Purple Cow

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"Is your product the best at anything worth measuring?" -- Seth Godin

Looking at the marketplace today, there are very few items or services that are truly remarkable.  Most companies tend to release products that gravitate towards the middle of the continuum of what is palatable to the masses as opposed to playing on the fringes.  In doing so, consumers are left with boring products and companies are afraid to break outside of this norm.

In Seth Godin's Purple Cow, Godin explains the dangers that are imposed upon a company by only providing mundane products and services.  While these companies feel they are playing it safe by staying within the social norms, in reality they are creating an environment that is unable to stimulate massive growth and increases in revenue.  His suggestion?  Create a Purple Cow.

What is a Purple Cow?  Godin describes a family vacation in France, during which numerous healthy and strong brown-spotted cows were grazing in picturesque fields.  While this new sight was intriguing at first, it quickly become mundane and boring.  All the cows began to look the same and nothing was interesting enough to keep his attention.  Godin theorized that if there was something new and exciting to see, such as a Purple Cow, it would have stolen his attention and interest for a bit.  With all of the boring products out there, you may think that companies would be dying to find something that sets them apart from everybody else.  Godin argues against this, saying all most companies really want to do is fit in.

In order to create something remarkable, in order to create a Purple Cow, you have to be wiling to play at the extremes of what is measurable.  You have to be willing to take the risk that you may offend some people or that your product will not be perfectly suitable for everybody.  By narrowing down your target demographic, you can reach the few "sneezers" within that demographic--people who have a very strong interest or otaku in the area of service you are providing as well as the initiative to tell many, many other people about your product or service.  By reaching these sneezers, you can expand your customer base very quickly, leading to rapid revenue growth.

Two important things to understand about a Purple Cow are (1) it absolutely has to be remarkable and (2) it does not last forever.  In order for it to be noticed by the sneezers, it has to stand out like a sore thumb.  Think about a field that you are truly passionate about.  Would you waste your time telling others about something that is pretty similar to everything else in that field?  Probably not.  This is the same with the sneezers of your industry.  Unless you completely wow them with something remarkable, it will not be worth their time to spread the word about you.

Along those same lines, if you do not consistently create a new Purple Cow, what was once remarkable will begin to seem mundane as people are exposed to it over and over again.

I recommend this book for anyone who is looking to expand their business or make an impact in their market.  Additionally, if you are wanting a different perspective on marketing and product design, I would strongly suggest reading this book.

What actions are you currently taking to deliver remarkable products, or are you more of a fan of playing it "safe" and providing spin-offs of what is already out there?

Your body.  Your training.

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