The Physics of Marketing - Simple Harmonic Motion

Think of a pendulum steadily swinging from side to side and you are visualizing Simple Harmonic Motion. From children on play gound swings to highly skilled engineers, simple harmonic motion surrounds us. It involves the give and take between potential and kinetic energy. In the example of the pendulum this would be height and speed.

You could even use the principle of Simple Harmonic Motion to prove that the world rotates. If you were to place a pendulum on the North Pole on a sunny day, the shadow it created would move in a circle as the day passed - eventually returning to its origin 24 hours later. However, this motion would not be evident at the Equator. So while the principle of Simple Harmonic Motion is evident in both places, deriving meaning from it is dependent on perspective. Yes the pendulum swings back and forth in both places, but the change in perspective offered at the North Pole would yield unique meaning.

So, on to the Marketing part of the post.

Here is what I came up with. Treat different customers differently. Create simple harmonic motion with your best customers. Develop a predictable experience for them, innovate based on their specific needs, and create something so remarkable that so they want to come back time and again. Do it well, and you should even be able to add a cyclical nature to this pattern thus creating predictability - simple harmonic motion.

Why treat your best customers differently? It is as simple as this. You can’t please everyone. If you are doing something interesting than there will be many, if not most, who will dislike what you do. Try to please everyone and all you will accomplish is mediocrity. The perceived safety of “the middle of the road product or service” only sets up a business to get hit from oncoming traffic on both sides.

instead, create a unique identity. Establish a deep bond with the right customers. Listen to them. And then use your strengths to regularly develop new ways to help solve their problems and improve their lives. This ties in directly with the product life cycle. What to make, why, when, how many, and for whom all can be tied into simple harmonic motion. All of these ideas work best when done for a specific group.

So that is my take. What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on how to apply Simple Harmonic Motion to Marketing. I welcome your contribution and thank you for stopping by.

The Physics of Marketing - Conservation of Energy

This week’s Physics of Marketing post is about energy. It is clear when someone has energy and more clear when they lack it. Starbuck’s has made a fortune on regularly selling me cups full of energy in the form of caffeine laden black coffee.

Energy takes many forms, and is probably best thought of in terms of change or motion. Both are forms of kinetic energy. Potential energy is less intuitive, but equally important. It is the boulder at the top of the hill, which if nudged would descend with tremendous momentum, crushing anything in its path. While at rest, it is potential energy.

Conservation of Energy means that energy is neither created or destroyed, but rather that it simply is transferred from one form to another. There is a finite amount of energy, but seemingly infinite manifestations of that amount. Energy is the E in Einstein’s famous E=mc².. Energy is a fundamental part of the universe, and again is neither created nor destroyed.

So, how does the conservation of energy relate to marketing?

Immediately I was drawn to the idea of the interaction between a company and the consumer. The product or service offering of a company is designed to address some unfulfilled need of the consumer. “Wouldn’t it be great if that were bigger, faster, better, cheaper, more, easier, smarter, less, …” You get the gist. The consumer chooses if the need is important enough to act upon, and if so, can choose to seek help from a particular company. This all represents potential energy. The goal of marketing is to convert this into kinetic energy - initially this is a sale. But it does not end there.

If the initial sale goes well, there is a good chance that more of the consumer’s potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. This may take the form of repeat business. If things go exceptionally well, the consumer may choose to actively participate in the conversion process by spreading the word to friends and family. This positive word of mouth can deliver more kinetic energy. This should ultimately result in cash for the company - potential energy. At which point, the company might choose to invest in future innovation - potential energy.

Conversely, if the sale goes poorly, the conversion of energy from potential to kinetic follows a different path. If the experience is mediocre, most of the potential energy will likely remain unconverted, or will be converted by another provider. The consumer goes away, and the transaction is a one-time experience. If things go very poorly, large amounts of potential energy will be converted - this time to the detriment of the company. An angry consumer in the digital age can spread negative word of mouth far, wide, and fast. In instances where others share a similar negative experience, the result for the company can be devastating. . Consumers will move to competitors, and the company will struggle to survive.
According to Abraham Maslow, all people have needs. These needs constantly change form but always remain present. Thus energy is always present in the marketplace. Marketing seeks out potential energy. Great marketing maximizes its conversion to kinetic energy, and then back to potential energy again.

What do you think? Draw your analogy between Conservation of Energy and Marketing. Join the conversation and leave your comments.