I have the privilege of a weekly interaction with a high-functioning autistic child we'll call Ryan. Ryan enjoys our time together in his own unique way. A few weeks back Ryan and I connected over a very unexpected topic – Mentos. When Ryan gets his mind on a topic it consumes him and this particular day his mind was consumed by the idea of a Mentos bombs. Ask him any question, "Ryan what did your mom make for dinner last night?" and his response: "MENTOS BOMBS!!!"
Anyone who's spent any time on YouTube has watched at least one video of the impact created by combining Diet Coke and Mentos. If not try this one, or this one. It's quite amazing the reaction that dropping such a small, innocuous little candy into a diet soda will create. Likewise it's impressive to see the way people have leveraged that reaction to do some pretty innovative things; some laughable, and some beautiful.
From a sales and marketing perspective, we are all looking for that silver bullet solution or in the case of my analogy, that magical little Mentos that will create an influx of fizzy goodness that yields explosive results. As we know, however, there are no silver bullets in sales and marketing and the "Mentos Bomb Experience" can be ever-elusive. I'd like to propose that by studying the Science and Art of the Mentos reaction, we can learn a few things about channeling our efforts to create impact. As scientists have studied the Mentos and Diet Coke, there are a three relevant factors that influence the reaction: DENSITY, VELOCITY, TEXTURE.
DENSITY
Scientific studies prove a key factor affecting the size and volume of the Mentos reaction is the density of the Mentos in comparison to the soda, which allows it to rapidly sink to the bottom of the container. I compare density to operational focus. Interestingly, when Mentos are crushed up and placed into a Diet Coke, the fountains created are always 30-40 percent smaller than those created when the entire Mentos is placed into the soda. Too often, sales and marketing strategies are too broad and/or disconnected to create any measurable impact. Sometimes adding a very simple, but highly concentrated initiative to an existing program can be just what's needed to generate measurable results.
VELOCITY
The velocity which the Mentos falls increases a displacement phenomena which in turn increases the amount of carbon dioxide bubbles generated. When we think about our sales and marketing initiatives, are we planning and executing our strategies in a way that allows the greatest speed and velocity? How often do great ideas fall victim to delays in planning and approvals? Critical details are added at all stages to avoid delaying the speed at which you intend to execute. The better you articulate an idea at its point of origin, the more likely you'll be to quickly and efficiently execute against it.
TEXTURE
You may be asking: what does texture have to do with sales and marketing? There is an almost-magical effect between the smooth diet soda texture and the hard-yet-smooth texture of the Mentos. Experiments prove the gum arabic used to coat the Mentos reduces surface tension which encourages bubble growth because it efficiently disrupts polar attractions between water molecules, creating in it's place "rapid pockets of bubble growth." This led me to think about enterprise level organizations and where these pockets of "rapid growth" often occur. I believe the scientific principles behind the gum arabic holds true to sales and marketing. Rapid growth occurs at the point of least resistance. Corporate cultures that foster innovative thought are often the ones that push the envelope when it comes to culture models. Ask yourself: what is your organization doing to foster opportunities to create these pockets and then leverage the fruits of those innovative endeavors?
At MarketStar, we are looking for more relevant scientific or artistic metaphors that help us think about our roles in new and unexpected ways. I'd love to hear your thoughts about Science and Art and the Impact it generates.
