Purple Cow

Synopsis

Summary

What is remarkable?

The traditional 5 Ps of marketing, product, pricing, promotion, placement, and people, just aren't working anymore. The new "P," Purple Cow, teaches readers that being remarkable is what gets them noticed. Traditional marketing is the Brown Cow, boring and typical. This new approach to marketing is the Purple Cow, exciting and remarkable. Standing out in an overcrowded marketplace is something that all businesses struggle with, and once they learn how to be remarkable, they will never go back to being a Brown Cow.

Questions and answers

What are some ways that companies can measure their 'Purple Cow' status?

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Companies can measure their 'Purple Cow' status by evaluating how much their product or service stands out in the market. This can be done by assessing the uniqueness, novelty, and excitement that the product or service brings. They can also measure it by the amount of risk they are willing to take to be remarkable, as being safe is considered risky in this context. Examples of companies with 'Purple Cow' status include Sam Adams, Jet Blue, and Starbucks, which are all exceptional and worth noticing.

How does being remarkable affect a company's market share?

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Being remarkable can significantly affect a company's market share. When a company offers a product or service that is new, different, or exciting, it stands out from the competition. This uniqueness can attract more customers, leading to an increase in market share. Companies like Sam Adams, Jet Blue, and Starbucks are examples of businesses that have succeeded by being remarkable.

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What makes a product or service worthy of remarks is what makes it remarkable. New. Different. Exciting. These are just some of things that make a product stand out. As Godin puts it, "Being safe is risky." By clinging to traditional marketing, most companies may feel safe, but they are at risk. This book teaches that taking the risk to be remarkable is the safest way to succeed. Godin gives some good examples of products and services worth talking about. Sam Adams, Jet Blue, and Starbucks are all remarkable. They are exceptional and worth noticing.

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In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is failing. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible.

Why be remarkable?

Remarkable products and services get noticed. They are worth talking about and sharing. Being remarkable fits right in with the explosion of social media and the changing face of information sharing. Being different gets you noticed. Customers just don't have the time to pay attention to advertising, but they will pay attention to remarkable.

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How to be remarkable?

Purple Cow explains what remarkable means and why businesses need to be remarkable. But it also teaches how to pull it off, with plenty of case studies and stories. Brown Cows focus on the masses. Purple Cows focus on making products and services that Godin calls "idea viruses." Readers will learn that if they create something remarkable aimed at early adopters, or as Godin calls them "sneezers," their product or service will be shared and talked about.

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"It is useless to advertise to anyone except interested sneezers with influence."

That means making something that the "right" people notice and share because that Purple Cow is just so awesome! Godin admits that there is no guarantee that a Purple Cow will work because it may not be remarkable enough or it might be too risky. But that's the whole point. It's the unpredictability that makes the Purple Cow work. That's what makes it remarkable.

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