---
id: "prereq-marketing-funnel-d13"
type: "prereq"
source_timestamps: ["§ AI Is Upending Marketing on Two Fronts", "§ Where Conversational AI Sits in the Funnel"]
tags: ["marketing-theory"]
related: ["concept-mid-funnel-ai"]
reason: "Required to understand why conversational AI's 'mid-funnel' positioning is disruptive and highly valuable."
sources: ["geo"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-geo"
originDay: 3
articleStem: "hbr-ext-13-ai-upending-marketing"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/02/ai-is-upending-marketing-on-two-fronts"
sourceTitle: "AI Is Upending Marketing on Two Fronts"
---
# Traditional Marketing Funnel

**Prerequisite knowledge.** The author assumes the reader understands the **traditional marketing funnel** — moving consumers from awareness → consideration → purchase — and how different digital channels (social media vs. search) map to different stages of intent.

**Why it's required:** Necessary to understand why conversational AI's **mid-funnel** positioning is disruptive and highly valuable — see [[concept-mid-funnel-ai]]. Social monetizes low-intent top-of-funnel attention; search monetizes high-intent bottom-of-funnel; chatbots occupy the contested middle.


## Related across articles
- [[prereq-marketing-funnel-d97]]
- [[prereq-performance-marketing-funnel]]
- [[prereq-traditional-b2b-funnel]]