The Logistics of Logistics The Dark Funnel Demystified: Unlocking Hidden Sales with Jennie Malafarina
In “The Dark Funnel Demystified: Unlocking Hidden Sales”, Joe Lynch and Jennie Malafarina, the CEO of Virago Marketing, discuss how businesses can drive measurable revenue growth by understanding and leveraging the invisible customer journey.
About Jennie MalafarinaJennie Malafarina is the CEO of Virago Marketing, a Cleveland-based agency helping transportation and logistics companies turn marketing into a revenue-driving engine. Since taking the lead at Virago in 2020, she has elevated the agency’s impact—guiding strategies that deliver measurable results aligned with client growth goals. With over a decade of experience in freight tech and B2B marketing, Jennie has held leadership roles at Trimble Transportation, Banyan Technology, and Transportation Insight, and has taught marketing at The University of Akron. She also co-founded FR8MVMT, a platform for innovation in trucking, and hosts the FR8 Marketing Gurus podcast. Jennie is known for aligning marketing with business strategy to drive scalable growth through demand generation, content, and sales enablement. She holds a master’s degree in communication from Cleveland State University.
About Virago MarketingVirago Marketing is a full-funnel marketing agency specializing in the transportation and logistics industry. We help companies align sales and marketing to drive measurable revenue growth—whether through strategic campaigns, content that converts, or complete marketing department support. Our team combines deep industry knowledge with modern marketing execution to deliver demand generation, brand awareness, and pipeline acceleration. From startups to enterprise providers, our clients rely on us to cut through the noise, clarify their message, and connect with the right audience at the right time. With flexible engagement models—from project-based work to full fractional CMO support—Virago is the partner logistics companies trust to turn marketing into a growth engine.
Key Takeaways: The Dark Funnel Demystified: Unlocking Hidden Sales- In “The Dark Funnel Demystified: Unlocking Hidden Sales”, Joe Lynch and Jennie Malafarina, the CEO of Virago Marketing, discuss how businesses can drive measurable revenue growth by understanding and leveraging the invisible customer journey.
- The "Dark Funnel" is a Reality, Not a Myth: The episode will explain what the dark funnel is—the invisible customer journey that happens before a lead officially enters the sales process. Listeners will learn how potential buyers are influenced by content, social media, and word-of-mouth without ever directly interacting with a company, and why it's crucial to understand this hidden process.
- Aligning Marketing with Business Strategy is Non-Negotiable: Jennie Malafarina, with her extensive experience at Virago Marketing, emphasizes that marketing isn't just about generating leads. It's a revenue-driving engine that must be directly tied to a company's overarching business and growth goals, turning it into a strategic partner rather than a cost center.
- Content is the Currency of the Dark Funnel: The podcast will highlight how high-quality, valuable content—from blog posts and whitepapers to podcasts and social media discussions—serves as the primary way to influence buyers in the dark funnel. Jennie will share insights on creating content that answers customer questions and builds trust long before they are ready to buy.
- Sales and Marketing Alignment is Key to Unlocking Hidden Sales: A central theme will be the necessity of a seamless partnership between sales and marketing teams. The episode will cover how Virago Marketing helps companies create a unified strategy where marketing generates qualified conversations and sales is equipped with the right tools and information to close deals, ensuring no opportunities from the dark funnel are lost.
- Industry Expertise is a Competitive Advantage: Drawing on her background in transportation and logistics, Jennie will explain why deep industry knowledge is essential for effective marketing. Virago Marketing’s success lies in its ability to speak the language of its clients and their customers, allowing them to create messaging that truly resonates and cuts through the noise.
- Demand Generation > Lead Generation: The episode will likely differentiate between old-school lead generation and modern demand generation. Jennie will discuss how focusing on building market-wide awareness and interest (demand generation) is a more sustainable and effective long-term strategy for filling the sales pipeline, especially when considering the dark funnel.
- Measuring the Unmeasurable: Tracking Dark Funnel Impact: The podcast will provide practical advice on how to measure the impact of marketing efforts that don't result in immediate, trackable leads. Listeners will learn about alternative metrics and signals that indicate success in the dark funnel, such as brand mentions, website traffic trends, and engagement with un-gated content, proving the ROI of these "unseen" activities.
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