The world of commerce today is a far cry from the neatly ordered landscape of the past. Ecommerce did not just introduce a new way to shop, it rewrote the rules of engagement, redefined the pathways to purchase, and forced brands to rethink what it means to be relevant in a consumer’s life. The old brand funnel, with its predictable stages of awareness, interest, desire, and action, has given way to a more complex, dynamic reality, one that demands agility, empathy, and a keen understanding of the human behind every transaction.
The Disruption of the Funnel
In the pre-digital era, marketing strategies followed a scripted narrative. Brands would broadcast messages, hope to capture attention, and guide consumers toward a sale. The journey was linear, and the metrics were clear. But as ecommerce platforms proliferated and digital touchpoints multiplied, the consumer’s path became anything but straightforward. A customer might encounter a brand for the first time through a friend’s Instagram story, research it on YouTube, abandon a cart on a mobile app, and finally make a purchase in a physical store. The entry and exit points are fluid, and the journey is full of detours.
Jessica Erasmus, Marketing Director at Digital Silk, captures this shift well: “In today’s crowded digital marketplace, brands must build identities that resonate consistently across channels. The consumer’s path is nonlinear, and brands that succeed are those that embrace storytelling and authenticity at every touchpoint.”
From Advocacy to the Flywheel
Advocacy, once considered a post-purchase bonus, is now central to brand growth. The traditional funnel couldn’t contain the modern journey. What replaced it is the flywheel, a cyclical, self-reinforcing model that places delighted customers at the core. Their satisfaction spins the wheel faster, driving referrals, repeat purchases, and organic growth.
This model is not just theory. In India, quick commerce platforms like Blinkit, Dunzo, and Swiggy Instamart thrive on the flywheel’s momentum. A customer who receives a ten-minute delivery shares that experience, bringing others in. It is advocacy in motion, scaled by convenience and speed.
The Renewed Relevance of Awareness
In a 365-day retail cycle, awareness is no longer a campaign, it is a constant state of readiness. Brands must be visible, yes, but more importantly, they must be relevant when the moment of decision arrives. Visibility without relevance is noise.
Uri Minkoff, co-founder and CEO of Rebecca Minkoff, underscores this evolution with his brand’s adoption of immersive digital experiences: “Our customers want to connect deeply with our designs, to understand texture, fit, and style before buying. By bringing immersive experiences online, we increase both engagement and conversion.”
Indian quick commerce apps have taken this principle further. Hyperlocal campaigns ensure a brand is not just present, but hyper-relevant to needs of the hour, whether that is a forgotten ingredient or a midnight snack. Meanwhile, platforms like Lazada and Amazon use algorithms to anticipate consumer needs, ensuring brand presence is seamlessly embedded in everyday moments.
GTM Strategies in the Age of Acceleration
The go-to-market process has shifted from grand launches to perpetual iteration. The challenge is not just speed, it is sustainability. Launch fast, yes, but without burning out teams or losing sight of the human elements behind the metrics.
Barbara Humpton, CEO of Siemens USA, puts it simply: “Great things come from within. When teams are empowered, aligned, and supported, they innovate and execute with passion.”
Cross-functional collaboration is now non-negotiable. At Amazon, GTM means synchronised execution, sales, marketing, logistics, product, and support all rowing in the same direction. At Blinkit, dynamic demand-supply balancing relies on integrated thinking across tech and ops, often in real-time.
AI as the Collaboration Catalyst
Artificial Intelligence is not just a tool for automation, it is the connective tissue that enables scale, insight, and agility. It allows teams to share a common view of the customer, anticipate friction points, and act faster.
Digital Silk outlines how AI is now central to fraud detection, behavior analysis, and instant personalisation. In ecommerce, AI chatbots deliver support round-the-clock while data-driven recommendations increase basket size and reduce churn. In OTT, Netflix uses AI not just to suggest what to watch, but to guide content creation and maintain streaming quality, ensuring every viewer feels seen.
AI enables presence at scale, without losing the nuance that makes interactions human.
The Power of Personalization
Whether it is an ecommerce platform suggesting essentials, a quick commerce app knowing your late-night cravings, or a streaming service predicting your next binge, personalization has become the norm. AI is the engine, but empathy is the guide.
Personalisation transforms passive consumers into engaged users. When done well, it creates a rhythm of relevance, one that deepens trust and accelerates purchase decisions. It is not about knowing more; it is about knowing what matters.
Community and Content: The New Multipliers
Beyond technology, brands are turning to community and content to build loyalty. Quick commerce apps partner with micro-influencers, creating grassroots credibility. Ecommerce brands harness user-generated content to create social proof. OTT players like Netflix build fandoms and shared culture through original content.
Community turns customers into participants. Content fuels connection. Together, they multiply the effect of each marketing dollar.
A Holistic View: From Awareness to Outcomes
The journey from brand awareness to business outcomes is no longer a straight line, it is a continuous cycle. Brands must show up at every point with relevance, empathy, and purpose. They must organise internally to reflect the external complexity they face. And they must see customers not as endpoints in a funnel, but as engines of momentum.
As Laura Gurski of Publicis Commerce puts it, “The brands that win are those that can be present and meaningful in the micro-moments of decision, when a consumer is ready to buy, not just when a brand is ready to sell.”
This is the modern mandate: to engage, to collaborate, and to evolve continuously. Brands that embrace this will not only survive the complexity of today, they will thrive because of it.
Conclusion: The New Reality
Ecommerce has done more than disrupt commerce. It has reshaped the brand journey into something dynamic, human, and real. Funnels have given way to flywheels. Campaigns have become conversations. Awareness has transformed into a state of being remembered, trusted, and chosen.
From India’s quick commerce battlegrounds to global ecommerce giants to OTT platforms redefining entertainment, one truth stands out: the future belongs to brands that understand that awareness is only the beginning. True success lies in the ongoing cycle of engagement, collaboration, and growth.