Astonishingly, there are striking similarities between marketing and physics. Dan Cobley of Ted Talks talks about how 2 formulas or theories can be applied to marketing.

1) Fnet = MA

Newton’s second law of physics which apply to forces on a closed system can be rearranged to F/M = A. This basically means that a larger object requires more force to  accelerate.

In the business perspective, it is also very much true. Large companies who try to set a new image for themselves usually end up creating subsidiaries. One such example is Banana Republic, Gap, and Old Navy. They all are part of the same company but target different segments. This gives companies the ability to change image.

2) Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle

This states that when an object is observed, the process of observation changes the result.  In physics when observing something, the particles of a light source can change the material.

The same thing applies to market research. When consumer traits are being observed, they change according to their environment. Mothers in focus groups say that they always feed their children the healthiest option, however, McDonalds sell over 1 million happy meals a day.

It is amazing how two unrelated subjects have striking similarities.