The funnel is gone.

We are in The Marketing Pinball Machine™—chaotic, unpredictable, and full of unexpected bounces.

Why did the funnel collapse?

• Rising CAC (privacy laws, Meta/Google shifts)

• AI supplanting SEO

• Algorithms deciding reach (followers ≠ reach)

• Performance marketing plateau

The real question is not whether the funnel is broken.
It is how to keep the pinball in play.

Today’s customer journey looks less like a funnel and more like a pinball machine; chaotic, unpredictable, and shaped by countless bounces across platforms, devices, and, just as importantly, human touchpoints. I call this the “Marketing Pinball Machine™”. It’s the framework I’ve developed to describe today’s reality. And I’ve lived it, leading teams through wholesale and DTC transformations, scaling a start-up to 9-figure growth, and repositioning a legacy apparel brand for omnichannel success.

This isn’t about abandoning measurement or discipline. It’s about changing the game we think we’re playing. In pinball, your job is not to control the ball. Your job is to keep it in play.  With credibility, with content, with consistent touchpoints… keep it in play long enough to build trust and then earn the ability to keep it.