Today’s Marketers Can Learn From Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein discoveries are what made the man a genius.
Widely known for his spellbound scientific works and intellectual achievements, Albert Einstein would also make interesting observations about the world around him. This makes us wonder how well the man would do as a marketer. (Crazy thought, huh?)
Evidence for the Existence of Atoms
In 1827, a botanist named Robert Brown observed pollen grains under a microscope. He noticed how the grain moved in all kinds of random directions (all whilst remaining perfectly still). At first, Brown assumed the movements meant that the pollen grains were alive but being a good scientist, he performed the same experiment with grains of sand. To his surprise, the sand grains also displayed the same random motion, though Brown wasn’t able to determine a mechanism to explain the cause of this motion.
Fast forward to 1905, Einstein was able to explain this remarkable phenomenon which ultimately proved the existence of atoms and molecules. Now thanks to Einstein, we know for sure that the world we live in comprises of gazillions of atoms and molecules. And for this reason, it’s one of the most amazing Albert Einstein Discoveries out there.
Key Takeaway: Pay Attention to Detail
It doesn’t matter how minuscule something might seem. As a marketer, it’s your responsibility to pay attention to every little detail.
Quite often, customers are willing to pay a premium price in exchange for great value so dig a little deeper and find out what really makes your brand unique. This also means that marketers ought to put a lot of care in planning every little detail. Sure, some customers might not even notice but it’ll definitely contribute to a better overall experience.
Quantum Mechanics
Did you know that some of the most astonishing discoveries of quantum mechanics came into existence because of regular disagreements between Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr?
Yup. The Bohr–Einstein debates were actually a series of public disputes between Bohr and Einstein about the quantum mechanics. You’d think that debates and disagreements would stall their progress but it actually led to some remarkable Albert Einstein discoveries which contributed to the philosophy of science.
These debates are regarded as one of the highest peak points of scientific research that took place during the first half of the 20th century. What’s most astounding here is that despite their differences in opinion, Einstein and Bohr always had mutual respect and admiration for each other throughout their lives and that’s perhaps one of the most profound discoveries of all.
Key Takeaway: Disagreements can be Healthy
As a marketer, you must not undermine the importance of collaboration and collective brainstorming – even if it may lead to disagreements.
For instance, team-based brainstorming may not always go smoothly but that doesn’t mean you stop collaborating ideas. People bring in all kinds of energy to the room that might encourage creative brainstorming. Plus, some of the greatest ideas aren’t created from one person’s mind. Instead, it’s often a result of a bunch of people kicking and throwing around ideas, constantly improving their initial thought process.
Opening discussion and including more creative people to your team will enhance collaboration efforts. This’ll help you come up with extraordinarily creative campaigns to storm past your competition.
E=mc2
Of course, we can’t talk about Einstein without discussing E=mc2 which is considered as the most famous equation of all time. While it may seem fairly basic, this discovery validated the link between mass and energy in his Theory of Special Relativity. It’s also said that is equation contributed to the creation of the atomic bomb.
While Einstein had no direct involvement in the creation of the atomic bomb, his letter to the FDR later initiated the Manhattan Project.
The Manhattan Project was a secret research and development laboratory which was led by some of the most renowned physicists who were working on a weapon of mass destruction.
On August 1934, the US unleashed a five-ton atomic bomb that killed 80,000 people in Hiroshima, a city in Japan. Three days later, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki which instantly killed 40,000 people. Though Einstein’s equation was published 40 years before the bomb was finally developed, he apologized to the Japanese for the bombing and considered even his minute part as wrong.
Key Takeaway: Adopt a human-centric approach
As a marketer, you must develop the insight to look into the future and build campaigns that are beyond profit-making goals. Today, marketing isn’t just about increasing sales, it’s about creating meaningful relationships and experiences that’ll contribute to long-term customer loyalty which is where empathy comes in.
Empathy is a profound ability that enables one to understand and share emotions. If you’re wondering what it has to do with marketing, empathy helps cultivate human connections with users, buyers and of course, consumers. To do this, you must understand their needs and requirements.
What’s changing now is that consumers are increasingly supporting brands that are invested in community building and launching social campaigns. So if you aren’t thinking of a human-centric approach, you need to change your strategy. Think of what the people want and how they will benefit from your brand’s contributions.
Einstein’s Refrigerator
Most people don’t know this but Einstein had a domestic side to himself too! Apart from revolutionizing physics with his theory of relativity, Einstein also contributed to inventions and discoveries that were well, closer to home (sort of).
In 1930, Einstein paired up with his former student to design a refrigerator that needed no moving parts or electricity to run. But alas, as newer technology came to being, Einstein’s old design was long forgotten unlike other famous Albert Einstein Discoveries until scientists at Oxford University decided they wanted to build a refrigerator that’s both environmentally-friendly and doesn’t run on electricity.
Unfortunately, most modern refrigerators today notoriously damage the environment by working on man-made greenhouse gases and other pollutant-creating systems. These greenhouse gases are far more toxic than carbon dioxide so with the increase of refrigerators around the world, this Einstein’s model just might help us create environmentally friendly robust appliances.
Key Takeaway: Experimentation is Key!
Don’t be afraid to try new things! The world is changing at an alarming pace and as a marketer, your job allows you to witness the magic and experiment with a bunch of new ideas every day. Just take a look at Einstein! He was always experimenting and trying out new things, this obviously led way to a number of amazing Albert Einstein Discoveries.
Exploration is the key to achieving all your dreams but for that, you’ll need to break outside the box. And how do you break these barriers? You get out there and ask questions that’ll enrich your curious mind.
And in any case, what’s the worst that can happen? Either way, you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t.
Marketing Lessons to Learn From Albert Einstein
Not many realize this but Einstein did more than just come up with theories about gravity and light. He often emphasized on hard work, pushing personal barriers and the importance of overcoming failure. So when you think about it, Albert Einstein could have possibly been an amazing marketing guru or life coach at best.
Here are a few important marketing lessons that we can learn from him today:
Think Outside the Box
“Creativity is contagious, pass it on.”
If you’re marketer then congratulations, you have one of the most exciting jobs in the world. Embrace it! Don’t contain your ideas in a box, instead, fire it away for the whole world to use. The world is filled with countless possibilities to take out the time to create something that nobody has ever seen before.
And you what will happen after that? It creates a domino effect that will inspire the people around you to do their best.
Simplification
“If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.”
It’s amazing how some of Einstein’s most revolutionary theories are taught to high school students. Neat isn’t it? Well, that’s the beauty of simplicity. As a marketing professional, you need to think of ways to simplify big ideas whilst retaining its core essence.
Sometimes complexity just isn’t worth the trouble. Try to understand some of the most basic and fundamental needs of your customers and that’s pretty much it.
Follow Your Instincts
“Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.”
It’s true. We live in a world that’s obsessed with data and statistics but there are times where number just aren’t enough. In fact, at times, numbers can be blinding, pushing you away from your main goal and purpose.
Being overly obsessed with metrics can cause you to lose sight of what’s really important. So follow your instincts instead and focus on emotion points that’ll help you get ahead. Your emotions will serve as your most powerful motivator of all.
Make Mistakes
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
Albert Einstein was right. We’re lucky to live in a world that’s booming with new technology everyday so what a shame it would be to not test your limits. Here it’s important to understand that nobody has all the answers (not even Google!) but that’s actually a good thing. Your thirst for learning will involve making a few mistakes but you’ll move on quickly and get back on your feet again.
This might require you to unlearn a few things and give up on a lot of the wisdom that’s been passed onto you. So get ready to let go of all your prejudices and start a new and exciting journey. In short, start making more mistakes.
Marketing Wisdom in Albert Einstein Discoveries
We hope these above-mentioned Albert Einstein discoveries have inspired you to take action as a marketing professional.