Every Company Needs a Good Map

There is an established definition in Chemistry called "The Law of Mass Action" or the "Mass Action Law" which deals reaction rates. One of the interesting things about this law is that it can be stated in many ways but in the end, it says the same thing: The rate of a reaction is dependent on the concentration on the reacting parties (atoms, molecules, or proteins for example).

Some people think that Mass Action means the effect of a large quantity of a given item acting on something - like individual water droplets that form a river. This affect is more inline with other definitions of Mass Action. According to Wikipedia there are two other disciplines that have a "Mass Action Law." There is a Sociological definition, dealing with how groups can act in a way that is not coordinated but is cooperative. There is a similar law for Physics where individually acting items cooperate unintentionally as well.

To a great extent WOMM or Word of Mouth Marketing is a Mass Action event of the Sociological nature. One can try to coordinate it but it seems that the more a company tries to manipulate the effect the more it undermines that effort. 

If you look at a river, it is rarely straight. It would seem to be more logical for the river to be straight, since the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. That however, does not include the fact that the water will find the path of least resistance - which is rarely a straight line. The point of least resistance is determined place by place, probably when the flow of water was almost insignificant.

As you look to build a word of mouth campaign, remember the river. Find the points of least resistance as you go, rather than trying to force your way through a tough spot. Consider that later on, when the force is greater because the mass acting is greater, that the curves will eventually wear down. The trick is to get the water flowing in the right direction and to go with the flow.

What makes a point more susceptible to giving way?