Episodes
How Patagonia Built a Marketing Funnel on Activism
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into how Patagonia turned environmental activism into a marketing funnel that drives both awareness and sales. They explore the 'Don't Buy This Jacket' campaign, the brand's decision to give away 100% of its Black Friday sales in 2016, and how the company's mission-driven approach compresses the AIDA stages. They also discuss the risks and rewards of taking a political stance in marketing, and how Patagonia's customer loyalty stems from shared values rather…
How Liquid Death's Funnel Turned Canned Water Into a Movement
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dissect the marketing funnel of Liquid Death, the canned water brand that turned a boring commodity into a movement. They explore how the brand's 'Murder Your Thirst' tagline, edgy branding, and viral marketing stunts move consumers from awareness to action. The conversation dives into specific tactics like their 'Death to Plastic' campaign, celebrity endorsements, and limited-edition drops, and how they've built a community that evangelizes for the brand. They…
How LEGO Rebuilt Its Funnel Around Adult Fans
In this episode of The Marketing Funnel Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore LEGO's strategic pivot to adult fans. After a near-bankruptcy in 2003, LEGO transformed its marketing funnel by targeting AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO) with sets like the Millennium Falcon and the LEGO Ideas platform. We drill into the specifics: how LEGO shifted from a children's toy company to a community-driven brand, using crowdsourcing, exclusive sets, and the LEGO Insiders program to deepen engagement. We discuss the…
How Dyson's Vacuum Funnel Redefined Premium Marketing
Lucas and Luna dive into Dyson's marketing funnel, tracing how the company turned a mundane vacuum into a premium icon. From engineering-first storytelling to deliberate scarcity, Dyson's AIDA path reveals how a technology-driven brand can command a price premium without traditional advertising. This episode unpacks the specifics: the James Dyson origin story, the 'no bag' disruption, and how the company's retail experience converts curiosity into a $700 purchase. If you've ever wondered why…
How Duolingo Turned Streaks Into a Marketing Funnel
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Duolingo turned its gamified streak system into a powerful marketing funnel, driving daily engagement and organic growth. They break down the mechanics behind streaks, from the psychological pull of loss aversion to the social sharing that fuels word-of-mouth. With over 500 million downloads and a streak culture that keeps users coming back, Duolingo's approach offers key lessons for any brand looking to build habit-forming products. Tune in to…
How Duolingo Turned Streaks Into a Marketing Funnel
Duolingo's streak feature isn't just a gamification trick—it's a brilliantly engineered marketing funnel that turns daily habit into loyalty, referrals, and revenue. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down the mechanics behind the streak: how it drives awareness through social sharing, builds interest with personalized reminders, converts through premium subscriptions, and locks in action with the fear of losing progress. They explore the psychology of loss aversion, the role of the…
How Liquid Death's Marketing Funnel Turned Water Into a Movement
In this episode of The Marketing Funnel Podcast, Lucas and Luna dive into the latest trend in the marketing funnel: the rise of 'community-led growth.' They explore how brands like Figma and Notion have built entire funnels around user communities, turning customers into evangelists. With specific numbers—like Figma's 4 million users and Notion's 2 million—they break down how these companies use community to drive awareness, consideration, and conversion. Lucas and Luna also discuss the…
How Liquid Death's Marketing Funnel Turned Water Into a Movement
Lucas and Luna dive into the marketing funnel behind Liquid Death, the canned water brand that turned a commodity into a cultural phenomenon. They break down how the company used its 'Murder Your Thirst' tagline and irreverent brand persona to move consumers from awareness to action, without relying on traditional advertising. With a focus on the decision stage, they explore how Liquid Death's direct-to-consumer model, viral social media presence, and bold packaging design convert curiosity…
How Costco Built a Marketing Funnel on Membership
In this episode of The Marketing Funnel Podcast, Lucas and Luna look at how Costco's membership model reshapes the classic AIDA funnel. They trace the journey from warehouse-sized awareness to the decision-stage economics of the $60 annual fee, and the action stage that turns a shopping trip into a treasure hunt. With specific numbers like 93 percent renewal rates and the $1.50 hot dog combo, they examine how Costco turns a mundane errand into a ritual, and what other brands can learn from a…
How Glossier Built a Marketing Funnel on Community
In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down how Glossier turned customer feedback into a marketing engine. From the original Into The Gloss blog to the launch of Boy Brow, they trace how the brand built a funnel where awareness came from community conversations, interest from user-generated content, and decisions from peer reviews. They discuss the early decision to launch with only four products, the role of the 'Glossier Reps' program, and the tricky balance between scaling and maintaining…
How Liquid Death Built a Funnel on Canned Water
In this episode of The Marketing Funnel Podcast, Lucas and Luna dive into the unconventional marketing funnel behind Liquid Death, the canned water company that turned a mundane product into a cultural phenomenon. They explore how the brand skips traditional awareness stages by using humor and shock value to create instant recognition, then moves consumers through consideration with a focus on sustainability and edgy branding. The hosts discuss the strategic use of limited-edition drops…
How HelloFresh Rebuilt Its Funnel for Cooks Who Can't Decide
Meal kits were supposed to kill the grocery run, but HelloFresh spent years fighting churn and decision fatigue. In this episode, Lucas and Luna unpack how the company stopped selling convenience and started selling certainty. They walk through the exact funnel stages — from awareness fueled by podcast ads to the decision stage where a three-step personalization quiz cuts through the noise. They look at the numbers: a reported 60 percent of new sign-ups come through referrals, and average order…
How Airbnb Built a Marketing Funnel on Trust and Belonging
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Airbnb transformed from a rent-a-mattress startup into a global hospitality giant by reimagining the classic marketing funnel. They focus on the pivotal role of trust and community: how the company's early Craigslist integration, professional photography program, and host guarantee created a word-of-mouth engine that compressed the awareness-to-action journey. Using specific numbers like the 2011 San Francisco crisis and the 'belong anywhere' rebrand…
How Duolingo Turned Streaks Into a Marketing Funnel
In this episode of The Marketing Funnel Podcast, Lucas and Luna dig into Duolingo's streak feature and how it turned a simple gamification mechanic into a full-funnel marketing engine. They break down the psychology behind the streak — loss aversion, sunk cost, and social proof — and trace how it pulls users from awareness to daily habit. With specific numbers like the 3.5 billion virtual currency spent on streak freezes and the 73 million daily active users, they explain why Duolingo's…
How IKEA Family Builds a Loyalty Funnel Beyond Furniture
In this episode of The Marketing Funnel Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how IKEA Family, the Swedish furniture giant's loyalty program, functions as a full-funnel marketing engine. They trace how the program builds awareness through design-forward content and cheap meatballs, creates interest via personalized offers and the IKEA app, drives decisions with family-focused perks and room-planning tools, and secures action through repeat visits and the IKEA Family discounts. Along the way, they…
How Liquid Death Turned Water Into a Marketing Funnel
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the surprisingly effective marketing funnel behind Liquid Death, the canned water brand that has turned mundane hydration into a cult phenomenon. They explore how the company uses a blend of irreverent humor, heavy metal aesthetics, and viral social media to move consumers from awareness to action. The discussion covers the brand's clever use of packaging, its 'murder your thirst' tagline, and its unconventional partnerships that keep the funnel full.…
How Dollar Shave Club Built a Funnel on Disruption
In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down how Dollar Shave Club used a viral video, razor-sharp social media, and a subscription model to blow up the classic AIDA marketing funnel. They focus on the company's early days — from the now-famous 2012 launch video to its smart use of humor as a top-of-funnel magnet, then follow how the brand moved buyers from interest to action without traditional retail gatekeepers. Along the way they discuss the economics of subscriptions, the role of creative in…
How Liquid Death Turned Water Into a Marketing Funnel
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into how Liquid Death, the canned water brand, turned a seemingly boring product into a marketing sensation. With a name like that, you'd expect edgy branding, but the real magic is in their funnel strategy. From awareness stunts that generate millions of views to community-driven engagement and a direct-to-consumer subscription model, Liquid Death has built a funnel that's as unconventional as its packaging. Lucas breaks down the specific tactics—like their…
How HubSpot Turned Its Own Marketing Funnel Into a Case Study
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into how HubSpot built a marketing funnel that practices what it preaches. From the original inbound methodology to the flywheel model, they break down the specific stages—awareness, consideration, decision—and how HubSpot's content engine, free tools, and CRM-ecosystem lock-in turn curious visitors into loyal advocates. They explore the numbers behind HubSpot's growth: how the company went from a small agency blog to a public company with over 200,000…
How Liquid Death Built a Marketing Funnel on Canned Water
Liquid Death turned canned water into a $1.4 billion brand by flipping the marketing funnel upside down. Instead of leading with health and hydration, it leads with irreverence, metal aesthetics, and a mission to kill plastic. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down how Liquid Death's awareness stage relies on shock value and humor, turning ads into shareable content that fuels organic growth. They explore the brand's 'Murder Your Thirst' positioning, its use of limited-edition drops to…
How Duolingo's Streak Built a Marketing Funnel
In this episode, Lucas and Luna unpack how Duolingo's streak feature transforms the marketing funnel into a daily habit loop. They trace the journey from awareness (those iconic green owl memes) to interest (streak notifications that pull you back) to decision (the premium tier upsell) and action (daily lessons that compound into brand loyalty). With specific numbers — like the 3 million paying subscribers and the 2025 brand refresh — they show why Duolingo's funnel doesn't end at a download…
How Liquid Death Built a Marketing Funnel on Canned Water
Liquid Death turned a commodity—water in a can—into a billion-dollar brand by flipping the marketing funnel upside down. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down how the company skipped traditional awareness campaigns and instead used outrageous branding, viral social content, and community-led events to pull people from curiosity to purchase. They dig into specific numbers: the 500 million cans sold, the 2.7 million followers on TikTok, and the company's valuation of 1.4 billion dollars…
How Patagonia's Worn Wear Program Redefines the Marketing Funnel
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into Patagonia's Worn Wear program and how it flips the traditional marketing funnel on its head. Instead of pushing new products, Patagonia encourages customers to buy used gear, repair what they own, and trade in their old items. With repair centers, trade-in credits, and a thriving secondhand marketplace, Worn Wear is not just a sustainability initiative—it's a masterclass in customer loyalty and brand advocacy. Lucas breaks down the numbers: how…
How Atlassian Built a Freemium Marketing Funnel for Enterprise Growth
Why does a company with a quarter-million customers have zero sales cold-calling? This episode unpacks Atlassian's unique marketing funnel: how developer docs, a freemium model, and bottom-up adoption replaced traditional B2B sales. Lucas and Luna walk through the awareness-to-action stages, from a developer searching Stack Overflow to an IT department buying 500 seats. Plus, a look at how product-led growth changes the role of marketing—and why Atlassian's approach is harder to copy than it…
How Morning Brew Built a Marketing Funnel for 3 Million Subscribers
Morning Brew went from a few hundred subscribers in 2016 to over 3 million in 2020, all without paid ads. This episode breaks down the referral-driven marketing funnel that turned every reader into a promoter. We explore how a daily newsletter used gamified sharing, strong brand voice, and a gradual transition to paid tiers to master the AIDA funnel. Perfect for marketers looking to build scalable audience growth with minimal spend. #MorningBrew #MarketingFunnel #NewsletterMarketing…
How a Tiny Taco Shop Built a Marketing Funnel on TikTok
In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down how a single-location taco shop in Austin used one viral TikTok video to build a full marketing funnel—from awareness to repeat purchase. Learn the specific tactics: how they turned viewers into customers, captured emails with a simple punch card, and used user-generated content to fuel word-of-mouth. Plus, the numbers: 500% increase in foot traffic and a 40% repeat customer rate within six months. A masterclass in hyperlocal, low-cost marketing.…
How The Farmer's Dog Personalized the Pet Food Marketing Funnel
The Farmer's Dog has built a marketing funnel around personalization, turning a simple dog food quiz into a viral top-of-funnel engine that also captures interest and drives conversions. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down how the brand's quiz-driven approach slashed customer acquisition costs, boosted retention, and created a seamless path from awareness to subscription. They discuss the clever use of free trials, personalized packaging, and social sharing loops that made The Farmer's…
How Patagonia Worn Wear Redesigned the Marketing Funnel
Patagonia's Worn Wear program flips the traditional marketing funnel on its head—instead of driving new purchases, it encourages repairs and resale. Lucas and Luna explore how this anti-consumption strategy builds extraordinary loyalty, with repeat purchase rates nearly double the average customer. They trace the program from a single repair truck to a global operation that includes trade-in events, online resale, and even a dedicated repair center. The episode unpacks the numbers behind the…
How Charity Water Built a Marketing Funnel on Radical Transparency
Nonprofits face a unique marketing challenge: they're selling trust, not a product. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down how Charity: Water engineered a marketing funnel around one bold promise—100% of public donations fund water projects. They trace the journey from awareness through viral storytelling to the decision moment where donors overcome skepticism. The episode dives into the specific metrics: how the '100% model' boosted conversion rates, how they used proof videos to reduce…
How Canva Built a Marketing Funnel on Freemium and Viral Loops
Canva now has over 100 million monthly active users, but it didn't get there through traditional advertising. Instead, the company engineered a marketing funnel that relies on freemium access, shareable templates, and viral loops. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace Canva's AIDA funnel from the awareness stage — where a single template shared on social media drives millions of impressions — through interest and decision stages that convert free users into paying subscribers at $12.99 per…
How The New York Times Built a Marketing Funnel for 11 Million Subscribers
The New York Times has over 11 million subscribers, but the path from free reader to paying customer is a carefully engineered marketing funnel. This episode breaks down each stage: how the metered paywall drives awareness, how newsletters like 'The Morning' build interest, the trial offers that nudge readers to decision, and the gamification of streak tracking that locks in action. We also explore how the Times uses separate funnels for Cooking and Games to cross-sell. Specific numbers and…
How Apple's Product Launch Funnel Drives Demand
Apple's product launches are masterclasses in marketing funnel execution. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down how Apple builds anticipation months before a keynote, moves potential buyers from awareness to interest through strategic leaks and influencer seeding, and converts them into action on launch day. They focus on a concrete example: the iPhone 17 launch cycle, showing how Apple uses its own ecosystem — from the Apple Store app to in-store pickup — to reduce friction at the…
How a Tiny Consulting Firm Built a Marketing Funnel on LinkedIn
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the marketing funnel of Oak Street Consulting, a five-person firm in Chicago that generated 40 qualified leads and closed 10 clients in six months—without a single dollar in ad spend. They explore how thought leadership articles on LinkedIn drove awareness, how engaged comments built interest, how free strategy calls pushed the decision stage, and how a simple spreadsheet CRM tracked action. Learn the exact content frequency, engagement metrics, and…
How Duolingo Gamifies the Marketing Funnel
In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine how Duolingo, the language-learning app with over 50 million monthly active users, has built a marketing funnel that blends gamification, push notifications, and product-led growth. They break down each stage: awareness through viral memes and social sharing; interest driven by free lessons and streak mechanics; decision via freemium friction points that nudge users toward Duolingo Plus; and action — whether subscribing or referring friends. The hosts…
How a Tiny Bookshop Beats Amazon at the Marketing Funnel
In this episode of The Marketing Funnel Podcast, Lucas and Luna break down how an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon—Powell's City of Books—has built a marketing funnel that rivals Amazon's. They explore how Powell's uses community events, curated recommendations, and a deep sense of place to move customers from awareness to action, all while keeping a loyal base of repeat buyers. The hosts also touch on the economics of indie retail, the role of surprise and delight in the decision…
How REI Turned Black Friday into a Marketing Funnel
In this episode of The Marketing Funnel Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how REI flipped the Black Friday script with its #OptOutside campaign. They trace how a single decision in 2015 — closing all 143 stores on the busiest shopping day of the year — built a marketing funnel that starts with awareness of anti-consumerist values, moves to interest through earned media and employee advocacy, drives decision via membership sign-ups, and converts to action in the form of repeat co-op engagement.…
How a Tiny Skincare Brand Mastered the Marketing Funnel
Most marketing funnel talk focuses on billion-dollar companies with huge budgets. In this episode, Lucas and Luna zoom in on a very different case: Dieux Skin, a small independent skincare brand that built a remarkably tight marketing funnel using radical transparency and community co-creation. They break down how Dieux's 'Forever Eye Mask' went viral not through ads but through Reddit AMAs, ingredient deep-dives, and a waitlist strategy that turned scarcity into loyalty. Lucas shares the…
How Small Retailers Win with Hyperlocal Marketing Funnels
Lucas and Luna explore how independent retailers use hyperlocal marketing funnels to compete with big-box stores and Amazon. They dive into the case of a bookstore in Portland that drives 70% of new customers through geo-targeted Instagram content and local event partnerships. Lucas breaks down the AIDA stages for hyperlocal: awareness via neighborhood hashtags and collaborations with local influencers, interest through community story workshops, decision via limited-time local discounts, and…
How a Tiny Bookshop Beats Amazon at the Marketing Funnel
Most indie bookstores can't compete with Amazon on price or speed. But Parnassus Books in Nashville has built a marketing funnel that converts visitors into lifelong customers at a rate most e-commerce brands would envy. This episode breaks down exactly how a brick-and-mortar store with under 20 employees generates word-of-mouth that drives 40% of new customer acquisition. Lucas and Luna walk through the four stages — awareness through advocacy — and land on one specific tactic Parnassus uses…
How Warby Parker Marketing Funnel Disrupted Eyewear
Lucas and Luna break down Warby Parker's marketing funnel from its 2010 launch to its current omnichannel strategy. They focus on the Home Try-On program as a lead-gen engine, the decision-stage bottleneck of online glasses buying, and how Warby Parker used social proof and physical stores to close sales. The episode digs into specific conversion metrics: how Home Try-On lifted purchase confidence, why 65% of buyers were first-time customers, and the role of the 'Buy a Pair, Give a Pair'…
How HubSpot Rebuilt Its Marketing Funnel for AI
In this episode of The Marketing Funnel Podcast, Lucas and Luna examine how HubSpot has redesigned its marketing funnel around artificial intelligence. They break down the CRM giant's shift from lead generation to conversational AI, the introduction of Content Hub and Breeze AI, and what it means for the classic AIDA model. With specific examples from HubSpot's 2025 product launches and their impact on customer acquisition costs, this episode offers a concrete look at how one of the largest…
How LEGO Rebuilt Its Marketing Funnel After Near Collapse
In the early 2000s, LEGO nearly went bankrupt. The company had overexpanded into theme parks, video games, and clothing — losing focus on its core brick. This episode of The Marketing Funnel Podcast dissects how LEGO rebuilt its funnel from the ground up. We trace the awareness stage through the LEGO Movie (2014), which acted as a massive top-of-funnel asset for both kids and nostalgic adults. We examine how LEGO tightened the interest stage by co-creating sets with adult fans (AFOLs), turning…
How Lululemons Membership Program Redesigned the Marketing Funnel
Lululemon's membership program is not a loyalty card—it's a marketing funnel redesign. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down how the athleisure giant uses its free and paid membership tiers to move customers from awareness through action. They examine the specific mechanics: the $168 annual fee for the paid tier, the 10 percent discount that drives repeat purchases, and the in-store fitness classes that turn casual shoppers into brand ambassadors. The hosts compare Lululemon's approach to…
How Glossier Built a Marketing Funnel on Community Feedback
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Glossier leveraged its community to reshape the classic marketing funnel. Instead of pushing products from awareness to action, Glossier turned customer feedback into a loop that drives product development and loyalty. Lucas explains how the brand's early blog 'Into The Gloss' became a focus group, generating insights for products like Boy Brow and Milky Jelly Cleanser. Luna highlights how Glossier's strategy challenges the traditional funnel by…
How Liquid Death Built a Marketing Funnel on Absurdity
Lucas and Luna break down Liquid Death's counterintuitive marketing funnel — a canned water brand that skipped traditional awareness tactics and leaned into heavy metal aesthetics, irreverent humor, and viral social media. They explore how the company turned a commodity into a lifestyle brand, moving customers from curiosity to purchase through absurdist content and community engagement. Specific numbers: 300 million social impressions per month, a direct-to-consumer subscription model that…
How Kia Engineered a Marketing Funnel for the EV9
Lucas and Luna break down how Kia built a marketing funnel for its EV9 SUV, from broad awareness ads targeting non-EV shoppers to a test-drive program that moves buyers from interest to action. They dive into the numbers: a 35 percent awareness lift in the U.S. during Q1 2026, a referral program that boosted decision-stage conversion by 18 percent, and a loyalty loop that uses over-the-air updates to keep owners engaged post-purchase. The hosts also explore why Kia chose to emphasize the EV9's…
How Liquid Death Built a Marketing Funnel on Absurdity
Episode 118 of The Marketing Funnel Podcast examines how Liquid Death, the canned water brand valued at over $1.4 billion, constructed its entire marketing funnel around absurdist humor and anti-corporate branding. Lucas and Luna trace the funnel from awareness via viral social media stunts and the 'murder your thirst' tagline, through interest in the brand's irreverent content, to decision driven by their unique merchandise and subscription model, and finally to action in the form of customer…
How Community-Led Growth Reshapes the Marketing Funnel
In Episode 117 of The Marketing Funnel Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how community-led growth (CLG) is flipping the traditional AIDA funnel on its head. Instead of top-of-funnel ads driving awareness, communities like Figma’s design community and Notion’s user groups create organic pull from the bottom up. Lucas breaks down how Figma’s community of 4 million designers acts as both an acquisition engine and a retention moat, generating a 3x higher conversion rate for paid plans. Luna questions…
How Fenty Beauty Built a Marketing Funnel on Inclusion
When Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty in 2017, the beauty industry had a standard playbook: launch with 20 foundation shades, target one demographic, and spend heavily on magazine ads. Fenty did the opposite — 40 shades, an inclusive message, and a marketing funnel that made 'pro-filter' the core of every stage from awareness to action. Lucas and Luna walk through how Fenty turned a social mission into a business advantage, with specific numbers: the 40-shade launch, the 8-figure first-month…
How the Marketing Funnel Explains Costco's Membership Model
In this episode of The Marketing Funnel Podcast, Lucas and Luna break down how Costco uses the classic AIDA funnel to drive over $250 billion in annual sales. They explore how the warehouse club's marketing strategy relies on membership fees as a pre-commitment device that aligns interest with action. Lucas explains the math behind the 2 percent markup cap and how it builds trust, while Luna points out how the treasure hunt experience converts foot traffic into impulse purchases. The episode…
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