Raise your hand if you’ve used the traditional marketing funnel in the past 5 years. Many of us are familiar with the classic inverted funnel detailing the levels of the customer journey: awareness, consideration, conversion, etc.

Friends, it’s time to let it go.

In 2020, Google research introduced the “Messy Middle", revealing what we all have been feeling of late: the consumer decision-making process these days feels more like a child’s scribble on paper rather than a neatly-tiered funnel.

So when I ran across this blog post from A88Lab, “The Marketing Funnel is Dead”, I was inspired. The article beautifully interprets this concept, and I highly recommend reading it for a deeper dive. While it’s geared toward the B2B SaaS industry, the implications for consumer brands are just as valid.

But first, what is the Messy Middle?

Google’s research uncovered that consumers bounce between two mental states: exploration (expanding their options) and evaluation (narrowing them down). This loop continues, round and round, until a decision is made. In other words: no one smoothly descends down the ranks from awareness to advocacy. These days, we are all zig-zagging back and forth between pieces of content, social proof, reviews, recommendations, influencers, brand mentions, articles—anything that helps make a confident decision.

This chaotic, non-linear journey is what we publicists have always understood: trust is built over time, and purchase decisions are influenced by an accumulation of touchpoints, from whispers to billboards.

Why This Matters for Earned Media

In the Messy Middle, reputation is everything. Your consumers are influenced by what they see and hear about your brand when they’re not on your site or socials. This is where earned media—PR, influencer marketing, and the elusive realm of what A88Lab calls “Dark Social”—become essential.

As Darth Vader-y as it sounds, Dark Social simply refers to the sharing of content and opinions through private channels: DMs, texts, Slack groups, private Facebook groups, Reddit threads. You can’t track it in Google Analytics, but it’s where reputations are made or broken.

A New Context for PR and Influencer Marketing

Too often, PR is judged by metrics: impressions, UMVs, and media hits. Under the Messy Middle model, we need a new lens. PR’s role is no longer just to generate awareness—it’s to influence the endless loop of exploration and evaluation.

In practice, that means:

Building a persistent, trusted presence across third-party channels.
Partnering with third parties who align with your brand values (and who show up in those micro-moments of evaluation).
Seeding your narrative in a way that sparks conversation—even if you can't track every share or mention.
Embracing the unknown—understanding that influence often happens in invisible, unmeasurable ways, and being okay with not having all the data.

Long-Fused Marketing Wins

The A88Lab article makes a powerful point: the only way to earn true customer loyalty is through long-fused, persistent marketing efforts. It’s wonderful when PR and influencer campaigns deliver instant ROI, but their real power lies in shaping the environment where conversions become inevitable.

Marketers: if you’re rethinking your strategies for 2025 and beyond, consider this your permission slip to stop chasing funnels—and start investing in reputation.

Look me in the eyes.

You have no idea how PR works, right?

Say it. SAY IT.

Whew. What a relief. Do you feel better? I feel better.

Because I know the discomfort. I’ve been that person at the dinner who gets tentatively asked, “So ....you wrote the article?” To which I replied, “No Dad, I PITCHED the article.”

All kidding aside, PR is a career I adore, but for as long as I’ve been in it, it’s been shrouded in mystery and misconception. So let’s bust some myths.

Myth #1: All you need is a press release.

Oh, the worshiped and dreaded press release! Somehow we have been romanced into thinking that putting a press release on the wire will have the New York Times beating down our door. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Think of the press release as a billboard for your business. When you drive by a billboard, it makes an impression, but just momentarily. You drive by it, and it’s out of sight, out of mind. It works well to help boost SEO, but to generate true earned media coverage, it has to be customized for each and every audience. A press release can be a great starting point, but it is just one tool in the toolbox.

Myth #2: National coverage is more effective than local coverage in generating awareness.

Not necessarily. Local media speaks directly to your target audience in your specific area and can actually be a very laser-focused and a budget-friendly starting point. The local media understand the interests and concerns of the area, potentially making your message resonate more deeply than a broad national story. Also, people tend to trust local news sources more. They see them as familiar and relevant to their everyday lives, making them more receptive to information from a local paper or TV station.

Myth #3: Investing in PR will guarantee results.

I wish, wish, WISH this were true. Many variables go into launching a PR campaign and ensuring its efficacy: crafting the right message, targeting the right media, timing the news. But it’s called “earned” media for a reason. When deploying a publicity campaign, your news is fed through a filter of scrutiny by the press, and it is up to them how that news may (or may not) get covered. This is why crafting a compelling, specific, and persuasive story is so important.

Myth #4: PR is an essential part of a marketing strategy.

False. Not every business benefits from public relations. In fact, some business models may be able to generate more attention through social media, advertising, or working with influencers. Others just aren’t ready for PR at their stage of the business. I frequently turn away clients because they haven’t reached the appropriate point in the lifecycle of the business to make PR worthwhile. It’s not just a question of “Am I ready for PR?” but also “Am I ready for PR right now?”

Myth #5: PR should only be executed by a professional publicist or agency.

Unpopular opinion…and with all due respect for my industry friends…the truth is you can DIY publicity. And sometimes that’s the best way to go. Startups, entrepreneurs and small marketing teams don’t often have the budget to engage with professionals. But with the right guidance and knowledge, it’s absolutely possible to bootstrap a publicity effort. Another option is to work with a freelancer on an hourly or project basis to outsource some of the legwork, and execute what you can internally.

Myth #6: PR coverage should be measured just like any digital marketing effort.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have been romanced by data. We are awash in data. We are gluttons for data. And while it’s so great that we now have many more metrics in place for measurement than ever before, analytics don’t necessarily provide the full picture of the message absorption, impression and resulting action. When I work with clients, I encourage them to look at both data-driven metrics (UVM, circulation) and sentiment-driven metrics (article tone, comments, customer feedback). Also consider the value and impact of the connections that a publicist or agency brought to the table. Working with a publicist who knows how to engage with journalists, business partners, like-minded organizations, and influencers can turn those media hits into something much more powerful, with long-lasting ripple effects.

Myth #7: PR is expensive.

It doesn’t have to be. Most agencies will have a minimum retainer of 5 figures, which is why working with a freelancer often makes more sense for small businesses. Freelancers can provide pricing on an hourly, project, or small retainer basis. Some freelance publicists (hi there!) even offer flexible DIY pricing models, where the planning and research is done by the publicist, and then transitions the project to the client for the execution stage.

But now that you know the truth about PR, the next question becomes (cue Taylor Swift): Are you ready for it?

When I’m talking to client prospects, I go through a checklist of indicators for “PR Readiness.” I’ve created a PR Prep Checklist that breaks down all the elements of a foundation of a publicity campaign, so that you can plan your campaign or engage with PR help confidently.

download the pr checklist here