The funnel mindset and its preoccupation with lead/acquisition/conversion has distracted marketers from something more important: CRM. (This distraction only increases the need for acquisition because customers leave brands who neglect them.) 

A sale is not a relationship. It is an event. Relationships are built over time by a series of events. 

In this sense, marketing is no different than a personal relationship – if I don’t think about you… initiate a conversation with you… take an interest in what interests you… demonstrate in some tangible way your value to me as a friend… then the relationship will remain a shallow acquaintance, which is what most of marketing is, at best.

So it’s no surprise brand loyalty is so temporal.