The Golf Ball Theory of Marketing (Or Why People Buy Two of Things)
Let me tell you about the dumbest purchase I made last year. I bought two identical golf umbrellas. Not similar — identical. One for the car boot, one for the front door. I don’t golf. I don’t even like rain. But I liked the idea of being ready wherever I was. That’s the Golf Ball Theory.
In marketing think, we love the funnel, the journey, the loyalty loop. But what we don’t talk about enough is the weird mental duplication that triggers a second purchase. A consumer doesn’t just like something — they like it enough to want it in multiple places. It’s the upgraded form of trust. Call it spatial endorsement.
Think about Apple charging bricks. People bought one, then another. Toothpaste tubes: one for the bathroom, one for the travel bag. It’s subconscious brand devotion in 3D. Here’s the kicker — it only happens when the design and user experience feel seamlessly integrated into people’s lives. Not as a product, but as a presence.
For marketers and designers, the holy grail isn’t just repeat purchase, it’s parallel presence. How do you design for duplication? How do you become the umbrella people buy twice? Stop thinking about loyalty as a lifetime timeline. Start noticing how many of your favourite objects exist in twos. Or threes. Then ask yourself why.
In marketing think, we love the funnel, the journey, the loyalty loop. But what we don’t talk about enough is the weird mental duplication that triggers a second purchase. A consumer doesn’t just like something — they like it enough to want it in multiple places. It’s the upgraded form of trust. Call it spatial endorsement.
Think about Apple charging bricks. People bought one, then another. Toothpaste tubes: one for the bathroom, one for the travel bag. It’s subconscious brand devotion in 3D. Here’s the kicker — it only happens when the design and user experience feel seamlessly integrated into people’s lives. Not as a product, but as a presence.
For marketers and designers, the holy grail isn’t just repeat purchase, it’s parallel presence. How do you design for duplication? How do you become the umbrella people buy twice? Stop thinking about loyalty as a lifetime timeline. Start noticing how many of your favourite objects exist in twos. Or threes. Then ask yourself why.