I again thought of your post and Schroedinger’s principle today while riding my bike. Though not at all related to marketing, while riding I passed a shut, rather pristine looking, cardboard box on the James Island Connector. I thought, “I wonder what’s in that box?” It could’ve been empty, filled with useless stuff, or something that I really wanted. At that moment (at least to me) its contents simultaneously existed and did not. It was a completely empty package or one that contained a million dollars; neither of which (and both) would exist until I opened the box. I contemplated going back and opening it, and I would have had it not been such a busy and dangerous road. Now I feel as if I am the “cat” inside Shroedinger’s box.

The box still resides on the James Island Connector or it doesn’t, and yet it is both. Had I opened it, would things in my life be any different? Might I be a millionaire? Might the box have contained a bomb (like the maniacal hammer in the story)? Do I exist now or, in a parallel universe, where I was blown up after opening the box, did I cease to exist?

All stuff that I think about while mindlessly spinning (and the subject of a future blog post).

Great comment. I think I will take a look at Heisenberg and try to write a follow up post in the next few days.

I think that you have hit the nail (or cat) on this one. You have once again taken a very difficult concept of physics, explained it well, and found a marketing parallel. Allow me to draw another parallel and play devil’s advocate.

Another principle of quantum physics is that of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty. Roughly stated, Heisenberg correctly postulated that one cannot know both the velocity (momentum) and position of a particle. You may know one or the other with absolute precision, but never both. What’s more, is the harder that you try, your methods for measuring the unknown will only introduce more inaccuracy.

Now I’ll attempt to draw two parallels, one to Schroedinger and one to Heisenberg. Using the cat is the customer analogy, the first interaction between business and the customer could kill the cat (customer has a negative response) or release it unscathed (customer has a positive response). That first impression determines the outcome, but unlike Schroedinger’s experiment, the outcomes aren’t always so clear cut. As you mention, if the outcome is not so absolute, your company may need to peek inside the box.

But be careful. Try to know too much about the cat and you may introduce more uncertainty. Try to tweak things too much and your company may second guess itself or disillusion the customer. Probability plays a big role in quantum physics and (I assume) in marketing. It is the ability of good companies to use this information to hit the mark. Those that use the information wisely and to their advantage without being too intrusive usually end up on top.