeared on their For You page.

2️⃣ Trust in Peer Influence

Instead of relying on ads or traditional brand messaging, consumers trust influencers and friends on social channel like Discord. This one is a little more established but I’m curious how Influencers/Creators are evolving as most gamers absolutely know when a creator is being sponsored.

3️⃣ Fragmented Attention Spans

We live in an era of multitasking and endless scrolling. People don’t focus long enough to move through neatly defined stages. They might discover your game during a Twitch Livestream, research it while doomscrolling on Twitter, and buy it impulsively from a front page Steam visual.

4️⃣ The Proliferation of Micro-Moments

Google coined the term "micro-moments," and they’re real. A person might learn about your game at a glance, do a quick search on their phone while waiting in line, and make a decision based on the first product image they see—all in under 10 seconds.

5️⃣ Omnichannel Chaos

Gamers engage with games across multiple touchpoints—social media, events, e-commerce, physical stores, and in other games. Each interaction might push them forward, backward, or sideways in their journey.

I think it’s time to rethink the funnel mentality and adapt to the reality of a non-linear, chaotic customer journey.

Instead of trying to guide gamers step by step, can we:

✅ Be present across channels at every possible touchpoint.

✅ Create authentic, trust-building content (UGC and influencers).

✅ Lean into data-driven personalization to meet consumers where they are.

✅ Adapt quickly—read signals from algorithms and quickly chage strategy.

The old funnel might be broken, but this new landscape is full of opportunities.

Am I overthinking this, or is the funnel truly obsolete?