What the Heck is Human-Centered Marketing and Why Should You Care?

Is the traditional marketing funnel dead? Or was it never truly alive in the first place?

In a recent episode of Strategy Talks, I sat down with Ashley Faus, a strategic thinker, author, and advocate for human-centered marketing. Ashley invites us to rethink how we approach customer journeys, and she makes a compelling case for replacing the outdated funnel with something far more dynamic: the playground.

Ashley Faus, author of the book Human-Centered Marketing: How to Connect with Audiences in the Age of AI, is a seasoned marketer with experience at companies like Atlassian.

Her work focuses on helping businesses create authentic connections in a world increasingly shaped by AI and automation.

Why Human-Centered Marketing Demands a New Approach

Ashley points out that the traditional funnel was always more of a measurement tool than a strategy. Marketers often map their tactics to stages like awareness, consideration, and purchase. But real customers don’t move neatly down that path. Instead, their journeys are looping, dynamic, and unpredictable.

"The funnel assumes that it only matters when I as a marketer become aware of you being on a journey — and that I can just force you down this funnel. Humans don't work like that."

One striking example Ashley shares is about pricing. We often think of pricing discussions as a bottom-of-funnel activity. But customers may need basic pricing information up front just to secure budget, long before they’re ready to sit through a demo or read a case study. This misalignment frustrates buyers and slows down their journey.

The Playground: A Visual for Human-Centered Marketing

So, if not a funnel, what should we use?

Ashley proposes a playground. Picture a playground where kids move freely from the slide to the swings, then over to the monkey bars, and maybe they just sit on a bench for a while. There’s no right or wrong way to explore, and that’s exactly how customers engage with brands.

Designing for a playground means:

• Recognizing that customers will engage in a non-linear fashion.

• Allowing them to skip steps, revisit content, or jump between stages as needed.

• Creating seamless experiences no matter where or how they enter the journey.

Human-Centered Marketing and Customer Intent

Rather than forcing customers through stages, Ashley suggests mapping content and touchpoints to customer intent. Here’s how she breaks it down:

• Trust/Affinity intent: Content that builds positive perceptions and brand trust.

• Buy intent: Encourages actions like signing up for a trial, booking a demo, or making a purchase.

• Use intent: Helps customers get value from what they’ve already purchased (e.g., onboarding content, templates).

• Help intent: Supports troubleshooting or resolving issues.

• Learn intent: Offers insights or practices that inspire action beyond buying.

This intent-based model personalizes the journey far better than generic funnel stages.

Customer Journey Strategies with Ashley FausDorien Morin-van Dam

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Personalization in Human-Centered Marketing

In the playground model, personalization isn’t about tokens like “Hi [First Name]!” or surface-level tweaks. It’s about allowing customers to choose their own path. Ashley encourages marketers to think in terms of content depth:

• Conceptual content: The what and why — theoretical, big-picture ideas.

• Strategic content: The process and tools needed to act on those ideas.

• Tactical content: The hands-on instructions and tips to execute.

By providing easy ways for people to move between these levels, you’re personalizing in a meaningful way, no gimmicks required.

The Role of AI in Human-Centered Marketing

While Ashley’s book includes AI in the title, she stresses that technology is no substitute for human connection. AI can help us:

• Summarize customer calls and uncover patterns.

• Recommend next-best content or actions at scale.

• Assist with localization or headline testing.

But at its core, great marketing still hinges on trust, something no AI can automate. Transparency about where and how you use AI builds that trust.

What’s Next in Human-Centered Marketing?

Ashley predicts that AI will make dynamic, intent-based journeys easier for businesses of all sizes. We’ll see better recommendation engines for B2B experiences, and more tools to help marketers distill insights from data, freeing up time to focus on human connections.

Ultimately, success will come from creating journeys as dynamic as the people we serve. It’s time to embrace human-centered marketing — and start designing playgrounds instead.

10 Smart Prompts to Ask ChatGPT

• "What are some alternatives to the traditional marketing funnel?"

• "How can I map my content to customer intent instead of funnel stages?"

• "What does a customer journey playground look like in practice?"

• "Give me examples of non-linear customer journeys."

• "How can I personalize my marketing without using first-name tokens?"

• "What role should AI play in customer journey design?"

• "How can small businesses use AI to create better customer experiences?"

• "What is intent-based marketing and how do I implement it?"

• "What’s the difference between conceptual, strategic, and tactical content?"

• "How do I build trust with customers in an AI-driven world?"

Watch the full Strategy Talks Episode