The Physics of Marketing - Newton’s Theory of Color

It never occurred to me that someone invented the color wheel, but in fact Isaac Newton did just that and more with his Theory of Color.  Newton used prisms to show that white light was actually made by a combination of the “ROY G BIV” colors of the rainbow.  At that time there were varying theories regarding color and light, and Newton’s assertion, which seems like common knowledge today, was quite controversial at the time he introduced it.

Newton explained that objects appear to be a certain color because of how they reflect light, rather than color being an inherent property of an object - A red apple reflects red light which is seen by the eye.  Newton went on to place the colors on a wheel, where he could then illustrate the concept that by combining primary colors in various proportions, all other colors could be created.  This led to the idea of complementary colors such as blue and orange which when used together provided maximum contrast.

Newton’s theory of color has been studied and refined over time and is often directly applied in marketing though the design process.  Visit a graphic design studio and color wheels abound with countless shades and tones, which when combined correctly, offer dramatic visual appeal.  Who knew that graphic design had roots in physics?

So the big question becomes how to extend Newton’s theory into some broader analogy about Marketing.

Here goes…

Okay, so suppose the market is equal to white light. Each company has an ability to use the components of that light to reflect a given appearance.   Just as light can be broken down into colors, Marketing can be broken down into categories.  This traditionally has been represented as the 4 P’s of Marketing (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) - although many other models exist.  For today, I will go with the trusted 4 P’s.

Marketing seeks out new ways to combine colors to create something of beauty and value for the consumer.  Some might like blue and orange (everyday low prices, no frills), others red and green (design and style).

Companies are tasked with choosing the right mix of the colors they have to tell a unique story to the consumer.  If this story resonates, i.e. the consumer perceives the colors to be different and chooses them, the company has a chance to succeed. This is the idea of the Marketing Mix.  What products to sell?  How much to sell products for?  How much attention to focus on service?  How much to spend on advertising?  Whether to open a store online in a shopping mall?  There are some combinations that work well, and some that result in ugly gray brown.

In totality all of these brands, all of the commercials, promotions, channels of distribution, and available products combine to make the consumer marketplace - white light.  Perception is the prism by which the market is broken down into segments, and in the end consumer gets to choose their own favorite colors.

What do you think?  How can you apply Newton’s Theory of Color to Marketing?  Please share your theories and thougths by leaving a comment.

Voices Episode 4: Jimmy Vee and Travis Miller

Gravitational Marketing: It Ain’t heavy, It’s Just My Podcast.

Yesterday, May 20th, 2008, I had the opportunity to spend an hour talking to Jimmy Vee and Travis Miller - authors of the newly released book Gravitational Marketing. Jimmy and Travis found me through the Physics of Marketing posts series, and thought that it tied in well with their book. Thus, they asked if I would be interested in hosting a podcast to talk about Gravitational Marketing. I jumped at the chance, and I am glad I chose to do so. The experience was wonderful. I got to read a great new book. I learned more about smart ways to attract new customers. And, I made a new connection with a couple really smart, interesting, and all around great people.

About the book…

Gravitational Marketing is an easy read, and well worth the price. I knocked it out in under 2 hours, and must say that I picked up dozens of great ideas. The first half of the book is a discussion of Gravitational Marketing as a philosophy. They look at common misconceptions people have about marketing and attracting customers. Here are some key takeaways from the first half of the book.

• There are 3 key rings that create successful marketing. Market, Message, and Media. For marketing campaigns to be successful these elements must work together.
• The process of gravitational marketing is broken down into 4 key components - Gravitate, Captivate, Invigorate, Motivate
• To be worthy of attraction, or sensational, a business should be: interested, unique, fun, visible, credible, and spreadable
• Become an expert at something
• People buy because of a perceived high return on investment, emotional benefits, or believability, not because of chance, price, or advertising
• great marketing, effective marketing that yields results, does not have to be expensive and does not require an ad agency

So, if the first half of the book is the “What and Why” portion of the program, the second half is “How to” part. Jimmy and Travis offer 36 easy techniques to attract customers. From direct mail to radio, social networks, to networking, presentations to print, these guys cover the bases of what it takes to bring in the business. There are dozens of links to various vendors and industry experts and real world example of tips and tool that you can immediately put to use.
Please take a listen to the podcast, and let me know your thoughts. I would encourage you to check out Travis and Jimmy’s web site, and pick up a copy of Gravitational Marketing.

Here is a link to the podcast Voices Episode 4

Seth Riffs on Proximity

A few weeks back I was discussing Newton’s Law of Gravitation and the importance of proximity in Marketing. This discussion revolved around the idea of getting close to the customer, and how that can yield huge dividends. Seth Godin has furthered the discussion with this great riff on proximity.

Seth looks at the implications of proximity relative to the pain experienced by the consumer. The closer you are to the consumer, the more you understand their pain. The better you are at relieving that pain, the more value you bring. The more value you bring, the more you can charge for what you do.

Think about how trust and relationships play a role in your purchasing decisions, especially in today’s fast paced world. The modern marketplace is more fragmented than even, and the ability to attract attention through sheer mass becomes more difficult every day. Conversely, it seems that technology is making proximity - which according to Newton is exponentially more important than mass - easier to achieve every day.

Seths Blog: Proximity to pain

The Physics of Marketing - Newton’s Law of Gravitation

Sir Isaac Newton makes his second appearance in this series with his Law of Gravitation. Perhaps one of the most widely known principles of science is gravity. I say this knowing that while most people could probably not explain gravity very well, just about everyone understands the idea. This was Newton’s blockbuster idea. It explained ocean tides, comets, and even led to the discovery of Neptune.
So what is Newton’s Law of Gravitation about? Well, here goes…
Newton basically asserted that “every object in the universe attracts every other object along a line of the centres of the objects, proportional to each object’s mass and inversely proportional to the square of the distances between the objects.” This theory served to explain much of the earlier work of Kepler in one concise theory. While Newton’s Law of Gravitation was later proven not to apply to all objects (black holes and situations with extremely high gravity) by Einstein, his work is a foundational part of modern scientific thought.

So in my feeble mind it seems that Mass and Distance are the keys here. Now how to take these ideas and put them in the context of Marketing?

Because people are not always rational, I am not sure you can apply an equation to human behavior with much precision, but I definitely think that there are parallels to be drawn. Here is my first take. Think about customers. Big brands get big attention. People know Coke. People buy Coke. Coke is massive. Coke has pull.

So how do little brands stand a chance of getting some “pull” with customers. The answer lies in proximity - the other part of Newton’s Theory. Small companies must get close to the customer in order to stand any chance of survival. They can actually use this to thrive and exert considerable influence if properly executed. Would a proper analogy be the impact of the relatively tiny moon on the Earth’s tides as opposed to the sun’s impact on them? (I ask because I am not a scientist) The moon has huge pull on the Earth’s oceans, and impacts the tides because of proximity. Certainly it has far less Mass than the giant sun. Still it is close. So, continuing my example in the world of soda pop, (using both terms to be user friendly) Jones Soda has done a great job of being “the moon.” They decided to get close to consumers - actually putting photographs of them on their packaging. This has allowed them to build a loyal following of consumers who are engaged with their products. They conduct events that are designed to be built around the consumer as well. They have done a masterful job of utilizing this principle to create growth.

Here is the rub for most companies. How to maintain that proximity. Starbucks is feeling this pain, Jones is probably going through it as well. As you gain more mass, it is actually more difficult to remain close to the consumer. The proximity or closeness to individual consumers tends to suffer as companies experience growth. The distance increases, and they exert less pull. In summary the moon becomes more like the sun, just not nearly as big. Thus the advantage it enjoyed thanks to proximity is destroyed. Jones becomes more like Coke, but without the Mass to sustain the gravity.

Wonder why your favorite brand “sold out?” Well because they were faced with this dilemma. How to stay close and simultaneously get big. How to maintain or increase pull? “Selling out” is just a natural part of that. People inevitable pick Coke, because it carries a lot of weight. It has mass - and thus gravity. It pulls people back. To sustain that mass Coke invests in Mass media, mass distribution, mass exposure. It must sell a lot of soda pop to sustain that mass and gravity. This is why small companies don’t need superbowl ads to thrive. They need super customer service.

Marketing in my mind is all about the customer. You can have gravity through mass or proximity. You might be able to get both, but often you have to choose. There is no “right choice” but recognize that with that choice comes the implications of gravity. Growth for growth sake - more mass - might not always be the answer.

Alright, so that is my take on Marketing and Newton’s Law of Gravitation. What do you think? How does Newton apply to the modern world of Marketing? Please enlighten the world with your thoughts.

The Physics of Marketing: Newton’s Laws of Motion

Isaac Newton lived from 1643 - 1727, and is about as close to a superstar as any scientist could be. People far beyond the world of physics know Sir Isaac. He helped to invent calculus, and was actually the first scientist to be knighted in Britain. Newton’s work is widely known and has been the basis for much of modern science. While some of his theories were disproved, or proven only to be applicable in certain circumstances, his contribution to humanity is immense. But what can he - or his theories - contribute to modern day Marketing? Well, I will list his theories, and then we can discuss just that.

Newton’s Laws of Motion

1. Bodies move in a straight line with a uniform speed, or remain stationary, unless a force acts to change their speed or direction.
2. Forces produce accelerations that are in proportion to the mass of a body. (F = ma)
3. Every action of a force produces an equal and opposite reaction

I am curious to see how you would apply these laws to marketing?

I will chime in later, but certainly I could envision discussions of small versus large businesses, competitive strategy, change management, pricing, product life cycles… oh my mind is just racing. Please accelerate this discussion with your actions and leave a comment. Address one of them, each of them, or all of them… whatever moves you.

Newton’s laws of motion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia