Top of Funnel
CRM & RetentionAlso: TOFU · Awareness Stage · Upper Funnel
Quick definition
Top of funnel (TOFU) refers to the awareness stage of the buyer journey. People here have a problem or interest but have not yet identified your brand as a solution. TOFU marketing is about being found and building initial trust.
Where it shows up in the data
What it actually means
Top-of-funnel marketing targets people who are not yet aware of your brand or have not yet identified they need your category of solution. It is the widest, least commercially-targeted layer of marketing activity. TOFU content and advertising aims to be useful, entertaining or informative in a way that creates positive first impressions and brand recall. The goal is not immediate conversion — it's being present and credible when the buyer eventually moves towards a purchase decision. Examples include educational blog posts, YouTube videos, social media content, podcast appearances and top-level brand advertising.
Businesses that only invest in bottom-funnel marketing are harvesting demand they didn't create. Eventually the harvest ends.
The Australian context
Australian marketing budgets tend to skew heavily toward performance (bottom-funnel) channels, particularly in e-commerce. This creates opportunities for brands willing to invest in brand-building and educational content to establish category authority. Google's brand safety data shows Australian consumers are more likely to purchase from brands they've seen across multiple channels before the conversion event.
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About New Rebellion
New Rebellion is a marketing intelligence consultancy. We build tools, score Australian businesses on how their marketing actually performs, and publish Debrief every day. This dictionary is part of how we work in the open.
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