embracing Cognitive dissonance

The funnel is a myth. Customers don’t move neatly from awareness to purchase. They never have. They zigzag. They pause. They doubt. And often, their strongest rationalizations come after they've handed over the money.

Because choosing creates tension. The moment you click 'buy', you're confronted by every alternative you ignored. We humans hate that tension, so we do something instinctive: we justify.

This isn’t buyer’s remorse, it's cognitive dissonance. To silence doubt, customers look for reassurance. They magnify the positives, downplay alternatives, and search for confirmation.

Most brands miss this entirely. They believe marketing stops at checkout. But the best marketers understand the real opportunity comes immediately after purchase.

Brands who have learned about the messy nature of customers send confirmations that reinforce the reasons behind the purchase. They know the best brand ambassadors are recent buyers, not the loyal ones. They invite feedback instantly, knowing that freshly minted customers crave reassurance and that social proof at this stage cements belief more than brand promises.

The customer journey isn’t linear. It’s chaotic, human, messy. And the best brands don't run from that chaos. They embrace it.

Because in the end, what we buy is rarely just about the product. It’s about the stories we tell ourselves afterward.