Rather than dive deep into the complexities of systems theory, we’ll focus on the few critically important elements that will inform and affect your work. Those are:
- A system is a whole that contains two or more parts, each of which can affect the properties or the behavior of the whole.
- None of the parts of a system have an independent effect on the whole. How any part affects the whole depends on what the other parts are doing.
- The results we can see and measure — like feedback, opens, clicks, and purchases — are emergent properties of the whole system.
An easily understood example that explains the basics of systems theory is an automobile. The essence of a functional automobile is movement — taking its occupants from one point to another (down the street or across the country).
To accomplish that task, automobiles have a variety of subsystems that work together, including an engine, drivetrain, fuel delivery system, electronics, aerodynamics, etc.
When those parts are combined in specific ways, movement emerges as a result. However, none of the parts of the automobile, on their own, are capable of movement. An engine, by itself, doesn’t move occupants from point A to point B. Nor does any other part of the whole automobile.
It’s the intelligently-designed relationships among the parts of the automobile that make movement, speed, handling, and comfort possible.
The relationships among the parts of the automobile are critically important too. Imagine combining the engine from a Formula 1 race car with the drivetrain of a diesel truck and the fuel system of a Fiat 500 and you’ll quickly realize how important those relationships are!
The same systemic principles apply to marketing and more broadly, to business in general.
For example, individual emails and email campaigns work together to create the results you and your audience experience, but no single email, email campaign, or marketing message is responsible for results.
Instead, a combination of each prospect’s context (needs, desires, awareness, etc.), the tone of your communications, the match (or mismatch) between your offer and your audience’s needs, and many other factors interact to produce results.
The Modern Marketing System is a finely-tuned system where each part works together to create a cohesive, powerful whole that you can expand and improve — systemically — over time.
We’ll also explain how those parts relate to and interact with each other for maximum effect.
NEXT: Emergence