Physics and Ideation: Customer Entanglement

I think the word ‘entanglement’ may be the best single word description of marketing at its best – no matter what your specialty.

The word ‘entangle’ intrigues me. In physics it describes a mysterious connection that exists beyond visible physical contact. Imagine its meaning in marketing: Mutual Long Term Influence Even At Great Distance!

We wish to increase customer entanglement.

We need to be entangled with our co-workers.

We entangle ourselves in the community around us.

This is much more than a simple person-to-person or company-to-person relationship. It is mutual influence, dependence, respect, listening, griping, praising, changing, helping, learning.

Entanglement is the ultimate feedback loop.  In physics – when you measure one entangled particle that somehow determines the state of the other. (Simplified, I know –  if you can say it better please do!) In marketing it is multiple, multiple-way connections. Whether in person, over the net, via tweets, during a sale, review, complaint or fix. Each touchpoint effects both company and customer. 

Entanglement Can Humanize Your Brand. 

I have to admit, I was attracted to Louisa Guilder’s physics history book at first, not because I’m a physics nut but because Entanglement was in the title. The fact that the scientific path surrounding the topic provided inspiration for ways creativity can be increased in an organization was a bonus. 

The arguments around entanglement in physics show wise scientists working in an imperfect system trying to push ideas forward. Folks are stubborn, generious, inquisitive. Blind alleys and wrong arguments are many. But conversations continue and progress is made in part because the system encourages entanglement among the scientists. They review each other’s work, compete, build on it, tear it down, ignore it, all the time influencing the path each other takes.  

So – Marketers Entangle.

We entangle customers with customers, companies with customers, workers with customers, workers with workers, companies with companies… creating a giant invisible web that drives creativity and business in ways no org chart could ever imagine. 

Believers in Social media feel this in their bones, just as physicists sometimes feel a theory is right, just waiting for the math to catch up. Its usefulness grows as companies become more and more comfortable with ‘human conversations’ instead of ‘perfect conversations.’ Early adopters are already benefiting. It is the next generation of entanglement.

Where have you become entangled today?