Building your Gravity Map
“A gravity map isn’t just about plotting where you want to go—it’s about orchestrating how all elements of your business will pull together to get you there.”
The Gravitational Coherence Contrast
Section titled “The Gravitational Coherence Contrast”On an October morning in Stockholm, a group of young professionals congregates outside a Fjällräven store. Despite the brand’s prices sitting considerably higher than many alternatives, these customers aren’t debating whether to purchase—they’re discussing which items to buy. The scene repeats daily across cities worldwide, with Fjällräven enjoying the enviable position of being the obvious choice for a growing segment of conscious outdoor enthusiasts.
Three hundred kilometres away in Gothenburg, another business sees a very different reality. A luxury car dealership offers vehicles with exceptional engineering, yet sales staff spend their days chasing leads and negotiating with hesitant prospects. Despite significant marketing investment, customers need convincing rather than simply arriving ready to purchase.
What explains this contrast? Both companies offer premium products with distinctive attributes—yet one pulls customers naturally while the other pushes constantly to attract them.
The difference is gravitational coherence.
Fjällräven has methodically built an integrated gravity system where product design, sales approach, marketing voice, and organisational culture all reinforce a single, consistent gravitational centre: sustainable, timeless outdoor equipment that connects people with nature. Their G-1000 fabric, repairable products, and Arctic Fox Initiative aren’t separate marketing initiatives but expressions of the same core purpose across every business function.
The luxury car manufacturer, despite exceptional engineering, suffers from gravitational leakage through disconnection. Their marketing promises an experience their sales process doesn’t deliver. Their cultural practices focus internally rather than manifesting in customer interactions. Their exceptional product exists in isolation rather than as part of an integrated system of attraction.
This chapter explores how to build your own gravity map—a systematic approach to creating coherent attraction across all aspects of your business. We’ll examine how to transform isolated pockets of excellence into a unified gravitational field that naturally pulls customers, talent, and opportunities toward you rather than requiring constant pursuit.
The Gravitational System
Section titled “The Gravitational System”Throughout this section, we’ve explored how gravitational pull emerges from excellence in product design, sales approaches, marketing amplification, and cultural practices. But the most powerful attraction occurs when these elements work together as a unified system rather than isolated components.
Most businesses approach these areas in silos, creating gravitational inconsistency that customers immediately sense. The products might be exceptional, but the sales experience feels disconnected. The marketing tells one story while the culture manifests another. Each gravitational leak requires expensive compensation through increased advertising or discounting, creating a perpetual drain on resources and diluting the authentic attraction that should emerge naturally.
The gravity map provides a systematic approach to identifying, implementing, and measuring gravitational elements across four key quadrants of your business:
- Product/Service Gravity: The intrinsic pull created through problem-solution excellence
- Sales Gravity: The natural attraction generated through value-creating conversations
- Marketing Gravity: The amplification of existing gravity through authentic communication
- Cultural Gravity: The external pull generated by distinctive ways of working
These four quadrants don’t operate independently—they form an integrated system where strength in one area reinforces attraction in others. A exceptional product generates authentic marketing stories. Cultural distinctiveness manifests in sales conversations. Sales insights inform product evolution. When all elements align with your essential purpose and positioning, they create a coherent gravitational field that customers can feel across every interaction.
Let’s explore how to build and implement your gravity map across each quadrant before examining their integration into a unified system.
The Product/Service Gravity Map
Section titled “The Product/Service Gravity Map”Product and service excellence forms the dense core of your gravitational system. Without intrinsic value, all other attraction efforts become compensation rather than amplification. The Product/Service Gravity Map helps you transform your offerings from merely functional to inherently magnetic.
Core Elements
Section titled “Core Elements”The most gravitational products and services excel across five dimensions:
- Functional Excellence: Creating category-leading solutions to core customer problems
Fjällräven’s G-1000 fabric exemplifies this approach. Developed in 1966, this densely woven fabric combines cotton and polyester with Greenland Wax for adaptable water and wind resistance. Rather than pursuing trendy materials, they’ve refined this core technology for decades, creating a foundation that every product builds upon.
- Experiential Distinction: Designing memorable moments throughout the customer journey
Brompton’s signature folding mechanism creates immediately recognizable distinction. The precise engineering allows their bicycles to fold in under 20 seconds into a package small enough to store under a desk. This experiential signature becomes a daily reminder of the brand’s excellence and a natural conversation starter for owners.
- Emotional Resonance: Building deeper connection through identity reinforcement
Patagonia’s environmental activism creates emotional resonance by connecting product choices to customers’ identity as environmentally conscious individuals. Their worn wear programme and repair policies transform purchases from transactions into statements of values—creating attraction through alignment with customer identity.
- Progressive Improvement: Demonstrating continuous evolution based on customer insights
Zoom built gravitational pull through relentless focus on video reliability during their growth phase. Rather than adding features to match competitors, they invested disproportionately in improving core functionality—creating a reputation for dependability that became their primary gravitational advantage.
- Ecosystem Integration: Creating networks of connected value that increase with adoption
Xero’s accounting platform creates ecosystem gravity through integrations with banks, payment processors, and complementary business tools. Each connection increases the platform’s utility and creates additional switching barriers—building gravitational mass beyond the core product.
Implementation Guidance
Section titled “Implementation Guidance”For each of these dimensions, the implementation approach varies based on your gravitational phase:
| Dimension | Building Phase | Focusing Phase | Redirecting Phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional Excellence | Identify one core problem and solve it exceptionally well | Expand mastery to adjacent problems while maintaining core excellence | Maintain excellence while evolving core definition as market changes |
| Experiential Distinction | Design one signature moment that creates memorability | Build consistent distinction across entire customer journey | Refresh experience while maintaining signature elements |
| Emotional Resonance | Find authentic connection between product and customer identity | Deepen resonance through aligned actions and policies | Evolve emotional connection while preserving core values |
| Progressive Improvement | Create visible feedback loops showing customer influence | Build systematic improvement infrastructure | Balance maintenance with innovation as market matures |
| Ecosystem Integration | Start with one high-value integration | Expand connections based on customer workflows | Develop platform capabilities as ecosystem matures |
The key principle is focus. In each phase, identify the dimension with greatest gravitational potential for your specific context, then concentrate resources on full implementation rather than spreading attention across all dimensions simultaneously.
Measurement Framework
Section titled “Measurement Framework”To assess your product/service gravitational strength, evaluate each dimension using these indicators:
| Dimension | Leading Indicators | Lagging Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| Functional Excellence | Problem resolution rate, Feature utilisation, Technical performance metrics | Retention rates, Competitive win rates, Technical review ratings |
| Experiential Distinction | Engagement depth, Session duration, Return frequency | Experience satisfaction, Social media mentions, Customer documentation |
| Emotional Resonance | Brand affinity measures, Community engagement, Identification metrics | NPS/advocacy metrics, Loyalty behaviours, Identity-based sharing |
| Progressive Improvement | Feedback participation, Idea implementation rate, Learning velocity | Satisfaction trend lines, Feature anticipation, Upgrade adoption rates |
| Ecosystem Integration | Integration adoption, Partner engagement, Data utilisation | Platform centrality, Ecosystem dependency, Partner-driven revenue |
Tracking both leading and lagging indicators provides a comprehensive view of your gravitational development. Leading indicators show whether you’re building the right capabilities, while lagging indicators confirm whether those capabilities are creating actual gravitational pull.
The Sales Gravity Map
Section titled “The Sales Gravity Map”Sales functions traditionally focus on transactional effectiveness—closing deals and hitting quarterly targets. The Gravity Map transforms this approach, creating systems that turn every interaction into a gravitational asset that progressively increases pull and reduces effort required for future opportunities.
Core Elements
Section titled “Core Elements”Gravitational sales approaches excel across five dimensions:
- Conversation Value Creation: Extracting insights from every interaction
Arup’s engineering consultants approach every client conversation as a learning opportunity, not just a selling opportunity. Their systematic approach to capturing industry insights feeds both their thought leadership and product development, creating a knowledge advantage that manifests as gravitational pull in future opportunities.
- Qualification Excellence: Focusing efforts on ideal gravitational fits
Adyen, the payment platform provider, built early momentum through highly selective client acquisition. Rather than pursuing every possible customer, they focused on lighthouse clients whose success would create natural reference stories, building a foundation of gravitational assets rather than simply maximising early revenue.
- Success Documentation: Creating systematic evidence of customer victories
Zendesk developed a “Customer Success Template” that standardizes how they capture and share client successes. This approach transforms anecdotal victories into systematic proof points that answer specific objections and accelerate future sales cycles—creating gravitational efficiency.
- Orbital Victory Systems: Converting clients to advocates who extend your reach
Xero’s accountant partner programme transforms service providers into natural advocates. By providing tools, training, and support for accountants who serve small businesses, they created thousands of gravitational ambassadors who extend their reach far beyond direct marketing capabilities.
- Gravitational Integration: Connecting sales with other business functions
Twilio’s “wear the customer’s shoes” cultural principle ensures insights from sales conversations flow directly into product development. This integration creates a continuous feedback loop where customer problems shape technical priorities—creating increasing product-market fit that manifests as gravitational pull.
Implementation Guidance
Section titled “Implementation Guidance”Sales gravitational approaches vary significantly based on context:
| Context | Gravitational Approach | Implementation Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Early-Stage/New Market | Educational focus with lighthouse client acquisition | Invest disproportionately in documenting early client successes as foundation for future gravity |
| Competitive Market | Differentiation articulation with clear contrast framing | Build evidence that demonstrates your distinctive approach against established alternatives |
| Enterprise/Complex Sale | Multi-level relationship development with value throughout process | Create systems that provide value during the buying journey, not just at transaction points |
| Transactional/High-Volume | Experience optimisation with friction elimination | Identify and remove every unnecessary step in the purchase process |
In each context, the primary gravitational advantage comes from alignment with your essence and consistent expression across all customer touchpoints. The most effective approach centers on authenticity rather than manipulation—allowing your intrinsic value to create natural attraction.
Measurement Framework
Section titled “Measurement Framework”Traditional sales metrics focus on closing rates and revenue targets. Gravitational measurement expands this view to assess pull-generating capability:
| Dimension | Leading Indicators | Lagging Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| Conversation Value Creation | Insight capture rate, Discovery depth metrics | Positioning refinement, Product roadmap influence |
| Qualification Excellence | Qualification score accuracy, Early disqualification rate | Conversion rate improvement, Implementation success |
| Success Documentation | Success story production, Evidence diversity | Case study influence rate, Objection reduction |
| Orbital Victory Systems | Pipeline velocity trends, Gravitational asset growth | Inbound ratio improvement, Effort-to-close reduction |
| Gravitational Integration | Cross-functional insight sharing, Feedback implementation rate | Organisational alignment, Customer experience continuity |
The gravitational shift happens when sales organisations evolve from measuring activity (calls made, proposals sent) to measuring attraction (inbound ratio, referral rate, relationship depth)—focusing on indicators that demonstrate growing pull rather than just pushing effort.
The Marketing Gravity Map
Section titled “The Marketing Gravity Map”Marketing traditionally focuses on outbound push—interrupting audiences with messages designed to generate interest. The Gravity Map transforms this approach, creating systems that amplify existing gravitational strengths rather than compensating for their absence.
Core Elements
Section titled “Core Elements”Gravitational marketing approaches excel across five dimensions:
- Content Amplification: Extending expertise through valuable information
Arup’s “Thoughts” publication series showcases their engineering expertise through substantive content rather than promotional material. This thought leadership approach establishes authority naturally, creating gravitational pull rather than promotional push.
- Community Amplification: Facilitating customer-to-customer connections
Monzo’s community forum gives customers a platform to share implementation guides, feature suggestions, and usage tips. This approach transforms customers into documentarians who extend the bank’s gravitational reach far beyond traditional marketing capabilities.
- Proof Amplification: Documenting and sharing success evidence
ServiceNow systematically documents transformation stories that demonstrate business impact. These detailed case studies answer specific objections and provide social proof—creating decision confidence that accelerates sales cycles.
- Experience Amplification: Making distinctive experiences visible
Fjällräven’s outdoor events like the Polar expedition and Classic trekking series make their authentic outdoor commitment visible and shareable. Rather than just claiming outdoor expertise, they demonstrate it through experiences that participants naturally document and share.
- Voice Authenticity: Developing distinctive communication
Oatly’s provocative packaging copy and advertising create immediate distinctiveness. Their conversational, sometimes controversial voice authentically expresses their position against traditional dairy, creating memorable contrast in a category historically defined by generic health claims.
Implementation Guidance
Section titled “Implementation Guidance”The gravitational approach adapts to different marketing channels:
| Channel | Gravitational Approach | Implementation Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Owned Media | Resource hub development with editorial excellence | Create destination content worth returning to repeatedly |
| Earned Media | Story-worthy creation with authentic angles | Develop genuinely interesting narratives rather than promotional pitches |
| Social Media | Community cultivation with value-first engagement | Facilitate conversation rather than broadcasting messages |
| Events & Experiences | Signature event design with connection focus | Create experiences that manifest your essence in tangible ways |
| Partner Networks | Complementary alignment with mutual benefit | Build partnerships based on audience value rather than mere promotion |
The key principle remains authenticity. The most gravitational marketing amplifies what’s genuinely distinctive about your business rather than creating artificial messaging disconnected from operational reality.
Measurement Framework
Section titled “Measurement Framework”Gravitational marketing measurement focuses on pull indicators rather than just reach metrics:
| Dimension | Leading Indicators | Lagging Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| Content Amplification | Engagement depth, Return visitor rate, Progressive consumption | Authority perception, Search positioning, Sales conversation influence |
| Community Amplification | Participation metrics, User-to-user interaction, Knowledge sharing | Community growth, Peer influence, Word-of-mouth metrics |
| Proof Amplification | Case completion rate, Testimonial acquisition, Evidence diversity | Social proof influence, Decision acceleration, Risk perception reduction |
| Experience Amplification | Preview engagement, Experience anticipation, Process clarity | Experience preference, Pre-framed expectations, Process confidence |
| Voice Authenticity | Message consistency, Language distinctiveness, Expression coherence | Brand recognition, Message memorability, Authenticity perception |
The marketing shift happens when organisations focus less on what they want to say and more on what audiences naturally find valuable—creating attraction through service rather than interruption.
The Culture Gravity Map
Section titled “The Culture Gravity Map”Most organisations view culture as an internal concern disconnected from market dynamics. The Gravity Map transforms this view, recognizing how internal cultural practices create external gravitational pull through distinctive ways of working that naturally express your essence.
Core Elements
Section titled “Core Elements”Gravitational cultures excel across five dimensions:
- Essence Expression: Clear articulation of fundamental purpose
Patagonia’s environmental activism creates immediate cultural distinction. Their purpose isn’t just a statement but a operating system that guides decisions from materials sourcing to political advocacy—creating authentic differentiation that naturally attracts aligned customers and talent.
- Belonging Creation: Environments for authentic contribution
Basecamp’s “it doesn’t have to be crazy at work” philosophy creates cultural distinction in an industry often defined by burnout. This approach naturally attracts talent seeking sustainable high performance and manifests in products designed for similar balance—creating alignment between internal practices and customer benefits.
- Primal Code Elements: Distinctive cultural signatures
Twilio’s “wear the customer’s shoes” principle creates both internal alignment and external distinction. This distinctive element shapes everything from hiring to product development, creating a recognizable cultural signature that manifests across customer interactions.
- Cultural Rituals: Reinforcing values through practices
Fjällräven’s Arctic Fox Initiative makes their environmental commitment operational through systematic practices. This approach transforms abstract values into concrete activities that both employees and customers can participate in—creating visible evidence of authentic commitments.
- Culture Code Elements: Building safety, vulnerability, and purpose
Arup’s employee ownership structure creates cultural conditions for long-term thinking that manifests in project quality. This structural commitment to purpose over profit creates distinctive outcomes that clients value—transforming internal governance into external attraction.
Implementation Guidance
Section titled “Implementation Guidance”Cultural gravity expresses through different channels:
| Expression Channel | Gravitational Approach | Implementation Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Decision Expression | Value-based choice frameworks with consistent application | Make significant choices visible to demonstrate values in action |
| Interaction Expression | Customer experience design aligned with cultural values | Design interactions that naturally express your cultural distinctiveness |
| Environmental Expression | Physical and digital space design that embodies values | Create environments that tell your cultural story |
| Narrative Expression | Story collection systems with authentic sharing | Systematically collect and share stories that demonstrate cultural values |
| Talent Expression | People processes designed to reinforce cultural identity | Create employment experiences that attract aligned talent |
The key principle is translation—ensuring internal cultural elements manifest externally in ways customers experience. When cultural distinctiveness remains hidden inside your organisation, it creates no gravitational advantage despite its potential strength.
Measurement Framework
Section titled “Measurement Framework”Cultural gravity measurement connects internal practices to external impact:
| Dimension | Leading Indicators | Lagging Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| Essence Expression | Decision consistency, Value recognition, Purpose connection | Cultural coherence, Identity distinctiveness, Positioning clarity |
| Belonging Creation | Psychological safety measures, Voice utilisation, Contribution diversity | Team performance, Innovation metrics, Talent attraction |
| Primal Code Elements | Language adoption, Ritual participation, Symbol recognition | Tribal belonging, Cultural cohesion, Shared identity |
| Cultural Rituals | Ritual consistency, Participation rates, Meaning recognition | Behavioural consistency, Priority clarity, Value embodiment |
| Culture Code Elements | Safety assessment, Vulnerability measures, Purpose connection | Team performance, Problem-solving capability, Adaptation speed |
The cultural gravitational shift happens when organisations view their internal practices not just as operational concerns but as fundamental sources of market differentiation—recognizing that how you work can become your most sustainable competitive advantage.
The Integrated Gravity Field
Section titled “The Integrated Gravity Field”The most powerful gravitational advantage comes from integration across quadrants, creating a coherent field of attraction rather than isolated pockets of strength. Four critical integration points deserve particular attention:
- Product-Marketing Integration: Authentic amplification
Oatly’s product distinctiveness flows naturally into their provocative marketing voice. This integration creates authentic amplification rather than artificial messaging—reducing required marketing investment while increasing effectiveness. The product truly is different in ways their marketing highlights, creating seamless credibility.
- Sales-Product Integration: Continuous improvement cycles
Twilio’s developer feedback loops connect customer insights directly to product development. This integration creates accelerating product-market fit—each sales conversation becomes an opportunity to refine understanding and enhance solutions. Sales isn’t selling a static product but participating in its evolution.
- Culture-Experience Integration: Values manifestation
Fjällräven’s sustainability commitment appears consistently across product design, marketing messages, retail environments, and team behaviours. This integration creates experience coherence—customers encounter the same values at every touchpoint rather than disconnection between claims and reality.
- Marketing-Sales Integration: Seamless customer journeys
ServiceNow’s transformation narratives flow seamlessly from marketing materials to sales conversations. This integration creates continuity as customers move through their decision journey—the stories that attract them initially are the same ones that help them evaluate and justify purchase decisions.
Integration Assessment
Section titled “Integration Assessment”To evaluate your integration effectiveness, assess each connection using these questions:
| Integration Type | Assessment Questions | Gravitational Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Product-Marketing Integration | • How authentically does marketing amplify actual product strengths? • How effectively do customers document their experiences? • How naturally do product distinctions translate to marketing stories? | Strong integration creates authentic amplification that requires less marketing effort |
| Sales-Product Integration | • How effectively do customer insights influence product evolution? • How well does sales evidence reflect product reality? • How completely do feedback loops connect customer needs to development? | Strong integration creates continuous improvement and increasing product-market fit |
| Culture-Experience Integration | • How consistently does internal culture translate to customer experience? • How authentically do values manifest in customer interactions? • How naturally do cultural principles guide operational decisions? | Strong integration creates distinctive experiences that competitors struggle to replicate |
| Marketing-Sales Integration | • How seamlessly do marketing assets enable sales conversations? • How consistently do narratives flow from marketing to sales? • How effectively do proof points translate across functions? | Strong integration creates customer journeys without messaging gaps or inconsistencies |
Integration multiplies the gravitational impact of individual elements. When all quadrants reinforce the same essence and positioning, they create a coherent field where gravitational pull increases exponentially rather than linearly—transforming separate rocks into a mountain with significant mass.
The Gravity Map Assessment
Section titled “The Gravity Map Assessment”Before implementing gravitational elements, conduct a comprehensive assessment to understand your current strengths and opportunities. This framework evaluates both individual quadrants and their integration.
Product/Service Gravity Assessment
Section titled “Product/Service Gravity Assessment”| Dimension | Assessment Questions | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|
| Functional Excellence | How effectively does your product solve core customer problems? How reliable is your core functionality? | |
| Experiential Distinction | How memorable is your customer experience? What signature moments create distinctiveness? | |
| Emotional Resonance | How deeply does your offering connect with customer identity? What emotional responses does it create? | |
| Progressive Improvement | How systematically do you evolve based on customer feedback? How visible is your continuous enhancement? | |
| Ecosystem Integration | How well does your offering connect to a broader value network? What switching costs have you created? |
Sales Gravity Assessment
Section titled “Sales Gravity Assessment”| Dimension | Assessment Questions | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|
| Conversation Value Creation | How much insight do you extract from sales interactions? How effectively do these insights flow throughout the organisation? | |
| Qualification Excellence | How selectively do you focus on ideal gravitational fits? How courageously do you disqualify poor fits? | |
| Success Documentation | How systematically do you capture and share client victories? How diverse and specific is your evidence library? | |
| Orbital Victory Systems | How effectively do you convert clients to advocates? What systems track gravitational asset growth? | |
| Gravitational Integration | How seamlessly does sales connect with other functions? How effectively do insights flow between departments? |
Marketing Gravity Assessment
Section titled “Marketing Gravity Assessment”| Dimension | Assessment Questions | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|
| Content Amplification | How effectively do you extend expertise through valuable content? How distinctively do you present your perspective? | |
| Community Amplification | How well do you facilitate customer-to-customer connections? What platforms enable knowledge sharing? | |
| Proof Amplification | How comprehensively do you document success evidence? How effectively does this evidence address specific concerns? | |
| Experience Amplification | How effectively do you make distinctive experiences visible? How shareable are your signature moments? | |
| Voice Authenticity | How distinctive and consistent is your communication? How authentically does it express your essence? |
Culture Gravity Assessment
Section titled “Culture Gravity Assessment”| Dimension | Assessment Questions | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|
| Essence Expression | How clearly does your culture express your fundamental purpose? How consistently does it guide daily decisions? | |
| Belonging Creation | How effectively do you create environments for authentic contribution? How psychologically safe is your culture? | |
| Primal Code Elements | How distinctive are your cultural symbols, language, and rituals? How recognizable is your cultural identity? | |
| Cultural Rituals | How systematically do you reinforce values through practices? How consistently are these rituals performed? | |
| Culture Code Elements | How effectively do you build safety, vulnerability, and purpose? How authentically do these manifest in operations? |
Integration Assessment
Section titled “Integration Assessment”Evaluate the connections between quadrants to identify possible gravitational leaks:
| Integration Type | Assessment Questions | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|
| Product-Marketing Integration | How authentically does marketing amplify actual product strengths? How naturally do product distinctions translate to marketing stories? | |
| Sales-Product Integration | How effectively do customer insights influence product evolution? How accurately does sales evidence reflect product reality? | |
| Culture-Experience Integration | How consistently does internal culture translate to customer experience? How authentically do values manifest in customer interactions? | |
| Marketing-Sales Integration | How seamlessly do marketing assets enable sales conversations? How consistently do narratives flow from marketing to sales? |
This assessment provides a comprehensive view of your current gravitational strength and identifies priority areas for development. Focus first on resolving integration gaps that create gravitational leakage before adding new elements to any individual quadrant.
The Gravity Map Implementation Canvas
Section titled “The Gravity Map Implementation Canvas”The Gravity Map Implementation Canvas provides a practical planning tool for implementing gravity building initiatives. It helps translate assessment insights into focused quarterly actions:
| Quadrant | Current Gravity | Priority Elements | Q1 Focus | Q2 Focus | Q3 Focus | Q4 Focus | Integration Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product/Service | Assessment score and key observations | Top 3-5 elements to develop | 1-2 elements only | Next 1-2 elements | Next 1-2 elements | Next 1-2 elements | Connections to other quadrants |
| Sales | Assessment score and key observations | Top 3-5 elements to develop | 1-2 elements only | Next 1-2 elements | Next 1-2 elements | Next 1-2 elements | Connections to other quadrants |
| Marketing | Assessment score and key observations | Top 3-5 elements to develop | 1-2 elements only | Next 1-2 elements | Next 1-2 elements | Next 1-2 elements | Connections to other quadrants |
| Culture | Assessment score and key observations | Top 3-5 elements to develop | 1-2 elements only | Next 1-2 elements | Next 1-2 elements | Next 1-2 elements | Connections to other quadrants |
The canvas encourages disciplined focus on just 1-2 elements per quadrant each quarter. This constraint forces prioritisation and ensures full implementation rather than partial attempts across too many initiatives simultaneously.
The Incremental Reality of Gravity Building
Section titled “The Incremental Reality of Gravity Building”Building gravitational pull is not an overnight transformation but a patient, deliberate process of accumulating attraction over time. Most organisations face significant constraints in terms of time, attention, and resources, making it impossible to implement all gravitational elements simultaneously.
The Quarterly Rhythm of Gravity Building
Section titled “The Quarterly Rhythm of Gravity Building”The most successful approach acknowledges this reality and embraces incremental development:
- Quarterly Focus: Select only 1-2 gravitational elements per quadrant each quarter
- Full Implementation: Complete each element before adding more to your gravitational system
- Documentation: Capture learning from each implementation to inform future priorities
- Celebration: Recognise successful implementation to maintain momentum
- Progressive Building: Use each quarter’s achievements as foundation for the next quarter’s focus
This approach recognises that meaningful gravitational development typically requires 18-36 months of consistent effort. The compounding returns come from patient, sequential implementation rather than attempting everything simultaneously.
Phase-Specific Implementation
Section titled “Phase-Specific Implementation”Your implementation approach should align with your gravitational phase:
| Phase | Implementation Focus | Quarterly Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Building Phase | Create initial gravitational signatures in each quadrant | Start with foundation elements that enable future gravity building |
| Focusing Phase | Accelerate identified gravitational strengths | Concentrate resources on elements showing early attraction evidence |
| Redirecting Phase | Balance maintaining existing gravity with developing new elements | Divide focus between sustaining core elements and building new ones |
In each phase, the reality of limited resources requires ruthless prioritisation. Concentrate on full implementation of a few well-chosen elements rather than partial implementation of many—gravitational strength comes from depth rather than breadth.
The Quarterly Gravity Building Workshop
Section titled “The Quarterly Gravity Building Workshop”To implement gravity mapping in your organisation, consider adopting a quarterly workshop approach:
Workshop Format
Section titled “Workshop Format”- Duration: Full-day session (6-7 hours)
- Participants: Cross-functional leadership team (Product, Sales, Marketing, Culture/People)
- Materials: Gravity Map templates, assessment tools, prioritisation matrices
Workshop Flow
Section titled “Workshop Flow”-
Essence Alignment (60 minutes)
- Review and articulate organisational essence
- Identify core distinctive elements that should inform gravity building
- Create essence alignment principles for gravitational development
-
Current Gravity Assessment (90 minutes)
- Complete gravitational assessment for each quadrant
- Identify areas of natural gravitational strength
- Map current gravitational assets and capabilities
- Honestly assess progress on previous quarter’s gravity initiatives
-
Opportunity Identification (90 minutes)
- Identify highest-potential gravitational elements for each quadrant
- Assess alignment with essence and positioning
- Evaluate resource requirements and implementation feasibility
- Map potential gravitational impact and timeframe
-
Quarterly Focus Selection (90 minutes)
- Select ONLY 1-2 priority gravitational elements per quadrant
- Create detailed implementation plan for each selected element
- Explicitly decide what will NOT be addressed this quarter
- Develop resource allocation approach that ensures follow-through
-
Integration Planning (60 minutes)
- Identify cross-quadrant dependencies and synergies
- Design coordination mechanisms between teams
- Create weekly/monthly check-in cadence for selected initiatives
-
90-Day Action Planning (60 minutes)
- Break quarterly initiatives into specific 30/60/90-day milestones
- Assign clear responsibilities and success criteria
- Establish weekly review cadence to maintain momentum
Workshop Outputs
Section titled “Workshop Outputs”- Selected gravity elements for the coming quarter (1-2 per quadrant maximum)
- Detailed implementation plan with clear success criteria
- Integration approach for cross-quadrant dependencies
- Measurement system for tracking progress
- 30/60/90-day milestones with responsibilities
- Explicit decision on what will NOT be addressed this quarter
This disciplined approach ensures focused implementation rather than the common pattern of enthusiastic initiation followed by inconsistent execution. By limiting initiatives and establishing clear review cadence, you create conditions for gravitational momentum rather than scattered efforts.
The Gravitational Governance Framework
Section titled “The Gravitational Governance Framework”For sustainable gravitational development, establish governance systems that maintain focus, ensure quality, and drive continuous improvement:
Essence Guardianship
Section titled “Essence Guardianship”Appoint specific individuals responsible for ensuring gravitational elements remain aligned with your core purpose. This role reviews proposed initiatives for essence consistency and helps resolve tensions between short-term performance and long-term gravitational development.
Quality Assurance
Section titled “Quality Assurance”Establish clear standards for gravitational excellence. Define what “good enough” looks like for each element and create review processes to verify implementation quality. The gravitational advantage comes only from excellence in execution, not merely checking boxes on implementation plans.
Measurement Systems
Section titled “Measurement Systems”Develop balanced metrics that track both leading indicators (implementation activities) and lagging indicators (gravitational results). Review these metrics regularly to assess progress and make adjustments when initiatives aren’t creating expected attraction.
Cross-Functional Integration
Section titled “Cross-Functional Integration”Create coordination mechanisms that ensure gravitational elements work together across quadrants. Regular integration meetings help identify disconnections early and maintain coherence as your gravitational system evolves.
Regular Review Cadence
Section titled “Regular Review Cadence”Establish weekly, monthly, and quarterly review rhythms to maintain momentum. These sessions should focus not just on activity completion but on honest assessment of gravitational impact—creating opportunities to refine approach based on actual market response.
Conclusion: The Mapped Advantage
Section titled “Conclusion: The Mapped Advantage”Let’s return to Fjällräven. Their gravitational advantage didn’t emerge accidentally or overnight. It developed through deliberate, systematic mapping and implementation of aligned elements across all business quadrants.
Their product gravity comes from materials like G-1000 fabric and designs that prioritise durability and repair. Their sales gravity comes from knowledgeable associates who educate rather than merely transact. Their marketing gravity comes from authentic outdoor experiences like the Polar expedition and Classic trekking series. Their cultural gravity comes from initiatives like the Arctic Fox Initiative that make environmental commitments operational.
But their true advantage comes from integration—how these elements work together to create a coherent field where customers feel the same gravitational pull regardless of which aspect of the business they encounter first. This coherence creates natural attraction that requires progressively less effort to maintain, allowing them to reduce traditional marketing spending while increasing their pull on aligned customers.
The gravity map provides a systematic approach to creating similar advantages in your business—transforming isolated pockets of excellence into a unified gravitational field. By methodically mapping, assessing, and implementing gravitational elements across all quadrants, you create conditions where customers, talent, and opportunities are naturally drawn to you rather than requiring constant pursuit.
The journey requires patience and discipline. Building meaningful gravitational pull typically takes 18-36 months of consistent implementation. But the compound returns are substantial—creating sustainable advantage that competitors can’t easily replicate because it emerges from integrated excellence rather than isolated initiatives.
“Most businesses approach gravity building like separate teams constructing different parts of a bridge in isolation, hoping they’ll somehow connect in the middle. The gravity map ensures they’re building the same bridge from the start.”
As you develop your own gravity map, remember that the most attractive companies aren’t those doing extraordinary things in isolated pockets, but those doing consistent things across every aspect of their business—creating coherent gravitational fields that naturally pull rather than constantly push. The difference isn’t just more efficient marketing but fundamentally stronger businesses that become—and remain—the obvious choice.