Rethinking Engagement for the AI Era

Last week at SAMPS Europe 2025, I had the privilege of speaking alongside some of the sharpest minds in scientific marketing. My session, From Funnels to Webs, posed a central question: What happens when the models we use to engage buyers no longer reflect how they actually behave?

Spoiler: it’s already happening. The marketing funnel - as a linear guide through awareness, interest, decision, and action - no longer works as a model for the buying journey in the AI era.

Rather than a funnel, a “random walk” across a “web of influence” is perhaps a more apt metaphor for B2B buying journeys that are nonlinear, multi-touch and emotionally complex.

As I shared during the session, buyers aren’t ‘falling into’ funnels anymore. They’re exploring a web of information driven by AI suggestions and peer signals, not campaign sequencing.

AI isn't just amplifying complexity it’s creating entirely new engagement dynamics and we need frameworks that adjust accordingly.

Start with the buying jobs to be done

Buying groups are complicated and difficult to navigate. Researchers from Gartner found that 77% of B2B buyers found their purchase journey “extremely complex.”

As I wrote previously, by applying “jobs to be done” theory to the B2B buying journey, they uncovered disruptive insights into how business customers make decisions.

 Their research found B2B buyers don’t follow the linear journeys that traditional sales funnel models suggest. Instead, buyers move through non-linear paths as they seek solutions to their unique “buying jobs.”

These buying jobs generally fall within the following categories: problem identification, solution exploration, requirements building, supplier selection, validation and consensus creation. 

Buyers use a combination of digital and human interactions, and most buyers revisit at least one buying job during their purchase journey.
While the Google search has long dominated how buyers search for information online, they are relying more and more on AI search (especially Deep Research tools) that often lead to “no click” searches.

In the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) article "It's Time for Marketers to Move Beyond the Linear Funnel," the authors reimagine the traditional linear marketing funnel to better reflect the complexities of modern buying journeys. BCG introduces the concept of the "influence map," which emphasises understanding and leveraging key buying behaviours that occur throughout the purchasing journey.  

The article underscores that reach alone does not guarantee influence. Influence is determined by factors such as the level of attention a buyer pays at a given moment, the relevance of the marketing content to the buyer’s needs, and the buyer’s degree of trust in the touchpoint or platform.

They encourage marketers to plan their marketing strategies based on what truly drives influence and to lean into AI to power execution.

By adopting this approach, brands can move beyond the limitations of the traditional linear funnel, adopting a more dynamic and responsive strategy that aligns with the non-linear nature of today's buying behaviours.

From Playbooks to Experiments

I closed my talk with this challenge: “When’s the last time your playbook surprised you?” Funnels rely on predictability, while webs thrive on experimentation.

If AI is the engine, then trust is the fuel. And humans? We’re the differentiator. AI can provide insight and scale tactics, but strategy, judgment, and connection remain uniquely human.

Marketing is being redefined - not just by tools, but by mindset. From static funnels to adaptive webs. From generic tactics to precise, empathetic engagement. From lone campaigns to connected ecosystems.