🧢 Coach T's Recap
Conversion rates over 100% aren’t errors, they happen when people move through the funnel in a non-linear way. Use these patterns as a clue. They can point to category behaviour, barriers to purchase, or demand that isn’t converting (yet).
When looking at brand funnels for yourself or the competitor set, you might notice an unexpected trend. For example: more people investigating your brand than considering it, or preference higher than usage. That’s not a glitch in the matrix, it’s a sign the funnel isn’t always a straight line.
Let’s unpack what’s going on and why it’s actually useful for understanding your brand’s true role in the category.
Wait, how can conversion rates be over 100%?
In a traditional funnel model, each stage is expected to get smaller: awareness → consideration → investigation/usage → preference. So when you see numbers that go up instead of down, it can seem counterintuitive.
But these patterns reflect reality. The way people engage with brands isn't always step-by-step. Tracksuit measures each stage based on what people say is true for them, not on the assumption that everyone follows a fixed sequence.
Here’s what non-linear journeys can look like 👇
Investigation higher than consideration: In higher-involvement categories, people often look into a brand before they’ve added it to their consideration set. It’s research-first, then decide.
Preference higher than usage: In categories with greater barriers to entry (like universities or luxury goods), people can prefer a brand they can't access yet. Preference builds ahead of usage.
These aren’t mistakes, they’re insight. They help uncover category dynamics, brand perceptions, and decision-making behaviours that a simple top-to-bottom funnel can miss.
Why don’t the funnel questions follow a strict path in the survey?
At Tracksuit, we don’t assume everyone moves through the funnel in a straight line, because that’s not always how real people make decisions.
If someone is aware of your brand, they'll be asked the remaining funnel questions regardless of their answers (except for preference, which is only asked if respondents consider a brand).
The benefits of taking this approach 👇
It reflects real behaviour: People don’t move through a funnel like a straight line. They jump around, skip steps, and make decisions in unique ways.
It surfaces hidden stories: Someone might not consider your brand now, but they might still be investigating it or have a preference for it in the future.
It helps identify opportunity: A mismatch between preference and usage could signal untapped demand. Higher investigation than consideration might highlight a perception issue to work on.
This approach gives you a more complete view of how your brand is showing up in real consumer decision-making.
💡 What should I do if I spot a non-linear pattern?
Treat it like a signal, then investigate.
Ask yourself:
Is this a category-wide behaviour, or something unique to our brand or a competitor?
Could there be a barrier stopping people from moving from one stage to the next?
What perceptions might be influencing these results, and how could we shift them? (Tip: check Statements and Imagery for clues)