It Is a Loop
The marketing funnel has been one of the most enduring models in advertising. Awareness. Consideration. Purchase. Loyalty. Simple. Logical. And increasingly inadequate.
Because the Indian consumer journey today is rarely linear.
A consumer can discover a product on Instagram, search for it on Google, watch a creator review it, ask friends on WhatsApp, compare prices on a marketplace, visit a store and finally purchase through quick commerce. Then post about it. Then influence someone else.
The journey has become a loop.
The consumer doesn’t follow your funnel
Brands plan journeys around channels. Consumers don’t.
They move between them instinctively.
A person does not think: “I am now entering the consideration phase.”
They think: “Is this any good?”
Then: “What do people say?”
Then: “Is there a better option?”
Then: “Can I get it today?”
Marketing needs to follow the consumer’s behaviour rather than force the consumer into a marketing model.
Discovery is everywhere
Search used to own intent. Television largely owned awareness. Retail owned conversion.
Social changed the equation. Today, a consumer can discover a brand almost anywhere – a reel, a creator, a meme, a podcast, a review, an AI recommendation, a friend, a physical experience, a quick-commerce app, a conversation.
That means the distinction between awareness and consideration is becoming increasingly fluid.
India’s digital behaviour makes this even more interesting
India combines enormous digital scale with multiple consumption realities. Urban and non-urban consumers. Multiple languages. Premium and value segments. Digital-first and physical-first behaviour. Traditional retail and quick commerce. Creators and celebrities. WhatsApp and search.
The Indian consumer journey is therefore not just fragmented. It is multi-layered.
The new marketing challenge
The question is no longer: “Which channel should we use?”
It is: “What role does each channel play in the consumer’s decision?”
A creator may generate trust. Search may validate. Social may reinforce. A community may reassure. A physical experience may create emotional connection. Commerce may close. The power lies in connecting these roles!
The loop
A modern consumer journey increasingly looks like: Discover → Explore → Validate → Experience → Buy → Share → Influence → Discover again.
That last step matters. Because the consumer is no longer simply the end of the marketing journey. They can become part of the next consumer’s journey.
The Yellow Dot Media perspective
At YDM, we believe the future of marketing is less about managing channels and more about orchestrating behaviour.
Brands need to understand what consumers are doing between the touchpoints.
Because: The consumer doesn’t move through your funnel. Your brand has to move through the consumer’s world.