---
title: "Deep Dive | Which Old Marketing Theories Did Kotler Overturn?"
description: "On the night of February 23, while browsing in Eslite Taipei Dunhua store, I found Kotler's Chinese edition of 'Marketing 4.0' (published in late 2017). In it, Kotler proposes four new customer experience models for the digital age: doorknob, goldfish, trumpet, and funnel, each composed of five A's. This article explores these models and the marketing theories Kotler overturns."
author: "王东魁"
publisher: "New Distribution"
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published: "2019-03-09"
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# Deep Dive | Which Old Marketing Theories Did Kotler Overturn?

> On the night of February 23, while browsing in Eslite Taipei Dunhua store, I found Kotler's Chinese edition of 'Marketing 4.0' (published in late 2017). In it, Kotler proposes four new customer experience models for the digital age: doorknob, goldfish, trumpet, and funnel, each composed of five A's. This article explores these models and the marketing theories Kotler overturns.

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On the night of February 23, with two days left in my trip, I planned to stay overnight at Eslite Taipei Dunhua store to pick books to bring back to Beijing. While searching the shelves, I found the Chinese edition of Kotler's 'Marketing 4.0' (published in late 2017; mainland version translated as 'Marketing Revolution 4.0' by Huazhang Publishing).
Coincidentally, I opened to a diagram I had never seen before. For the digital age, Kotler proposes four customer experience models: doorknob, goldfish, trumpet, and funnel. Each model consists of five A's.
Out of professional curiosity, I wondered what these 'A's were.
I sensed that in this book, Kotler might overturn some old systems. After returning to Beijing, I spent several days taking extensive notes on the book's key points. Hence, this article.
**First, let's look at**
**Which famous marketing concepts did Kotler overturn?**
**1. Brand Awareness:**
In the FMCG industry, brand awareness may equate to market share. However, in industries with high customer involvement and long purchase cycles (e.g., automotive, real estate, large appliances, education), brand awareness is just the beginning of marketing efforts.
Buying a bottle of water and buying a car involve different decision times. The more important the decision, the more we need to consider comprehensively and deliberate. So sometimes even if a brand is well-known, consumers may still hesitate.
**2. The 4Ps:**
The 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) is a structure that excludes consumer influence. In the age of online communities, the marketing mix has evolved to allow more customer participation. The 4Ps should be redefined as the 4Cs: co-creation, currency, communal activation, and conversation.
How to understand the 4Cs? The 4Cs are essentially the 4Ps of the internet age. The difference is from 'product' to 'co-create product', from 'pricing' to 'floating pricing', from 'place' to 'communal activation of place', and from one-way 'promotion' to two-way 'conversation'.
For communal activation of place, Kotler uses the sharing economy as an example. I personally find the evidence insufficient, so I'll reserve judgment. The others are easy to understand, especially floating pricing. Not to mention airlines and hotels, we are familiar with Xiaomi setting price curves based on component price reduction cycles, and e-commerce giants showing targeted prices based on consumer identity and purchasing habits.
**3. Net Promoter Score (NPS)**
NPS = (Promoters ÷ Total Customers) - (Detractors ÷ Total Customers)
This is a common formula in traditional marketing to measure promotional effectiveness.
But distinctive brands often have similar proportions of 'detractors' and 'promoters'. Using detractors to offset promoters can result in a very low NPS, which does not reflect reality.
In community marketing, Kotler calls for redefining 'detractors'. Critics can make brand conversations richer and more interesting, and can also provoke more promoter backlash. Smart brands even create opportunities for 'self-deprecation'; criticism can keep an organization alive. This applies to any organization, really.
**4. Customer Loyalty**
Measuring customer loyalty by repurchase rate is too outcome-oriented. After community power is integrated into marketing architecture, customer loyalty should be redefined as 'whether customers are willing to recommend the brand'.
Just like many Tesla advocates who have never bought a Tesla. Apple had many non-user fans before Jobs returned. A colleague who worked at Apple told me about a kid who came to every expo. He didn't own an Apple computer but knew more about Macs than the staff. My colleague was so moved that he wanted to give the kid a Mac several times, but it was too expensive.
The most valuable content in this book is not these, but the five 'A's I questioned. That is:
**The New Customer Experience Path**
**The process from unfamiliarity to advocacy.**
The first to propose the 'customer experience path' was Elmo Lewis, the first president of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. It was used as a simple checklist and reminder for advertisers when designing ads and for salespeople when contacting potential customers, to measure the impact of their work on customers or to determine which stage the customer is at.
To date, the customer experience path has undergone three generations of change.
**First Generation (AIDA): Advertising + Salesperson Model.**
Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action.
**Second Generation (4A): Advertising + Salesperson + Customer Service Center Model.**
Aware, Attitude, Act, Act Again.
In the internet age, your thoughts may not be your own. Communities embrace various voices—positive, critical, enthusiastic, etc. These voices help customers gain more comprehensive knowledge and experience, influencing your final decision. Philip Kotler upgraded the customer experience path from 4A to 5A based on these changes.
**Third Generation (5A): Advertising + Customer Service + Community Advocacy Model.**
Aware, Appeal, Ask, Act, Advocate.
**Still a bit dry, isn't it?**
Let's find a real-world reference to help remember.
**Considering customer influence, the third-generation path resembles a woman's reaction to a suitor: encounters, intuition, hesitation, action, and finally introducing him to friends and family. We can use this process and five WeChat emojis to reinforce memory of these five stages.**
**A1. Awareness: I know**
Touchpoints: introductions by others, accidental ad exposure, recalling past experiences.
This stage is like meeting an attractive person on the street, or a friend introducing someone to a single you. If the introduction is the same person you met on the street, that's perfect.
**A2. Appeal: I like**
Touchpoints: attracted by the brand, associations with the ad appeal, long-term memory formation.
After closer inspection, you find that this person is exactly your dream type, fitting your taste in every way. You even start imagining your future life together. Psychologists say opposites attract, but if opposites repel, it's more severe because humans can't help imagining life with the other. So brands shouldn't try to win everyone's heart; some will like you, some will be annoyed. Brain Platinum gets criticized daily, but people still buy it.
**A3. Ask: I'm torn**
Touchpoints: asking friends, checking online reviews, contacting customer service, comparing prices, trying in-store.
If the first impression is good, you might go on a date or shopping. But you know, no one is perfect, and no product is perfect. Choice is painful; choosing means giving up. You start to hesitate, doubting whether their promises are true. So you date while seeking advice from experienced people. Consumers start searching for third-party reviews extensively at this stage.
**Quick fact: Nobel laureate and economic psychologist Daniel Kahneman argues that the rational brain, due to high energy consumption, often accepts intuitive judgments unless it's a life-or-death issue. So at this stage, consumers may seek more positive information to support the intuition from A2, even if they see negative information.**
**A4. Action: I want to buy**
Touchpoints: purchasing in physical stores or e-commerce, first use, complaints, receiving service.
After hearing a mix of good and bad opinions, you still have to decide. With more information reinforcing your choice, you firm up your decision. You go for it, and officially start. So consumers begin a series of interactions with the brand, from purchase to using the product or service.
**A5. Advocacy: I recommend**
Touchpoints: continuing to use the brand, repeat purchases, recommending to others.
After choosing and using, if it's good, what then? You make it official, introduce it to friends and family, and stay together long-term.
So why do women love shopping so much? The feeling of excitement, hesitation, and then going for it is like a 'first love experience' every time. No wonder psychologists say shopaholics are due to lack of love.
Remember these five stages. I've been quite talkative to help you remember.
A1: I know; A2: I like;
A3: I'm torn; A4: I want to buy;
A5: I recommend.
Okay, have you remembered these five 'A's? If so, here's the question: Which stage has the most influence on decisions?
It's this one: I'm torn, i.e., A3.
It represents how curious consumers are and how long they take to decide. High curiosity means consumers are patient and will research brand information deeply; but if they hesitate too long, things might change. Why do they hesitate? Because they don't fully understand the 'brand promise'. Like a woman deciding to be with a partner, she wonders if his words are true. But if she doesn't hesitate much, it might be because she doesn't care much.
However, too much curiosity also brings risk; moderation is best.
So, the second question: How to tell if consumers care about the brand? You might think it's 'A4: I want to buy'.
Wrong! It's 'I recommend', A5.
Being together doesn't guarantee longevity. She only introduces you to her family if she truly cares, right? Why do consumers recommend a brand to friends and announce it to the world? Because of 'brand affinity'—she treats you as family.
**So, A3 and A5 are key metrics for customer willingness.**
Now, let's discuss their use.
Their use is:
**A guide for developing marketing strategies for your company or your client.**
The ideal path is: moderate A3 and high A5. That is, consumers have moderate curiosity but aren't overly picky or probing. After purchase, their enthusiasm increases, satisfaction is high, and they actively recommend the brand to others.
Wake up! Stop dreaming. That's just an ideal model. The real world isn't like that.
Look back at the diagram I mentioned at the start.
Kotler lists four common customer experience paths: doorknob, goldfish, trumpet, and funnel. The doorknob and goldfish types differ most in A3.
The doorknob type has a small A3, meaning consumers don't hesitate much, are easily persuaded, and have high purchase impulse (A4). But the downside is a small A5; they don't care much about the brand, and recommendation value is low. This is most common in FMCG. Buying a bottle of water doesn't require checking Dianping.
The goldfish type is different; customers are rational. Don't flirt with me; I'll check your reputation (A3) first. If the 'political review' passes, everything proceeds smoothly—money in hand, goods in hand—and recommendation value (A5) is normal. This is most common in education and tourism. Brand intuition doesn't differ much, so customers are less influenced by ads and more by other consumers' feedback and word-of-mouth.
The trumpet type is characterized by a small action value (A4) but a rebound in recommendation value (A5). That is, few buy, but many are eager to show off. You've probably guessed the industry: luxury goods. This model is often seen in lifestyle brands like high-end cars, luxury watches, designer bags. As the famous line from the movie 'Big Shot's Funeral' goes: 'Not the best, but the most expensive!'
The funnel type is the most complete path; other models have customers skipping certain touchpoints. For example, doorknob type might skip A3 and go straight to purchase; goldfish type might go through A3 before A2. The funnel type goes through all touchpoints. Each touchpoint can influence or cause customers to leave. The positioning of the funnel type must be based on real customer experience. Examples include real estate, large appliances, furniture, where consumers enjoy the full experience. Another category is disruptive innovation, especially in innovative industries using new technology, which also falls into this type because tech products should focus on customer experience.
**Now that we know this, what can we do?**
Let's apply them to the ideal model.
Clearly, the doorknob type's weakness is brand affinity. Because unit price is low, choices are casual. Customer loyalty is low, and recommendation value (A5) is low. So we understand why big FMCG brands love to promote group and identity in TV ads. Like the two famous carbonated drinks, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, whose ads have represented different consumer groups for decades. This is to increase consumers' identity affinity with the brand.
The goldfish type's advantage is the strongest customer curiosity (A3). This means more accurate promises will drive purchases. Whether choosing extracurricular classes for children or planning a trip, we spend a lot of time understanding details. We value substantive content over supplier brand. In these industries, we prefer suppliers who give us more promises and reassurance. Also, building brand communities is more conducive to promotion. When children enter K12 education, most educational info in the family comes from parent communities. Leverage the goldfish type's curiosity.
The trumpet type is perfect from A1 to A3, but luxury goods target niche markets, so few reach A4. However, you can expand channels to increase brand promises, encouraging high-advocacy fans who haven't bought to decide. You can also increase after-sales service responsibility to enhance luxury's reputation for quality and durability, changing the views of those with purchasing power but no purchase.
Funnel-type brands should focus on building brand communities to enhance brand affinity. Although loyalty is high in the funnel path and customers don't switch easily, poor customer experience can drive them to other brands. This loss can be mitigated through brand-related online communities.
Okay, the most important new tool in Marketing 4.0 has been introduced. Let me add some basics for those new to the concept. You might be confused: How did we get to 4.0? What determines these versions?
**Marketing 1.0:** The 4Ps, seller-market oriented, as mentioned earlier.
**Marketing 2.0:** 'Positioning', buyer-market oriented, frequently mentioned when discussing brands.
**Marketing 3.0:** Experiential marketing catering to consumption upgrades.
**What is Marketing 4.0?**
In early 2015, an article in Wu Xiaobo Channel titled 'Bill Gates Joins New Marketing Team' pointed out that the old three treasures of marketing (advertising war, price war, channel pyramid) had failed. Teacher Xiaobo gave six new directions: 1. Brand atavism; 2. Channel flattening; 3. Hard ads failing; 4. Happy marketing; 5. Customization first; 6. Fan economy.
That year, self-media of all sizes added sales categories, dreaming of 'platforms' that would disrupt retail.
But things didn't go as planned. By the end of 2015, everyone found that top-selling products were closely related to platform attributes. Pan Apple and Liu Peach quietly exited; Teacher Wu Xiaobo's artisan market was more like a handicraft show. One textile brand I was involved with also quietly returned to OEM last year.
So some said community marketing and content marketing are pseudo-concepts. In the second half of 2015, I discussed this with Teacher Xiao Ma Song. At that time, unscrupulous social marketing was calming down, and people thought we'd gradually return to traditional marketing.
From Marketing 4.0, we see how Kotler views online communities. He doesn't see them as gravediggers of sales channels but as tools to increase brand affinity. However, he believes 'tightly connected consumers hold the power' (Kotler's words).
The 4Ps are also a controversial concept. Almost every iteration attacks them, but they still stand. The 4Cs are just the internet version of the 4Ps.
In the 5A structure, salespeople are barely mentioned. Commercial marketing may be getting closer to Kotler's famous quote: 'Marketing is making selling superfluous.'
**So why is there Marketing 4.0?**
Kotler identifies three main contradictions in the current marketing landscape:
**Contradiction 1: Online and offline interaction must coexist.**
Neither online nor offline can kill the other; they are interdependent. Only by coexisting can they provide the best customer experience. The main reason is that every step of consumer-brand interaction involves both. Virtual experiences, review systems, big data analysis from online, and logistics, product experience, and opinions from friends and family offline all influence consumer decisions.
Integrating online and offline is a challenge brands must face.
**Contradiction 2: Customers have abundant information but can't focus.**
The main factors influencing customer decisions come from three sources: media communication, brand communities and opinions of friends and family, and customers' inherent perceptions and experiences.
The problem is customers are increasingly distracted. Due to information overload, consumer attention span has shrunk from 13 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013 (data from the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information). Ads and sales pitches struggle to persuade within 30 seconds. So consumers rely more on other consumers and social relationships than ever before, even surpassing their own preferences and marketing communications.
Therefore, marketing communications must have WOW elements to make consumers feel it's worth attention and recommendation. Brands must create brand topics in communities. They must also cultivate loyal advocates to influence new customers.
**Contradiction 3: Negative publicity is a necessary evil.**
Brands can never please everyone. Since you can't stop the bashing, use it to provoke backlash.
Brand advocacy is usually driven by external factors (inquiries, negative publicity). Spontaneous advocacy is rare; only die-hard fans actively promote. But distinctive brands always have detractors. Negative publicity isn't necessarily bad; without it, positive advocacy might not surface. Brand haters are a necessary evil; without them, brand conversations become boring and unattractive.
**Summary:**
**1. Traditional marketing initiates customer interaction; internet marketing produces results. The closer to the decision stage, the more important internet marketing becomes.**
**2. Value big ideas in communication; cultivate loyal promoters in communities.**
**3. Don't resist detractors; use negative publicity in communities to bring positive advocates to the surface.**
**What is Marketing 4.0?**
In Kotler's own words:
The essence of Marketing 4.0 is
recognizing that traditional marketing and internet marketing
should each play their roles
in building customer engagement and driving sales results.
Source: Dongkui Creative (ID: logoway)
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