German mathematician Johannes Kepler lived from 1571 – 1630. He is described by many as the central figure in the scientific revolution for his work in astronomy and physics – two disciplines that were considered to be very different from one another in his time. An independent thinker, he was very influential on shifting world views from the ancient to the modern. To give context to the time in which he lived, I will mention that his mother was actually imprisoned for witchcraft for 14 months – accused of making another woman ill by collaborating with a demon to poison her with an evil brew. (No, I don’t know if his mom invented Jaeger)  Keppler was a true believer in the scientific method, and one who looked for patterns in everything. He initially believed that planets orbited the sun in circular motions – basing his ideas on Geometry. In attempting to verify this theory, he learned that his entire philosophy was flawed. However, what he did do is to establish how all the planets in our solar system, and any object that orbits another, actually moves.
Kepler’s Laws:
- Planetary orbits are elliptical with the Sun at one focus.
- A planet sweeps out equal areas in equal times as it orbits the sun
- The orbital periods scale with ellipse size, such that the period squared is proportional to the semi-major axis length cubed.
So…
What does this mean to modern marketing?
For me, I am noodling how to apply the theories themselves to Marketing. I may lean on a physicist out there to get the ball rolling with respect to how these laws can specifically be applied. Perhaps something along the lines of consumer behavior, seasonal patterns of demand, distribution, the product life cycle or speed to market? I will continue to think on that one. Feel free to jump in and start the discussion.
Certainly, there is much for Marketing professionals to learn from Kepler the man and the way in which he made his discoveries. He was eternally curious about the truth. He constructed hypotheses, tested, measured, analyzed, modified, and repeated. He was well versed in mathematics and used geometry as the basis for his initial hypotheses. At some point, he realized that his model was flawed. He needed to change his view. Some of his assumptions just did not make sense. Rather than deny that fact, Kepler embraced the unknown. He sought out the truth. He took risks rather than trying to continuing on in the safety of the familiar. The end result was a breakthrough. Is this not the same way we should approach things like product development, direct sales, or customer service?
What do you think? What is your hypothesis? Is there something to be learned from Kepler’s Laws? What is it and why is it important? Tell us. I promise, no witch trials.
Wow! This was a tough one!
I have to tell you the example that keeps coming to mind in my mind is Harry Potter. Maybe it’s because you said “witch” in your blog, but I think it really has more to do with the whiplash-like effect Kepler showed mathematically in planteray orbits as they neared the sun. This whiplash-like effect always reminds me of the Harry Potter “series” release strategy.
Each product release (book or movie) is the epicenter (Kepler’s sun), whereas the media and public reaction is the orbit – increasing and decreasing in fervor in relation to that epicenter.
It started with the success of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Book one of seven. And predecessor to movie one of seven. Like clockwork (almost every six months…sometimes longer, much to the fan’s chagrin) the release of books or movies became like a cyclical marketing event (to your point David).
To illustrate, I want to switch metaphors so that it isn’t visual but auditory. Think of Kepler’s law like sound. The farther away the object is from the epicenter, the softer and lower it sounds. As it nears the epicenter it increases volume and pitch (I hear you science buffs accusing me of switching to the Doppler Effect, but the two are related in that they have to do with increasing velocity and spatial area from a set point).
So using sound, Harry Potter book is released in month 0. The volume and pitch of marketing is high and the book a success. As time passes the fervor wanes and the volume and pitch decrease slowly. As the movie release begins to approach (usually month 6-9) the volume and pitch again increase to fever pitch.
It’s important to note that the series marketing strategy used in this example only works if the epicenter (in this case the release of the products) remains strong (so each book/movie must stay at least as strong as the original).
Note: this last point was later proven, physically, by Newton’s law of gravity. If the sun’s gravitational pull decreased, the orbits of the planets would widen and eventually float off.
Well, now that I’ve introduce Newton and Doppler into your physics lesson (although Newton has appeared here before), I think I need a Jaeger!
I love this blog!
ok How is this THOUGHT David?
The central point of marketing is the product.
Everything else revolves around the product.
Consumers being the biggest planet, and probably be the furthest out from the product (sun). All other planets or heavenly bodies – like advertising – marketing efforts – PR – focus groups etc. revolve around the product. Their orbits are certainly elliptical, and held in orbit by a central force like Marketing (gravity). Note also the Four P’s of marketing, AND hence the Planets.
Then there is the product life cycle – without which there would be no planets… and THE PRODUCT is always the central point of the universe. Without a good product – and quality of same, there are no orbiting bodies and then the product dies. There is no gravity then and therefore all marketing ceases to exist…
Solar systems, comets, asteroids etc. are all anomalies to the basic premise? I am sure your group can theorize more from here!
Bob VL
Much to comment on here….
First, I think the idea of product life cycle being analogous to Kepler’s law is right on, especially in the context of something like a movie series. I would include the second part of that orbit as possibly the release to video that pulls the person back around toward the pending release of the next item in the series. In the music world, U2 serves as an example of how this is done well. They release an album, tour, make a movie, engage in charitable acts, lay low, reinvent themselves, and repeat.
One thing that strikes me with Kepler is that he insisted on “Getting it Right.” Close enough was not good enough for him. He was constantly trying to improve his thinking, which meant disproving many of his own beliefs. It takes huge courage to think this way.
As for the product, I would place the product as an important element. If there were to be something in the center of the universe for Marketers, I might instead choose the customer. The product will vary, but the need to deliver what the customer wants with regularity is central to what marketing is all about. Anticipating demand, amplifying it, and delivering the goods, measuring results, and doing it all over again. No customer, no sales, no business. Certainly product quality is important, but that quality metric is driven by the market place. I can build a car that lasts for 500 years and never breaks, but at what price. Does the customer even want this? It might be enough to build one that lasts 5. The customer decides, not the marketing department. Just my take. Great comments from all. Please keep them coming.
I remember when I was a postgraduate student at Uni of Stirling (UK) when I suggested a similar topic for my dissertation. They laughed. They were so ignorant and arrogant! I’m so thrilled that there are people thinking like me. Physics and Marketing are related in such an incredible depth. Only narrow-minded people can’t see it. I’m glad I dropped out that insufficient staff and wrote my dissertation supported by a much better University.