Mid-funnel marketing is the stage between awareness and conversion—where curious customers turn into committed ones.
At PDMI East 2025, experts Sergei Peysakhov and Jeremy Herbert, with moderator Paul Sylvia, unpacked how smart mid-funnel strategies drive real growth
So, What is Mid-Funnel Marketing Anyway?
Think of mid-funnel marketing as the “dating phase” of the customer journey.
They know who you are, they’re interested—but they’re not ready to commit just yet.
This stage sits between awareness and conversion. Your job?
- Build trust
- Keep the conversation going
- Show up with value (not just a sales pitch)
Thanks to tools like Google’s Customer Match and AI-powered marketing platforms like CTV advertising, brands can now find and engage these almost-there customers with incredible precision—right when they’re weighing their options.
It’s less “Buy now!” and more “Here’s why we’re a great fit.”
Balancing Mid-Funnel Messaging for Maximum Impact
The real challenge? Speaking to two mindsets at once—the ones ready to take action, and the ones who need a little more convincing.
Your message has to do both: drive results now and build long-term brand equity.
That’s where the ABCD Framework comes in:
Attention:
Hook with eye-catching visuals and storytelling
Branding:
Keep your brand front
and center
Connection:
Show how your product solves a real problem
Direction:
Make the next step clear and compelling
This formula helps marketers stay grounded, even as they juggle multiple audience mindsets.
Rethinking Traditional Channels: DRTV & Brand TV
Mid-funnel marketing isn’t just a digital game. Traditional channels like DRTV and Brand TV still pack a punch—if you use them strategically.
Take this real-world example:
A brand decided to cut premium, brand-focused TV placements in favor of high-performance-only spots.
Sounds efficient, right?
Wrong. Conversions dropped.
Once they brought the brand-building ads back, performance bounced back too.
Moral of the story: Brand-building is performance.
You can’t skip the middle and expect the bottom to deliver.
That’s why today’s smartest marketers are leaning into a hybrid approach known as Brandformance—a blend of branding and performance strategies designed to work together, not compete.
What’s powering this shift?
- Smarter AI + automation
- Advanced targeting across channels like CTV, programmatic, and search
- A demand for cohesive, full-funnel customer experiences, not scattered one-offs
Mid-funnel is the bridge—and Brandformance is how you build it.
How to Measure Mid-Funnel Marketing Success
Mid-funnel impact is often under-measured—or worse, mismeasured.
Watch out for the “Attribution Death Spiral”: when marketers over-optimize one channel or tactic, starving the broader strategy.
Instead:
- Use a mix of performance and brand metrics
- Track longer-term engagement and conversion trends
- Avoid letting short-term wins derail long-term growth
The Future Is Mid-Funnel
Mid-funnel marketing isn’t a gap to fill—it’s a growth engine. It turns awareness into intent, and intent into loyalty.
Success here means:
- Higher conversions
- Stronger brand equity
- More sustainable growth
The Brands that Win Tomorrow are Investing in the Middle of the Funnel Today.
