by Seth Godin

Do Something Remarkable

According to Seth Godin in his book Purple Cow, traditional marketing approaches are obsolete. Due to the overwhelming number of advertisements today most products and services are ignored or invisible to consumers. To catch someone's attention you need to have something that is remarkable.

How do you build something remarkable? Be passionate about solving problems. Be passionate about making something that you truly believe in. It will be easier for you and carry over to your product or service. Look at Jake Burton (founder of Burton snow boards). Find a niche market and overwhelm it. Own it. By starting with a niche market that you can provide a solution for their problem, you will find people more likely to listen to what you have to say and they will most likely tell others.

The Truth About Marketing

Godin's truth about Marketing, "Most people can't buy your product. Either they don't have the money, they don't have the time, or they don't want it… Almost everything we can realistically imagine that we need has been invented… If you want to grow your market share or launch something new, you have a significant challenge ahead. The old rules don't work so well any more. Marketing is dead. Long live marketing."

So, where do you go from here? Instead of just building a product or service and then finding a use, build something that actually is innovative and solves a problem. Products or services that are worth talking about get talked about. According to Godin, "create things worth talking about." Be on the fringes. Do something remarkable. Don't play by the traditional rules. Don't be afraid of being the "purple cow". Don't be afraid of the criticism that comes to those that stand out. Don't be afraid of risk.

What is the deal with the Purple Cow?

What's a purple cow? Just that. A purple cow in a field of regular cows would bring gawkers by the thousands. At least for a period of time. Eventually, the purple cow would get old. To bring people back, a new color cow would have to arrive. Compare this analogy to your business. Some purple cows that Godin highlights include: JetBlue, Starbucks, Amazon, Google, Dutch Boy, Krispy Kreme, Hallmark and others.

Who does Godin say can benefit the most from this type of thinking? The mid-sized and smaller companies. He says they have the most to gain by changing the rules of the game and the least to lose. The larger the company, the more "corporate inertia" to stay status quo and stay unremarkable.

Being Good is Not Good Enough

Think about this example. You travel on an airplane. It gets you to your destination safely. Do you tell anyone? No. That's what's supposed to happen. What would be remarkable is if the experience is the worst of your life or if the experience is so unexpected and remarkable (they gave you a free ticket because you mentioned you had a rough day) that you want to tell others. Godin points out, "Very good is an everyday occurrence and hardly worth mentioning."

Ideas and Examples

What are some ideas to be a Purple Cow?

• Make a collectable version of your product
• Simplify what you do to make it faster or easier for your customers
• Create something that is wacky and wonderful to a niche audience (Jeep, Longaberger)
• Look at what you do from a novice's eyes. How can you make what you do easier-to-carry, easier-to-see, easier-to-use, easier-to-throw-out, etc? Redefine what you do based on today's standards, not yesterday's.
• Go to extremes. How can you make what you do annoy, offend, don't appeal, be too expensive, too cheap, too heavy, too complicated, too simple, too something. Don't worry; it may be too much for most people, but just perfect for your customers.

What are some examples of companies that have used this extreme analogy to become successful?

• LL Bean and their extreme return policy of taking back anything for any reason.
• Hummer's annoyance factor of being too big, too ugly, and too inefficient to be on the road with normal cars.
• Volvo's safety focus and predictable box styling.
• Linux operating systems difficult install process, difficult integration, and difficult use, all brought about a devoted, loyal core group that focused on trying to overcome those issues.
• Lottery tickets for their low investment but chance at a big win.

Summary

In summary, this is a great book to get you thinking and motivate you to find your "Purple Cow". Godin packs quite a bit into this easy to read book. It's a must have for any marketer, business owner, product manager, or anyone that is looking to grow their sales.

Oh, yes, one more thing. Don't forget, once you do something remarkable, it's not new anymore and no longer remarkable. It's time to find the next remarkable thing. Don't "milk" your purple cow dry.

This review provided by Samantha Rufo, a principal in nxtConcepts. nxtConcepts is a next generation company using innovative ideas, proven marketing programs, and cutting edge technology to help build business. nxtConcepts is also the exclusive distributor of "Wonder", marketing enriched technology that is the equivalent of sliced bread for your business. For more information call 888-215-0820 or 740-815-6925 or email

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