Quantum Growth by Design
Introducing The Quantum Marketing Model
In my last Newsletter, I asked about the result of crossing the sales funnel, the flywheel, and an atom. After multiple crossbreeding experiments, let me present my findings here. I’ve called the result the Quantum Marketing Model.
The Case for A New Model
In my research, I came across Raja Rajamannar’s book titled Quantum Marketing. He lays out the failure of our traditional marketing models to serve the needs of modern businesses struggling to cope with rapid technological advancements and the ever-changing needs of their consumers.
Data from a recent study of 150 Fortune 3000 CEOs across 13 industries suggests that less than 33% trust their CMOs to grow the business.
Technology, for example, is accelerating so fast that the marketing profession is increasingly losing its relevance as it clings to its traditional understanding of marketing. The existing models do not provide a framework for dealing with the sort of disruptions the entire world experienced recently. Raja makes a case for the evolution of a new type of marketer — the quantum marketer. It has become imperative that we adapt or die.
In my previous post, I provided my thoughts on the sales funnel and the flywheel. Remember, both models were created to visualize the buyer’s journey. So, I’ll begin my treatise by zooming in from the cosmos to the modern structure of an atom, and then present a framework for the future marketer.
Let’s start with the basics.
The Theory of Everything
The universe tells its own stories. The two most potent theories discovered in 20th-century physics are the theory of general relativity and the theory of quantum mechanics. General relativity is physicist Albert Einstein’s understanding of how gravity affects the fabric of spacetime and the universe at large.
However, when we zoom down to the tiny, microscopic levels, Einstein’s theory doesn’t apply. Instead, quantum mechanics governs the sub-atomic world which we cannot see with our naked eye. These tiny particles behave in ways we cannot find in much larger objects.
Let me digress by mentioning that scientists have been working hard to find that one theory that unites all spectrums of the universe — from extremely large planetary objects to insanely small sub-atomic particles. Stephen Hawking called this the theory of everything (watched the movie yet?)
I’ll now build from the theory of quantum mechanics.
The Atom
An atom is the smallest unit of matter that uniquely defines a chemical element. The atom consists of electrons surrounding a nucleus — protons and neutrons. Protons and neutrons are made of quarks and held together by the strong force generated by gluon exchange between quarks. In 1913, Niels Bohr postulated that the electrons are in a fixed orbit around the nucleus.
But, according to the new Quantum atomic model, electrons exist in levels of high probability — not in a fixed orbit. Due to this high probability, fixed orbits are replaced by the term orbital — a region of space in an atom where the likelihood of finding electrons is maximum. This distinction from a fixed orbit to a probable orbital is important and will be explored as a source for one of the major mind shifts required for the future marketer.
See the evolution of the concept of the atom in figure 1 below:
The Funnel & the Flywheel
The sales funnel takes a side view of the buyer’s journey. Now imagine if we took an aerial view of the same funnel, what would it look like? Do we get any advantages from switching perspectives? What you see will begin to look like four concentric circles with the outer circle representing the top edge of the funnel and the inner circle representing the outlet of the funnel — the end.
See the switch to an aerial view in figure 2 below. I have taken the liberty to introduce elements of the flywheel here as well.
The Quantum Marketing Model
The Quantum Marketing Model paints a more realistic view of the circumstances business finds themselves in daily. The picture starts with one organization, surrounded by a cloud of multiple customer interactions — rather than the unreal focus on one customer, leaving out the effects of these real interactions.
Just like the typical atom, its core (the nucleus) represents the organization, its products and service offerings, and its employees, held together by its internal processes and strategies.
A proper mix of this core generally pulls together a cloud of customers (represented by electrons) in different energy levels of orbitals. You may consider these orbitals in their basic form as top of the funnel (TOFU), middle of the funnel (MOFU), and bottom of the funnel (BOFU) where customers have the propensity to be found. The further customers are from the nucleus, the less pull there is toward the core.
At the outer fringes, customers have the power to leave the orbital in a process I would refer to here as excited states. By extending the pull of the nucleus outward towards the acquisition of more customer orbitals (electron shells), growth is optimized.
This core represents the engine of growth defining the rate of expansion, stability, or the rate of (radioactive) decay of the organization. When we talk about the core, we will see that employees play a critical role in this model — a role that is taken for granted by the sales funnel.
How It Works
It starts with the core — getting the machinery within the business right is vital. Then the pull begins through your usual inbound marketing techniques. And so, the business attracts, engages, delights, and retains, taking into cognizance the effect of the various forces at play.
Three forces are at play within the Quantum Marketing Model:
1. The organization-customer force: likened to the electromagnetic force that exists between the positive nucleus and its negative electron cloud — the force of attraction or repulsion is created by these charged particles. As an inference, the business must keep the pull on its customers consistently strong using the triple mechanics of a great product, great customer experience, and consistent innovation.
2. The organization-organization force: likened to the strong and weak nuclear forces within the nucleus. The strong force is responsible for keeping the nucleus bound while the weak force is responsible for the radioactive decay of the core. Weak forces like a silo mentality must be kept at their barest minimum. On the other hand, forces of internal synergy, customer-centricity, employee advocacy, and leadership visioneering must be kept at their optimal strength.
3. The disruption quotient: When a beam of light is introduced to an electron, it absorbs a photon of light, gets excited, and jumps to the higher energy orbitals. These beams of light represent disruptions and the effect of competition. The more these disruptions affect the stability of the core, the faster the business moves toward radioactive decay. I’ll discuss this in detail in the conversation around excited states.
The interaction between these forces also creates customer spin within its orbitals — this will be explored in later notes. For now, let’s consider one of the major postulations of quantum mechanics and its application using the framework for this model.
The Particle-Wave Duality
This is the main concept of quantum mechanics, which explains how an electron can behave as a particle and wave at the same time.
The energy of the electron is deposited at a point, just as if it was a particle. So, while the electron propagates through space like a wave, it interacts at a point like a particle. You can read more about it here.
Recall we had inferred that the customer is represented by the electron in this model. Here are two quick applications of this concept:
1. Customers are emotional as much as they are rational beings. How does the future marketer find the balance between developing creative, emotionally appealing content while maintaining a performance-driven mindset? You may refer to this as the heads in the cloud, feet on the ground approach. Leaving out any aspect is weakening the pull you have on your customers.
2. Customers behave differently as a single entity compared to when they are in a group—pack mentality or group think. How do these factors help the future marketer understand the psychology of these behaviours, and craft a crisis-proof social media and PR policy — both proactive and reactive measures? Using this knowledge, what deviations from normal individual behaviours do we need to consider when collecting data from focus groups? Put in another way, how much does pack mentality affect results obtained from focus groups?
I will explore these questions further and showcase the relevance of the Quantum Marketing Model to the future marketer.
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