Why 10 and 12? They represent two numbers that humans have used repeatedly since the beginning of recorded history.
Ten fingers and toes
Most people have ten fingers and toes. In addition to their function for balancing and grasping, they have been used to count. As a result, the numbering system that most use is based on 10. The metric system of measurement commonly used in science and in many parts of the world is also based on 10. When making lists, people often list up to 10 items. Every night, David Letterman makes jokes based on his Top 10 lists. Time measurement is often based on 10 with census counts every decade. We also mark time based on centuries and millennia – all powers of 10. In the Jewish religion, 10 people (called a Minyan) are required for public prayer. When we look at projected increases, we often look at 10% as the “no brainer” de facto percentage increase. And, if something increases (decreases) 10% or more, we use the term double digits and consider that a significant increase (decrease). According to the Law (or Rule) of 72, anything that increases at a 10% annual rate will double in 7.2 years.
Twelve is a divine number
In early civilization, twelve became a very important number to mathematicians and astronomers. Twelve is a number that is divisible by 2,3,4 and 6 as well as by itself and 1. That’s two more numbers than can be divided equally into 10. Astronomers divided a year, or the average time it takes the Earth to make a complete revolution around the Sun, into 12 months. Days (the time it takes the Earth to make one revolution) were divided into 24 hours each with two definable parts (day and night) lasting roughly 12 hours each during spring and fall equinoxes.
Astrologers created twelve houses of the zodiac and identified 12 major star constellations in the sky. In America, we inherited the English measurement system, which was based on using parts of one’s body or common household items to measure things. An inch was defined as the average length of the distance from the tip to the first joint of the index finger. A foot was defined as 12 inches, or roughly the size of a man’s foot. While some look at English measurement systems as archaic and backward, they actually are quite creative, and in many ways, they make a lot of sense. Twelve comes up quite often in the Bible, with Jacob’s 12 sons, and the 12 tribes of Israel.
Twelve appears again and again in the Old Testament. Christians identify 12 disciples of Jesus. Some Christian denominations celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, and a song by that title was first published in 1780 England, which some say is of French origin. In some Muslim sects, there are 12 ruling Imams that follow Muhammad. In Greek mythology, there were 12 gods of Olympus. And, of course, many eat lunch at 12-noon or stay awake until 12-midnight. Twelve has become an important number in most cultures, and therefore it occupies an important place in the brains of most humans.
How can you take advantage of the power of 10 and 12 in your marketing?
To help your target audience remember the things you want them to remember, you should follow a simple guideline – the fewer the better. In a previous post, I explained that three (or less) is optimal. If you need them to remember more, you can go up to between 5 and 7, but you should limit your communications to no more than seven – the upper limit of the average number of things humans can remember. When it comes to lists, sequences, or structures, 10 and 12 also work well. Whether it is a 12-step program for achieving a goal, a 12 characteristics of a successful management team, or the 10 common dreams that humans have, 10 and 12 are important numbers in marketing because people are comfortable using lists, structures, and models that have 10 or 12 items in them since time immemorial.