Marketing funnels — what they are and why we structure briefs around them

The plain-English version

A "marketing funnel" is just a way of saying: people don't decide to buy something immediately. They go through stages. They start by not knowing you exist. They learn about you. They consider you. They buy. Then either they stay or they leave.

Each stage needs a different kind of message. An ad that's perfect for someone who's never heard of GLP-1 medication will not work on someone who's already comparing Eudaven against Hims. They have different questions, different objections, and different things they need from you.

If you give the same message to everyone, you either:

1. Confuse the new person (because you're answering questions they haven't asked yet), or
2. Bore the considering person (because you're explaining basics they already know).

This is the single most common reason marketing money is wasted.

The four stages we use

Every brief in this pipeline is tagged with one of four funnel_stage values. Memorize these — they show up everywhere.

1. Awareness

The reader doesn't know they have a problem yet, or doesn't know there's a treatment for it, or doesn't know Eudaven exists. Awareness ads are about introducing the category, not selling the product.

Examples of awareness messaging:

• "GLP-1 medications were originally developed for type 2 diabetes. The weight-management application came later."
• "Why some people lose weight steadily and others plateau — what your metabolism is actually doing."

Notice: no price, no CTA to start a trial, no comparison to anyone.

2. Consideration

The reader knows the category exists and is weighing options. This is where Eudaven gets named, where differentiation matters, where the competitive comparison happens (subject to GLP1-017 — no disparagement).

Examples:

• "What to look for in a GLP-1 telehealth provider."
• "Why Eudaven leads with branded medications and a licensed clinician."

3. Conversion

The reader is ready to start, but hasn't yet. The ad's job is to remove friction: cost transparency, what happens after signup, how the first visit works.

Examples:

• "Your first clinician visit takes 30 minutes. Here's what's covered."
• "$X/month includes the prescription, the clinician, and the follow-ups."

4. Retention

The reader is already a patient. Marketing here is about keeping them engaged, not selling them.

Examples:

• "Six months in — what to expect as you adjust dosing."
• "The labs your clinician will check at your next follow-up."

How to recognize the wrong stage

When you see a brief that confuses you, the most useful question to ask is: "who is this person, and where are they in the funnel?" If the answer is "I'm not sure," the brief isn't done yet.

Common mistakes:

• Awareness ad with a price. Telling someone who's never heard of GLP-1 that it's $X/month presumes they've already decided they want it. They haven't.
• Conversion ad without a CTA. If the reader is ready to act, a thoughtful long-form awareness piece is the wrong asset — give them the booking link.
• Retention email written like a conversion ad. Selling a patient on something they already bought is a fast way to make them leave.

Why this matters for Eudaven specifically

The GLP-1 vertical is unusual: a large portion of the patient population is in consideration, not awareness. They've heard of Wegovy and Ozempic. They know GLP-1 works. They're choosing a provider, not choosing a treatment.

That means most of Eudaven's brief volume should be consideration and conversion — and the awareness stage, when used, is really re-awareness: introducing Eudaven's specific point of view (branded-first, clinician-led, metabolic health framing — see the strategic playbook for the full positioning), not introducing GLP-1 itself.

What to do next

• Pick a brief at random and identify which funnel stage it's in.
• Ask: "Does the angle_hypothesis match the stage?" If a conversion brief leads with category education, something's off.
• See Personas next — funnel stage interacts with persona, and the combination determines almost everything else.