The Impact Equation summary

With the immediacy of social media and the rapid production potential of three-dimensional printing, it’s never been easier for companies to bring products to market.

But once you’ve entered the market, how can you ensure that your product stands the test of time?

Here’s where you need the impact equation. The impact equation is a formula for attaining and maintaining the product success you want. It’s simple; here’s the formula.

IMPACT = Contrast x (Reach + Exposure + Articulation + Trust + Echo)

But that’s a mouthful. It’s easier to remember as IMPACT = C x (R + E + A + T + E).

To understand the equation, let’s start with exposure (E) and reach (R), as they’re the two elements that are the most essential in making your product’s presence resonate in a market.

So what do these elements actually mean?

Exposure is a marker of how often your audience hears your message. Reach measures the size of your audience. You’ll need to maximize both to succeed!

One way to increase your reach is to take your business international, pushing your product to different countries and markets. US President Barack Obama once quoted a line from The Alchemist, a book by Paul Coelho. The president’s quote garnered worldwide attention, but primarily because Coelho’s book was translated and available in more than 170 countries. Similarly, for your message to resonate on an international level, people in many countries already need to know about your product.

Separately, you can use exposure to heighten people’s expectations, for example by limiting exposure to rare public appearances in order to build excitement.

Apple’s yearly product presentations were managed down to the most microscopic detail, so that when CEO Steve Jobs took the stage, you could almost hear the world hold its breath. This sort of exposure guaranteed ideal buzz for the next Apple gadget.

So now you know how to expand your reach and increase your exposure – let’s explore the impact equation’s other elements.