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Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable
The acclaimed Wall Street Journal and Business Week Bestseller.
You're either a Purple Cow or you're not. You're either remarkable or invisible. Make your choice.
What do Starbucks and JetBlue and KrispyKreme and Apple and DutchBoy and Kensington and Zespri and Hard Candy have that you don't? How do they continue to confound critics and achieve spectacular growth, leaving behind former tried-and true brands to gasp their last?
Face it, the checklist of tired 'P's marketers have used for decades to get their product noticed - Pricing, Promotion, Publicity, to name a few - aren't working anymore. There's an exceptionally important 'P' that has to be added to the list. It's Purple Cow.
Cows, after you've seen one, or two, or ten, are boring. A Purple Cow, though...now that would be something. Purple Cow describes something phenomenal, something counterintuitive and exciting and flat out unbelievable. Every day, consumers come face to face with a lot of boring stuff-a lot of brown cows - but you can bet they won't forget a Purple Cow. And it's not a marketing function that you can slap on to your product or service. Purple Cow is inherent. It's built right in, or it's not there. Period.
In Purple Cow, Seth Godin urges you to put a Purple Cow into everything you build, and everything you do, to create something truly noticeable. It's a manifesto for marketers who want to help create products that are worth marketing in the first place.
Description from Amazon.com
You're either a Purple Cow or you're not. You're either remarkable or invisible. Make your choice.
What do Starbucks and JetBlue and KrispyKreme and Apple and DutchBoy and Kensington and Zespri and Hard Candy have that you don't? How do they continue to confound critics and achieve spectacular growth, leaving behind former tried-and true brands to gasp their last?
Face it, the checklist of tired 'P's marketers have used for decades to get their product noticed - Pricing, Promotion, Publicity, to name a few - aren't working anymore. There's an exceptionally important 'P' that has to be added to the list. It's Purple Cow.
Cows, after you've seen one, or two, or ten, are boring. A Purple Cow, though...now that would be something. Purple Cow describes something phenomenal, something counterintuitive and exciting and flat out unbelievable. Every day, consumers come face to face with a lot of boring stuff-a lot of brown cows - but you can bet they won't forget a Purple Cow. And it's not a marketing function that you can slap on to your product or service. Purple Cow is inherent. It's built right in, or it's not there. Period.
In Purple Cow, Seth Godin urges you to put a Purple Cow into everything you build, and everything you do, to create something truly noticeable. It's a manifesto for marketers who want to help create products that are worth marketing in the first place.
Description from Amazon.com
145 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2003
About the author
Seth Godin
152 books6,306 followersSeth W. Godin, also known as "F. X. Nine", is an American author and a former dot com business executive.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,967 reviews
March 1, 2011
I'm being kind with a 4 star rating. While it's a well written book, and I believe most of what Seth says to be true, I was hoping for a guidebook. Instead, he affirmed what I already knew-marketing isn't as effective as it was 10 years ago, marketing doesn't guarantee you'll get noticed, and all of the normal avenues of marketing are no longer the powerhouses. It's not even print vs. digital. It's the remarkable vs. the unremarkable.
After reading The Dip (also by Seth Godin), I thought this one would be the perfect follow-up. And it is, but not in the way I expected. The Dip had instructions, steps to take to move forward. Purple Cow has the same direct writing approach, but the instructions were lacking. I understand why. He's saying there is no "right" way or easy answer. If there was an easy answer to success, we'd all be successful. But we know it's not just a lottery, either. You can work towards being successful. His main point, is that humans are overwhelmed with products, choices, and ads. If your company doesn't have something that stands out, you'll get lost in the middle. This is what's happened to me. I provide a great product. But I wasn't the first, I'm not the biggest, the smallest, the cheapest, the most expensive, the easiest, the most difficult, the craziest, the prettiest packaging, the most illusive, the best placement, the fastest, the slowest.....This makes me unremarkable. I'm good, but that doesn't matter. I'm not remarkable. I fall into the wasteland of Google, I'm just another photographer on a page. I can't blame people. They don't want to spend all their time researching the middle. They want someone to tell them what's best, cheapest, etc. I find myself falling into that sometimes as well, though I try to find the people in the middle, because I know what it's like. The quickest answer isn't always going to serve me best, but I admit it saves on time and frustration. And that's what people want.
What I found most helpful about this book is the examples he gives of successful companies, why they became successful, how they've stayed successful and why some of them are no longer successful. He breaks apart the product from the marketing, saying that the marketing is important, but the product is more important. This is good! Who wants to be sold crappy products with great advertising?
Bottom line, if you're in business for yourself, or if you are an influential person in your company, this is a good book to read. Though it's frustrating and isn't full of easy to-do lists, it's probably the best piece of advice I've heard. And I hate Seth for it. Hopefully one day I'll thank him instead.
Favorite Quotes:
"Are you obsessed or just making a living?"
"Let them see that every single industry is feeling the same pain you are."
"Well, if you don't have time to do it right, what makes you think you'll have time to do it over?"
"Cheap is an easy way out of the battle for the Purple Cow."
p.93 "The sad truth, though, is that it may be quite a while before the {cell phone} market generates the attention it did five years ago." This made me laugh out loud, because it was written in 2002, but the smart phone was unforeseen. Wow, if we only knew then....
"So the question you need to ask yourself is this: If only 6 percent of the most valuable brands used the now-obsolete strategy of constantly reminding us about their sort-of-ordinary product, why do you believe this strategy will work for you?"
"Will any business that targets a dying business succeed? Of course not. But...targeting a thriving niche in a slow-moving industry can work-if you're prepared to invest what it takes to be remarkable."
"No one will argue with you if you claim that Wal-Mart is the biggest, most profitable, scariest retailer on earth. So, when Wal-Mart was frantically trying to catch up with Amazon.com, what did they have plastered on a banner in their offices? "You can't out-Amazon Amazon."
"You have to go where the competition is not. The farther the better."
After reading The Dip (also by Seth Godin), I thought this one would be the perfect follow-up. And it is, but not in the way I expected. The Dip had instructions, steps to take to move forward. Purple Cow has the same direct writing approach, but the instructions were lacking. I understand why. He's saying there is no "right" way or easy answer. If there was an easy answer to success, we'd all be successful. But we know it's not just a lottery, either. You can work towards being successful. His main point, is that humans are overwhelmed with products, choices, and ads. If your company doesn't have something that stands out, you'll get lost in the middle. This is what's happened to me. I provide a great product. But I wasn't the first, I'm not the biggest, the smallest, the cheapest, the most expensive, the easiest, the most difficult, the craziest, the prettiest packaging, the most illusive, the best placement, the fastest, the slowest.....This makes me unremarkable. I'm good, but that doesn't matter. I'm not remarkable. I fall into the wasteland of Google, I'm just another photographer on a page. I can't blame people. They don't want to spend all their time researching the middle. They want someone to tell them what's best, cheapest, etc. I find myself falling into that sometimes as well, though I try to find the people in the middle, because I know what it's like. The quickest answer isn't always going to serve me best, but I admit it saves on time and frustration. And that's what people want.
What I found most helpful about this book is the examples he gives of successful companies, why they became successful, how they've stayed successful and why some of them are no longer successful. He breaks apart the product from the marketing, saying that the marketing is important, but the product is more important. This is good! Who wants to be sold crappy products with great advertising?
Bottom line, if you're in business for yourself, or if you are an influential person in your company, this is a good book to read. Though it's frustrating and isn't full of easy to-do lists, it's probably the best piece of advice I've heard. And I hate Seth for it. Hopefully one day I'll thank him instead.
Favorite Quotes:
"Are you obsessed or just making a living?"
"Let them see that every single industry is feeling the same pain you are."
"Well, if you don't have time to do it right, what makes you think you'll have time to do it over?"
"Cheap is an easy way out of the battle for the Purple Cow."
p.93 "The sad truth, though, is that it may be quite a while before the {cell phone} market generates the attention it did five years ago." This made me laugh out loud, because it was written in 2002, but the smart phone was unforeseen. Wow, if we only knew then....
"So the question you need to ask yourself is this: If only 6 percent of the most valuable brands used the now-obsolete strategy of constantly reminding us about their sort-of-ordinary product, why do you believe this strategy will work for you?"
"Will any business that targets a dying business succeed? Of course not. But...targeting a thriving niche in a slow-moving industry can work-if you're prepared to invest what it takes to be remarkable."
"No one will argue with you if you claim that Wal-Mart is the biggest, most profitable, scariest retailer on earth. So, when Wal-Mart was frantically trying to catch up with Amazon.com, what did they have plastered on a banner in their offices? "You can't out-Amazon Amazon."
"You have to go where the competition is not. The farther the better."
May 17, 2013
An unremarkable and dated book. A quick read, but I don't feel like I came away from this book with anything.
Let me summerize the book in a few sentences:
MARKETING IS WRONG, ADVERTISEMENTS ARE DYING.
FOR STUFF TO SELL IT HAS TO BE AWESOME.
IF YOUR STUFF IS AWESOME AND IT SELLS DONT SAVE ALL THAT MONEY, SPEND IT ON MAKING SOMETHING MORE AWESOME.
YOU WILL FAIL.
KEEP TRYING.
Which is all fine and dandy, but I'm not entirely sure who the hell this book is supposed to help.
Let me summerize the book in a few sentences:
MARKETING IS WRONG, ADVERTISEMENTS ARE DYING.
FOR STUFF TO SELL IT HAS TO BE AWESOME.
IF YOUR STUFF IS AWESOME AND IT SELLS DONT SAVE ALL THAT MONEY, SPEND IT ON MAKING SOMETHING MORE AWESOME.
YOU WILL FAIL.
KEEP TRYING.
Which is all fine and dandy, but I'm not entirely sure who the hell this book is supposed to help.
August 19, 2021
The world has changed. There are far more choices, but there is less and less time to sort them out." pg 13
Seth Godin, prolific author of business blogs and books, shares his insights about why a product must be remarkable to cut through the noise and get an audience's attention. He opines that this remarkable "Purple Cow" quality is the only way a business can succeed in the modern world, as old methods of mass marketing through expensive television ads is going the way of the dodo.
"Something remarkable is worth talking about. Worth noticing. Exceptional. New. Interesting. It's a Purple Cow. Boring stuff is invisible. It's a brown cow." pg 3
The trouble with this remarkable stuff is that there is no clear method to create it. It is a "I'll-know-it-when-I-see-it" type situation. For businesses looking to up their Purple Cow-factor, there are very few directions in this book, other than, it's important to be a purple cow. I could see that unclear quality being frustrating for some readers.
"The old rule was this: Create safe, ordinary products and combine them with great marketing. The new rule is: Create remarkable products that the right people seek out." pg 21
The "right people" being the influencers or the early adopters of whatever type of product it is that you're selling. Marketing to the niche, rather than mass marketing to the crowd, is, according to Godin, the best strategy for the new world of marketing.
Take Goodreads, for example. Publishers want to get their advance reader copies into the hands of those who talk to their friends about what they're reading and are passionate about books, the readers who exhibit "otaku". Godin defines "otaku": "Otaku describes something that's more than a hobby but a little less than an obsession." pg 94
The obsessed, passionate readers talk about what they're reading to the extent that they start an "ideavirus", which Godin talks about in another book. In this way, Godin says, you build momentum for whatever remarkable product you're selling. They can't help but talk about it because of its fascinating qualities. As this movement builds, the books end up on readers' favorite shelves, eventually becomes a Reader's Choice pick, and then the book sells itself.
The products that aim for the largest audience are bland and have had their remarkable edges filed off. And, that's bad, according to Godin.
"The system is pretty simple: Go for the edges. Challenge yourself and your team to describe what those edges are (not that you'd actually go there), and then test which edge is most likely to deliver the marketing and financial results you seek." pg 101
There are definitely dated portions of this book and, as I said, it is nebulous. To get meaning out of it, readers need to distill the underlying ideas and apply them to your unique business. But, I still learned things.
The reason I read Godin is he encourages readers to think differently. He gets my creative circuits firing. I like that.
Recommended for readers who may need a creative jump-start for whatever remarkable product they're creating. This book isn't a road map, but it could be a compass.
Seth Godin, prolific author of business blogs and books, shares his insights about why a product must be remarkable to cut through the noise and get an audience's attention. He opines that this remarkable "Purple Cow" quality is the only way a business can succeed in the modern world, as old methods of mass marketing through expensive television ads is going the way of the dodo.
"Something remarkable is worth talking about. Worth noticing. Exceptional. New. Interesting. It's a Purple Cow. Boring stuff is invisible. It's a brown cow." pg 3
The trouble with this remarkable stuff is that there is no clear method to create it. It is a "I'll-know-it-when-I-see-it" type situation. For businesses looking to up their Purple Cow-factor, there are very few directions in this book, other than, it's important to be a purple cow. I could see that unclear quality being frustrating for some readers.
"The old rule was this: Create safe, ordinary products and combine them with great marketing. The new rule is: Create remarkable products that the right people seek out." pg 21
The "right people" being the influencers or the early adopters of whatever type of product it is that you're selling. Marketing to the niche, rather than mass marketing to the crowd, is, according to Godin, the best strategy for the new world of marketing.
Take Goodreads, for example. Publishers want to get their advance reader copies into the hands of those who talk to their friends about what they're reading and are passionate about books, the readers who exhibit "otaku". Godin defines "otaku": "Otaku describes something that's more than a hobby but a little less than an obsession." pg 94
The obsessed, passionate readers talk about what they're reading to the extent that they start an "ideavirus", which Godin talks about in another book. In this way, Godin says, you build momentum for whatever remarkable product you're selling. They can't help but talk about it because of its fascinating qualities. As this movement builds, the books end up on readers' favorite shelves, eventually becomes a Reader's Choice pick, and then the book sells itself.
The products that aim for the largest audience are bland and have had their remarkable edges filed off. And, that's bad, according to Godin.
"The system is pretty simple: Go for the edges. Challenge yourself and your team to describe what those edges are (not that you'd actually go there), and then test which edge is most likely to deliver the marketing and financial results you seek." pg 101
There are definitely dated portions of this book and, as I said, it is nebulous. To get meaning out of it, readers need to distill the underlying ideas and apply them to your unique business. But, I still learned things.
The reason I read Godin is he encourages readers to think differently. He gets my creative circuits firing. I like that.
Recommended for readers who may need a creative jump-start for whatever remarkable product they're creating. This book isn't a road map, but it could be a compass.
December 25, 2010
This book is really a Purple Cow :) !
In a "remarkable" way, Seth sending a message that: if you don't convert your business into a Purple Cow (being Remarkable), most probably you'll not succeed.
He clarifies how the world of business have changed & how marketing of old days doesn't work anymore.
A LOT of good advices with evidence and study cases in this book.
I totally recommend it for people interested in business, sales and marketing.
In a "remarkable" way, Seth sending a message that: if you don't convert your business into a Purple Cow (being Remarkable), most probably you'll not succeed.
He clarifies how the world of business have changed & how marketing of old days doesn't work anymore.
A LOT of good advices with evidence and study cases in this book.
I totally recommend it for people interested in business, sales and marketing.
January 30, 2019
~ Marketing 101 ~
Extremely basic, and mostly common sense at this point, Purple Cow was surely more essential when it was first published in 2003. Today, it's a decent reminder to stand out from the crowd, and recommended reading for anyone unfamiliar with marketing, or looking for a refresher.
I've officially drunk the Seth Godin kool-aid: this was my 7th Godin book and definitely not my last. (I liked Tribes, This Is Marketing, and The Big Moo more.) He knows his stuff, and is exceptionally masterful at approachable, bite sized marketing tips—making this 160 page book worth a visit.
“In your career, even more than for a brand, being safe is risky. The path to lifetime job security is to be remarkable.”
~ You're either remarkable or invisible. Make your choice. ~
Extremely basic, and mostly common sense at this point, Purple Cow was surely more essential when it was first published in 2003. Today, it's a decent reminder to stand out from the crowd, and recommended reading for anyone unfamiliar with marketing, or looking for a refresher.
I've officially drunk the Seth Godin kool-aid: this was my 7th Godin book and definitely not my last. (I liked Tribes, This Is Marketing, and The Big Moo more.) He knows his stuff, and is exceptionally masterful at approachable, bite sized marketing tips—making this 160 page book worth a visit.
“In your career, even more than for a brand, being safe is risky. The path to lifetime job security is to be remarkable.”
~ You're either remarkable or invisible. Make your choice. ~
January 2, 2016
كالعادة سيث غودن يبدع.
الكتاب يتحدث عن موت التسويق الأعمى (أو القصف العشوائي) اللذي كان يستهدف الجميع عبر الوسائط التقليدية مثل التلفاز, و الذي كانت من خلاله الشركات تحاول صنع منتوجات تعجب الجميع. أصبحنا اليوم (لم يتغيّر الكثير منذ كتابة الكتاب في 2003 سوى ترتيب الشركات حسب قيمتها التي استشهد بها الكاتب) لا نبالي بمشاهدة الاعلانات و لا حتى التلفزيون (مثلا لا أشاهد التلفزيون منذ 11 سنة) , فهي مزعجة و في أغلب الاحيان لا تههمنا, تماما مثل البقرة البنية التي لا نلتفت لنراها, و لكن (كما في عنوان الكتاب) البقرة البنفسجية ستكون لافتة للنظر لمدة ما.
أفكار الكتاب تتلخص في :
1- التسويق يجب أن يكون مدمجا في المنتج, فإما أن يُقحَم المصمّمون و المهندسون مع فريق التسويق أو أن يقحم فريق التسويق أكثر في عملية الانتاج
2- الابتعاد عن الاعلان المزعج عبر الهاتف أو التلفاز
3 - جعل المنتج يسوق نفسه, بجعله متميزا مثل البقرة البنفسجية, فمن الأفضل الاستثمار في جودة المنتوج أكثرمن حملات تسويقه
4- عدم القصف العشوائي, يل استهداف شريحة متحمسة و محبة للمنتج, فهي التي تتولى نشر تجربتها لاحقا
الكتاب يتحدث عن موت التسويق الأعمى (أو القصف العشوائي) اللذي كان يستهدف الجميع عبر الوسائط التقليدية مثل التلفاز, و الذي كانت من خلاله الشركات تحاول صنع منتوجات تعجب الجميع. أصبحنا اليوم (لم يتغيّر الكثير منذ كتابة الكتاب في 2003 سوى ترتيب الشركات حسب قيمتها التي استشهد بها الكاتب) لا نبالي بمشاهدة الاعلانات و لا حتى التلفزيون (مثلا لا أشاهد التلفزيون منذ 11 سنة) , فهي مزعجة و في أغلب الاحيان لا تههمنا, تماما مثل البقرة البنية التي لا نلتفت لنراها, و لكن (كما في عنوان الكتاب) البقرة البنفسجية ستكون لافتة للنظر لمدة ما.
أفكار الكتاب تتلخص في :
1- التسويق يجب أن يكون مدمجا في المنتج, فإما أن يُقحَم المصمّمون و المهندسون مع فريق التسويق أو أن يقحم فريق التسويق أكثر في عملية الانتاج
2- الابتعاد عن الاعلان المزعج عبر الهاتف أو التلفاز
3 - جعل المنتج يسوق نفسه, بجعله متميزا مثل البقرة البنفسجية, فمن الأفضل الاستثمار في جودة المنتوج أكثرمن حملات تسويقه
4- عدم القصف العشوائي, يل استهداف شريحة متحمسة و محبة للمنتج, فهي التي تتولى نشر تجربتها لاحقا
March 12, 2017
با خوندن 30 صفحه از کتاب میفهمی که قضیه چیه و بقیه کتاب تکرار مکررات و مثالها ی متنوعه
به این نتیجه رسیدم که ست گادین مرد نوشته های کوتاه و کتابهای خیلی کوچکه و اگر بخواهد کتابی را عمیق تر وطولانی تر بنویسد حوصله سر بر است
در حد 2 ستاره خوب بود
-----------------
نظر یکی از خوانندگان که واقعا نظرم من هم بود
Now I know that making my business a purple cow is important. It's critical. My future and the future of the world depends on it. Nothing matters more. I get it.
Unfortunately, I have no idea how.
And that in a nutshell, is this book's problem. It keeps telling you "be excellent and be memorable" in so many different ways. I could have figured that out myself. Without a step-by-step plan customized to my particular situation that tells me *how* I can be excellent and unique, merely telling me to be a purple cow is pointless ....
به این نتیجه رسیدم که ست گادین مرد نوشته های کوتاه و کتابهای خیلی کوچکه و اگر بخواهد کتابی را عمیق تر وطولانی تر بنویسد حوصله سر بر است
در حد 2 ستاره خوب بود
-----------------
نظر یکی از خوانندگان که واقعا نظرم من هم بود
Now I know that making my business a purple cow is important. It's critical. My future and the future of the world depends on it. Nothing matters more. I get it.
Unfortunately, I have no idea how.
And that in a nutshell, is this book's problem. It keeps telling you "be excellent and be memorable" in so many different ways. I could have figured that out myself. Without a step-by-step plan customized to my particular situation that tells me *how* I can be excellent and unique, merely telling me to be a purple cow is pointless ....
Read
July 16, 2013This post started out as a book review for Seth Godin's book Purple Cow, but morphed into something much more. If you have read Purple Cow, then this post will resonate. If you have not read Purple Cow, then read this post and then go read the book.
This book is over 10 years old and yet it still speaks to me on many levels. Like all the other marketing business books I have read this summer I read the material through the lens of education. Instead of worrying about how to make money, I read these books to figure out how to appeal to students and improve education.
This book is spot on. The book discusses the markets of companies. I feel that the market for students is no different. Society today has over-saturated the minds of our youth. They have so many outlets, apps, people, communities, etc. pulling for their attention that it is almost beyond absurd. Reading this book about being a purple cow made me think even more about how teachers brand themselves. I hate to say it, but we are in the market of our students. We are fighting for their attention. What will we do as teachers to stand out for their time?
The frustrating thing is how many teachers don't feel this is their obligation. They don't think they should have to appeal to students. It is not their job to entertain or grab their interest. They believe the students should conform to them. I know it is not professional to say, but I want to ask them what planet do they live on? When we were kids we did not conform either. We might not have gotten into trouble, but it was not that long ago that we were young and begging to get out of school. It is our duty to be a game changer. It is what we do. It is our job. Why else would you be in the occupation if not for the kids. You want your own children to have teachers who go above and beyond so make sure you do the same.
Teachers today have to connect with students. We have to be better than very good. As Seth states in the book, "The opposite of remarkable is very good. Very good is an everyday occurrence and hardly worth mentioning." Teachers today have to go above and beyond. Stand out. Make your teaching brand known. Not only do we have to stand out among the buzz of society, but even among the teachers in the building we teach in.
I cannot help but think of several years ago when I was one of four teachers in the district who received a SMARTboard. It was mind blowing to students. Everyone wanted to be part of the action. Teachers wanted one and students were so excited to be part of the journey. Now every classroom has a SMARTboard and nobody cares. Following the leader only leads to very good. You have to create your own niche. The SMARTboard is now a chalkboard of today. Not one kid cares about the technology. What are you doing to separate yourself?
I have typed up my notes to Evernote which you can view here. I have taken the context of the material and tried to rewrite it to fit education. I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback.
Despite the book being a decade old, the material is still fresh. Yes, his examples of the the digital camera no longer work as they have been replaced by smart phones, but the ideas are as strong as ever. We are in an age where we have to stand out. Safety is in the risk taking.
Working on my own teaching and craft this summer I am really trying to brand myself. I want to be "me" aka Coffeechug. I don't want Coffeechug to look like anyone else. Would I love the following of Dave Burgess and #TLAP? Yes, he is everywhere right now. I am learning from him and his community like no other, but I cannot be just another person. I have to apply, adapt, modify, and make things my own. Coffeechug has to be a Purple Cow in education.
Last, in order for this to happen I have to shake things up. Schools need to quit being factory mode learning institutions. I know we have preached that for years, but very little has changed. Desks are still in rows and we still expect students to fill in worksheets perfectly to our standard. Let your uniqueness as a teacher spill over to students. Let them be unique. Let them chart their own path with your guidelines. We are not linear by nature and our classrooms should not either. It is time schools become a Purple Cow and move beyond very good to remarkable.
Thank you Seth Godin for giving me more fuel to my fire to pursue my passion of being a remarkable educator. This is a must read if you have not already read this book.
This book is over 10 years old and yet it still speaks to me on many levels. Like all the other marketing business books I have read this summer I read the material through the lens of education. Instead of worrying about how to make money, I read these books to figure out how to appeal to students and improve education.
This book is spot on. The book discusses the markets of companies. I feel that the market for students is no different. Society today has over-saturated the minds of our youth. They have so many outlets, apps, people, communities, etc. pulling for their attention that it is almost beyond absurd. Reading this book about being a purple cow made me think even more about how teachers brand themselves. I hate to say it, but we are in the market of our students. We are fighting for their attention. What will we do as teachers to stand out for their time?
The frustrating thing is how many teachers don't feel this is their obligation. They don't think they should have to appeal to students. It is not their job to entertain or grab their interest. They believe the students should conform to them. I know it is not professional to say, but I want to ask them what planet do they live on? When we were kids we did not conform either. We might not have gotten into trouble, but it was not that long ago that we were young and begging to get out of school. It is our duty to be a game changer. It is what we do. It is our job. Why else would you be in the occupation if not for the kids. You want your own children to have teachers who go above and beyond so make sure you do the same.
Teachers today have to connect with students. We have to be better than very good. As Seth states in the book, "The opposite of remarkable is very good. Very good is an everyday occurrence and hardly worth mentioning." Teachers today have to go above and beyond. Stand out. Make your teaching brand known. Not only do we have to stand out among the buzz of society, but even among the teachers in the building we teach in.
I cannot help but think of several years ago when I was one of four teachers in the district who received a SMARTboard. It was mind blowing to students. Everyone wanted to be part of the action. Teachers wanted one and students were so excited to be part of the journey. Now every classroom has a SMARTboard and nobody cares. Following the leader only leads to very good. You have to create your own niche. The SMARTboard is now a chalkboard of today. Not one kid cares about the technology. What are you doing to separate yourself?
I have typed up my notes to Evernote which you can view here. I have taken the context of the material and tried to rewrite it to fit education. I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback.
Despite the book being a decade old, the material is still fresh. Yes, his examples of the the digital camera no longer work as they have been replaced by smart phones, but the ideas are as strong as ever. We are in an age where we have to stand out. Safety is in the risk taking.
Working on my own teaching and craft this summer I am really trying to brand myself. I want to be "me" aka Coffeechug. I don't want Coffeechug to look like anyone else. Would I love the following of Dave Burgess and #TLAP? Yes, he is everywhere right now. I am learning from him and his community like no other, but I cannot be just another person. I have to apply, adapt, modify, and make things my own. Coffeechug has to be a Purple Cow in education.
Last, in order for this to happen I have to shake things up. Schools need to quit being factory mode learning institutions. I know we have preached that for years, but very little has changed. Desks are still in rows and we still expect students to fill in worksheets perfectly to our standard. Let your uniqueness as a teacher spill over to students. Let them be unique. Let them chart their own path with your guidelines. We are not linear by nature and our classrooms should not either. It is time schools become a Purple Cow and move beyond very good to remarkable.
Thank you Seth Godin for giving me more fuel to my fire to pursue my passion of being a remarkable educator. This is a must read if you have not already read this book.
July 28, 2018
Seth Godin’s book “Purple Cow” is still as much fun as it was when I read it first. And with that Godin proves the his “Purple Cow” is a purple cow in itself. Marketing books are supposed to talk about campaigns, analyze data, show proven ways. Godin does the opposite. He invites the reader to go for the unknown, the things that have not been done before. The most important factors being, “don’t try to target everyone. - - The mass market is dead. - -The mass product is unremarkable. - - Nobody wants to talk about anything that’s unremarkable.”
I love this book. – 5 stars.
PS: I still believe as I have believed since this book got published that Godin came up with the the name of this book when he (probably) discovered Milka chocolate in his famous trip to Europe. Clearly it was a purple cow to name his book after that. I used to eat this chocolate when I lived in Europe. Still, the idea to use the purple cow as a metaphor would not have occurred to me.
Highly recommended.
Gisela Hausmann, author & blogger
I love this book. – 5 stars.
PS: I still believe as I have believed since this book got published that Godin came up with the the name of this book when he (probably) discovered Milka chocolate in his famous trip to Europe. Clearly it was a purple cow to name his book after that. I used to eat this chocolate when I lived in Europe. Still, the idea to use the purple cow as a metaphor would not have occurred to me.
Highly recommended.
Gisela Hausmann, author & blogger
December 18, 2012
كتاب في منتهى الروعة يتحدث عن كيفية جذب انتباه الناس تجاه منتجك أو خدمتك
قد يخيل لك للوهلة الأولى ان الكتاب يتحدث عن التسويق
لكنه ليس كذلك
فهو يتحدث عن طرق تحسين المنتج ليكون ملفتا للانتباه، وعندها سيقوم المنتج نفسه بتسويق نفسه
في الكتاب الكثير من الطرق والوسائل الابداعية المفيدة للتطبيق في مختلف مناحي الحياة
قد يخيل لك للوهلة الأولى ان الكتاب يتحدث عن التسويق
لكنه ليس كذلك
فهو يتحدث عن طرق تحسين المنتج ليكون ملفتا للانتباه، وعندها سيقوم المنتج نفسه بتسويق نفسه
في الكتاب الكثير من الطرق والوسائل الابداعية المفيدة للتطبيق في مختلف مناحي الحياة
December 15, 2015
Godin is rambling on and on till page 30 about the same thing- how marketing doesn't work too well anymore and one might has well create a product that itself has a talking point (hence the purple cow). He literally need two pages for that, considering that 1.5 out of these 2 pages could have been short examples.
Horribly written and a true test of patience. Godin could hire a better writer to do his bidding instead. He surely lacks the purple cow-esque writing talent.
Horribly written and a true test of patience. Godin could hire a better writer to do his bidding instead. He surely lacks the purple cow-esque writing talent.
November 9, 2011
I have literally had this book on my book shelf for years, and I'm glad to finally be able to say that I read it! If you are looking for the "how" behind making a Purple Cow, you may be disappointed. This book only introduces the idea and explains the "why" behind it. Looking briefly through the reviews here, I feel the people that found the book unsatisfying were looking for a how to guide. I plan to read Free Prize Inside soon, which boasts on the cover that it will tell you "How to make a Purple Cow", but I suspect that there really is no simple step-by-step formula. The entire point of being remarkable is that you need to spend some time really figuring out your market and how to be different in it.
Purple Cow is rare in that while being concise, you don't feel ripped off by the brevity of the book. Instead I came away appreciating that Godin could get to the point quickly and back up his ideas with quick case studies. The bullet points sprinkled throughout the book in bold were actually worth being bolded. Often when you encounter business books made up of many brief sections, I find a lot of to be fluff or immediately forgettable. The opposite is true here. This book gave me a lot of ideas and spurred conversation with my partner about ideas we should implement in our small business.
You don't have to be a marketer to appreciate or learn something from this book, but I do think business owners who sell a tangible product may come away with more useful info than people that sell service-based or one-off projects. My business falls in the latter category, and while I agree with what Godin says, a lot of the wisdom is hard to apply to my business, but it did get the gears turning.
Purple Cow is rare in that while being concise, you don't feel ripped off by the brevity of the book. Instead I came away appreciating that Godin could get to the point quickly and back up his ideas with quick case studies. The bullet points sprinkled throughout the book in bold were actually worth being bolded. Often when you encounter business books made up of many brief sections, I find a lot of to be fluff or immediately forgettable. The opposite is true here. This book gave me a lot of ideas and spurred conversation with my partner about ideas we should implement in our small business.
You don't have to be a marketer to appreciate or learn something from this book, but I do think business owners who sell a tangible product may come away with more useful info than people that sell service-based or one-off projects. My business falls in the latter category, and while I agree with what Godin says, a lot of the wisdom is hard to apply to my business, but it did get the gears turning.
December 23, 2014
I really liked “Purple Cow: Transform Your Business By Being Remarkable” by Seth Godin. It's a simple book with a powerful message supported by examples. Godin is right on the money with trying to get people to change the way they think about business and marketing. That's the key to this book, it gets you to think a different way. The tried and true marketing strategies of years gone by just don't work like they once did. If you really want your business to thrive, you must discover your own Purple Cow, or better yet, create your own Purple Cow.
Again, it is a simple book, and one that can be read short segments at a time or right through. But just because it is simple doesn't mean it isn't powerful. That is, if it changes how you think. What it lacks is a specific blueprint for becoming remarkable or making a remarkable product for your business because that is beyond the scope Godin set out to write about. Once again, the best thing about this book is that it stimulates thought on how to better be remarkable and market in this different time.
Read this book to be motivated to become remarkable!
Again, it is a simple book, and one that can be read short segments at a time or right through. But just because it is simple doesn't mean it isn't powerful. That is, if it changes how you think. What it lacks is a specific blueprint for becoming remarkable or making a remarkable product for your business because that is beyond the scope Godin set out to write about. Once again, the best thing about this book is that it stimulates thought on how to better be remarkable and market in this different time.
Read this book to be motivated to become remarkable!
April 12, 2021
I started listening to Godin's podcasts and I'm usually someone who prefers an audiobook to a podcast so I picked this up, but in Godin's case, I think his podcasts are better. I did like some of the advice in this book, which boils down to--know who your customers/buyers are and just focus on them and make them happy.
January 16, 2023
Un interessantissimo libro di marketing, breve, brillante, godibile ed efficace come solo un genio del calibro di Seth Godin avrebbe potuto scrivere: lo conferma il fatto che nonostante sia ormai molto vecchio (vent'anni nel mondo di oggi sono un'eternità) riesce comunque ad essere attuale.
L'obiettivo è quello di spiegare come mai nel rapportarsi ai consumatori gli schemi di pensiero della seconda metà del novecento non funzionano più, e quali siano le conseguenze.
Gli uomini e le donne del ventunesimo secolo non solo non hanno più niente da desiderare, ma sono anche spiritualmente sfiniti dal continuo bombardamento della propaganda, talmente intenso da diventare ormai rumore di fondo: ovviamente i messaggi della pubblicità non vengono più neppure ascoltati, come tutti noi possiamo tranquillamente verificare cercando di ricordare il nome dell'ultimo prodotto reclamizzato in una pausa durante un programma televisivo o radiofonico, quando non nel mezzo di un video youtube.
Le grandi campagne pubblicitarie generaliste, costosissime ed onnipresenti, che hanno popolato la giovinezza di noi Boomers non hanno più senso. Perchè semplicemente non vengono più ascoltate. Ecco dunque che diventa persino illusorio darsi la massa dei consumatori come target di un nuovo prodotto: occorre studiare per ogni segmento un prodotto ad hoc ed occorre studiare una strategia di marketing che colpisca solo chi è pronto ad essere colpito e non altri. Da ciò discende che il venditore deve entrare in fabbrica e guidare lo sviluppo nella direzione da lui richiesta (logica pull), senza aspettare di ricevere dall'azienda il prodotto che più le conviene in termini di costi, da vendere indipendentemente da come è fatto (logica push). Che questo moltiplichi all'infinito la dimensione dei cataloghi e conseguentemente le inefficienze produttive è talmente banale che quasi non vale la pena dirlo.
"Non importa se bene o male, l'importante è che se ne parli". Quante volte sui social network si è sentita dire questa frase. Adesso si capisce perchè. Perchè se la pubblicità è diventata rumore di fondo, emergere è diventato un problema. Bisogna spiccare come una mucca viola in un mondo tutto marrone (ogni riferimento alla Milka, che tutti appunto ricordiamo, è puramente voluto); ed il solo modo è fare in modo che le persone adatte a ricevere il nostro prodotto ne restino impressionate e ne parlino. Non importa se bene o male, perchè l'obiettivo non è arrivare nelle case della massa, ma solo di quella piccola parte che acquisterà comunque. La logica rispetto al tempo passato è tutta rovesciata.
Il libro è scritto da un maestro del marketing e si vede. E' divertentissimo, frizzante, gira le pagine a velocità supersonica e ti viene voglia di leggerne ancora: ovvio che a me che sono uomo di fabbrica, e perciò legato a cose vere ed a patti di lealtà e chiarezza inossidabili, una realtà piegata e spezzettata in mille coloratissime faccettature con tanto sfacciato cinismo dà abbastanza fastidio. Ma persino uno come me capisce che funziona. Per avere successo bisogna piegare le regole, bisogna barare: se non si riesce a vincere al gioco, bisogna cambiare il gioco.
Un mondo che decisamente appartiene a pochi. Ma che per forza bisogna capire almeno un po'. Magari leggendo un libro come questo stando attenti a non farsi infinocchiare, anche se nove volte su dieci nel momento in cui lo pensi è già successo.
L'obiettivo è quello di spiegare come mai nel rapportarsi ai consumatori gli schemi di pensiero della seconda metà del novecento non funzionano più, e quali siano le conseguenze.
Gli uomini e le donne del ventunesimo secolo non solo non hanno più niente da desiderare, ma sono anche spiritualmente sfiniti dal continuo bombardamento della propaganda, talmente intenso da diventare ormai rumore di fondo: ovviamente i messaggi della pubblicità non vengono più neppure ascoltati, come tutti noi possiamo tranquillamente verificare cercando di ricordare il nome dell'ultimo prodotto reclamizzato in una pausa durante un programma televisivo o radiofonico, quando non nel mezzo di un video youtube.
Le grandi campagne pubblicitarie generaliste, costosissime ed onnipresenti, che hanno popolato la giovinezza di noi Boomers non hanno più senso. Perchè semplicemente non vengono più ascoltate. Ecco dunque che diventa persino illusorio darsi la massa dei consumatori come target di un nuovo prodotto: occorre studiare per ogni segmento un prodotto ad hoc ed occorre studiare una strategia di marketing che colpisca solo chi è pronto ad essere colpito e non altri. Da ciò discende che il venditore deve entrare in fabbrica e guidare lo sviluppo nella direzione da lui richiesta (logica pull), senza aspettare di ricevere dall'azienda il prodotto che più le conviene in termini di costi, da vendere indipendentemente da come è fatto (logica push). Che questo moltiplichi all'infinito la dimensione dei cataloghi e conseguentemente le inefficienze produttive è talmente banale che quasi non vale la pena dirlo.
"Non importa se bene o male, l'importante è che se ne parli". Quante volte sui social network si è sentita dire questa frase. Adesso si capisce perchè. Perchè se la pubblicità è diventata rumore di fondo, emergere è diventato un problema. Bisogna spiccare come una mucca viola in un mondo tutto marrone (ogni riferimento alla Milka, che tutti appunto ricordiamo, è puramente voluto); ed il solo modo è fare in modo che le persone adatte a ricevere il nostro prodotto ne restino impressionate e ne parlino. Non importa se bene o male, perchè l'obiettivo non è arrivare nelle case della massa, ma solo di quella piccola parte che acquisterà comunque. La logica rispetto al tempo passato è tutta rovesciata.
Il libro è scritto da un maestro del marketing e si vede. E' divertentissimo, frizzante, gira le pagine a velocità supersonica e ti viene voglia di leggerne ancora: ovvio che a me che sono uomo di fabbrica, e perciò legato a cose vere ed a patti di lealtà e chiarezza inossidabili, una realtà piegata e spezzettata in mille coloratissime faccettature con tanto sfacciato cinismo dà abbastanza fastidio. Ma persino uno come me capisce che funziona. Per avere successo bisogna piegare le regole, bisogna barare: se non si riesce a vincere al gioco, bisogna cambiare il gioco.
Un mondo che decisamente appartiene a pochi. Ma che per forza bisogna capire almeno un po'. Magari leggendo un libro come questo stando attenti a non farsi infinocchiare, anche se nove volte su dieci nel momento in cui lo pensi è già successo.
February 16, 2018
In a field of black and white, be the purple cow. Either your business is remarkable or it dies. You need to be bold and take risks in order to stand out. Information is consumed so frequently that most people subconsciously block it out. The strategy of the purple cow preaches the need to be a leader; the need to make your innovations the marketing strategy itself; and the need to pursue the right customers (going after people who are ahead of the curb and will bring your product to the majority, not targeting the majority who are resistant to change).
It talks about failed strategies, like following the leader, because change is always happening and when the landscape shifts you won't be in a position to succeed because you have no background with original thought, just imitation.
One fact that stood out to me is a tip I've seen frequently throughout a number of industries, so I have no doubt of its truth. Don't try to please everyone; don't build a product with the intention of everyone loving it and wanting to use it. Know your ideal target, even if you can just narrow it down to one person, and build a product for them, because even though we want to believe our tastes are unique, they aren't. Someone, or a lot of someones, out there have the same tastes we do, have the same feelings we do, have the same nostalgia we do, and will resonate with the same products as we do. By pleasing one person we please everyone who feels a certain way; by attempting to please everyone, we end up pleasing no one.
It talks about failed strategies, like following the leader, because change is always happening and when the landscape shifts you won't be in a position to succeed because you have no background with original thought, just imitation.
One fact that stood out to me is a tip I've seen frequently throughout a number of industries, so I have no doubt of its truth. Don't try to please everyone; don't build a product with the intention of everyone loving it and wanting to use it. Know your ideal target, even if you can just narrow it down to one person, and build a product for them, because even though we want to believe our tastes are unique, they aren't. Someone, or a lot of someones, out there have the same tastes we do, have the same feelings we do, have the same nostalgia we do, and will resonate with the same products as we do. By pleasing one person we please everyone who feels a certain way; by attempting to please everyone, we end up pleasing no one.
August 24, 2007
Purple Cow tells how the traditional 4-Ps of marketing is lacking to move consumers in current day's media noisy market place. Marketing Guru and author, Seth Godin defines a new ' P ' that stands for 'PURPLE COW'. He coined the term PURPLE COW to mean a product or service having achieve huge differentiation, innovative and scores high on wow factor. On this point, Seth describes that the PURPLE COW will first attract the early adopters who will then take it through into the masses. He reasons the madness in spending in mass advertising is instead better spent in creating a much better product which will turns promotes / sells itself.
July 8, 2013
This is the first book I've read by Seth Godin and, I must say, I'm definitely eager to read more.
As an advocate of inbound marketing, I was thoroughly impressed by Godin's observations of the direction that marketing was heading in 2003. He knew that more and more people were demanding transparency, that they no longer listened the outbound advertising strategies that dominated marketing budgets in the second half of the twentieth century. Ten years ago, Godin's understanding was leap and bounds beyond the majority of marketers today.
Today, people want information. Why? Because we're used to it. For younger generations, Google has become the norm. Why would anyone make a purchase based solely on a TV commercial when they can Google the product and find countless blog posts and forum discussions that tell them why they should or should not buy? With the evolution of smartphones, our access to this information had become even more instantaneous.
Godin knew this even before the iPhone (which was released just a few months after he published Purple Cow). By now, it should be obvious: the TV-industrial era is dead and we have entered an age of information marketing. It's about transparency. It's about having a remarkable product and informing people about you, your industry, and your competitors. If you have a truly remarkable product, people will find and choose you naturally. If you don't, then you'd better get back to the drawing board because no amount of marketing dollars will help.
Can't wait to see what Godin has accomplished in ten years... Can't wait to see him speak at HubSpot's Inbound Marketing Conference in August :-)
As an advocate of inbound marketing, I was thoroughly impressed by Godin's observations of the direction that marketing was heading in 2003. He knew that more and more people were demanding transparency, that they no longer listened the outbound advertising strategies that dominated marketing budgets in the second half of the twentieth century. Ten years ago, Godin's understanding was leap and bounds beyond the majority of marketers today.
Today, people want information. Why? Because we're used to it. For younger generations, Google has become the norm. Why would anyone make a purchase based solely on a TV commercial when they can Google the product and find countless blog posts and forum discussions that tell them why they should or should not buy? With the evolution of smartphones, our access to this information had become even more instantaneous.
Godin knew this even before the iPhone (which was released just a few months after he published Purple Cow). By now, it should be obvious: the TV-industrial era is dead and we have entered an age of information marketing. It's about transparency. It's about having a remarkable product and informing people about you, your industry, and your competitors. If you have a truly remarkable product, people will find and choose you naturally. If you don't, then you'd better get back to the drawing board because no amount of marketing dollars will help.
Can't wait to see what Godin has accomplished in ten years... Can't wait to see him speak at HubSpot's Inbound Marketing Conference in August :-)
October 11, 2015
الفكرة الأساسية مستوحاه من اسم الكتاب، البقرة البنفسجية .. بحكيلك أن أي بقرة لونها أسود وأبيض ممكن تشوفها ما رح تلفت انتباهك، لأنها شيء عادي، واعتيادي، ومما اعتاد الناس على رؤيته، وما فيها شيء يُميزها .. ولكن عندما ترى بقرة لونها بنفسجي؟ ستترك أثرها ليبقى مخلداً عندك طيلة حياتك، مما سيجعلها شيء remarkable .. غير تقيليدي، ما فيه منه!
الكتاب كُتب في الـ Business، والإسقاط الأساسي للفكرة يكون على الـ Products الريادية .. وكيف تعمل product يكون remarkable .. وذلك حتى يسوّق نفسه بنفسه بدون الحاجة إلى خطة تسويقية ودفع مبالغ باهظة في الإعلانات والتسويق؛ لأنه المنتج اذا كان عادي، أو جيد، أو جيد جداً لن يُلفت انتباه الناس .. ولكن لو كان فريداً من نوعه، سينتشر لوحده بدون تسويق ..
أنتٓ خد هاي الفكرة الأساسية وطبقها ع شغلات تانية .. ع حالك مثلاً، لتكون بقرة بنفسجية! :)
April 9, 2017
I listened to Purple Cow's audio book read by the author. While much of the content may have proven fresh in 2003, the book feels dated to read at this time and age. That is the content is true and relatable, but you may have read or heard about it a dozen times already in a more contemporary light.
The message of the book is summerized by the author as per the following:
1. Don't be boring
2. Safe is risky
3. Design rukes now
4. Very good is bad
The message of the book is summerized by the author as per the following:
1. Don't be boring
2. Safe is risky
3. Design rukes now
4. Very good is bad
August 26, 2018
A very interesting book, but what was more interesting to me was the fact that I was enjoying listening to a marketing book of all things. If you had told me a few years go that I’d actively seek audiobooks on marketing, I’d have thought poorly of your divination skills :-)
October 4, 2017
main idea is to make your product remarkable (purple cow). do not compete by features.
May 25, 2019
كتاب مناسب جداً للراغبين بالعمل الحر وإطلاق تجارتهم الخاصة
اذا يحتوى على نصائح وخطوات تساعد على تسويق المنتجات
اذا يحتوى على نصائح وخطوات تساعد على تسويق المنتجات
May 28, 2021
Outdated. Stale. Boring. No insights on customer experience management, branding, reputation or purpose and how these influence the businesses bottom line.
July 6, 2019
זהו הספר השלישי ברשימת הTo-Read שלי וקראתי אותו כי זו אחת המשימות באתגר קריאת הקיץ של GoodReads.
הספר נכתב ב2005 כך שתוכנו כבר מיושן ודי מובן מאליו. המסר העיקרי של הספר הוא שחלף זמנו של מודל הפרסום הטלוויזיוני, ושבעידן של היום (כאמור - "היום" זה לפני 14 שנה), עסקים חייבים להיות ייחודיים ("פרה סגולה") בצורה כלשהי כדי לגרום לקבוצה של אנשים לדבר עליהם וכתוצאה מכך הם יצליחו. העניין הוא, שהספר חוזר על המסר הזה שוב ושוב ושוב ושוב ושוב באותה צורה, ואחרי כמה עמודים כבר לא מחדש דבר. הוא לא מציע שום נוסחה או תהליך למציאת "פרה סגולה" (גודין מודה שאין לו), אבל כן מציע עצות ורעיונות שונים לעשות זאת - אבל הם קצת "באוויר" ולא מהווים תהליך סדור. גודין גם סותר את עצמו לאורך הספר בכמה מקומות (למשל מדבר על כמה מדידה חשובה, ובפרק אחר אומר שלא כדאי למדוד). הדוגמאות ל99 עסקים שהם "פרה סגולה" לא הכי מוצלחות ולא תמיד ברור מה כל כך "פרה סגולה" בהם או לחילופין לא נראה שמדובר בעסקים מצליחים. הספר נכתב לפני הנסיקה של הרשתות החברתיות, כך שחלק מהאמירות בספר גם לא רלוונטיות/נכונות להיום (למשל על כך שאנשים לא משתפים מרצונם את דעותיהם על כל מיני דברים... אז זהו - שבעידן הפייסבוק הם דווקא כן עושים את זה...).
בקיצור - זו הייתה קריאה מיותרת לחלוטין, גם אם אני שופטת אותו בעיניים של קוראת מ2005, ובוודאי ב2019.
סתם אנקדוטה קלה - השגתי את הספר ממש במקרה. לא היה ניתן להשאילו בספריה (כנראה הוצא מהמלאי או משהו). כבר חשבתי לרמות ולמחוק אותו מרשימת הקריאה בגודרידס, ואז מישהי בקב' הפייסבוק של אמהות מהעיר שלי העלתה פוסט שהוא למסירה (ביחד עם עוד ספרים) עקב מעבר דירה. החלטתי שזה סימן והגעתי אליה לקחתו. אולי היה עדיף למחוק אותו בכל זאת...
הספר נכתב ב2005 כך שתוכנו כבר מיושן ודי מובן מאליו. המסר העיקרי של הספר הוא שחלף זמנו של מודל הפרסום הטלוויזיוני, ושבעידן של היום (כאמור - "היום" זה לפני 14 שנה), עסקים חייבים להיות ייחודיים ("פרה סגולה") בצורה כלשהי כדי לגרום לקבוצה של אנשים לדבר עליהם וכתוצאה מכך הם יצליחו. העניין הוא, שהספר חוזר על המסר הזה שוב ושוב ושוב ושוב ושוב באותה צורה, ואחרי כמה עמודים כבר לא מחדש דבר. הוא לא מציע שום נוסחה או תהליך למציאת "פרה סגולה" (גודין מודה שאין לו), אבל כן מציע עצות ורעיונות שונים לעשות זאת - אבל הם קצת "באוויר" ולא מהווים תהליך סדור. גודין גם סותר את עצמו לאורך הספר בכמה מקומות (למשל מדבר על כמה מדידה חשובה, ובפרק אחר אומר שלא כדאי למדוד). הדוגמאות ל99 עסקים שהם "פרה סגולה" לא הכי מוצלחות ולא תמיד ברור מה כל כך "פרה סגולה" בהם או לחילופין לא נראה שמדובר בעסקים מצליחים. הספר נכתב לפני הנסיקה של הרשתות החברתיות, כך שחלק מהאמירות בספר גם לא רלוונטיות/נכונות להיום (למשל על כך שאנשים לא משתפים מרצונם את דעותיהם על כל מיני דברים... אז זהו - שבעידן הפייסבוק הם דווקא כן עושים את זה...).
בקיצור - זו הייתה קריאה מיותרת לחלוטין, גם אם אני שופטת אותו בעיניים של קוראת מ2005, ובוודאי ב2019.
סתם אנקדוטה קלה - השגתי את הספר ממש במקרה. לא היה ניתן להשאילו בספריה (כנראה הוצא מהמלאי או משהו). כבר חשבתי לרמות ולמחוק אותו מרשימת הקריאה בגודרידס, ואז מישהי בקב' הפייסבוק של אמהות מהעיר שלי העלתה פוסט שהוא למסירה (ביחד עם עוד ספרים) עקב מעבר דירה. החלטתי שזה סימן והגעתי אליה לקחתו. אולי היה עדיף למחוק אותו בכל זאת...
February 27, 2021
контекст меняется, примеры устаревают, а идеи Сета остаются релевантными! пока читала, придумала несколько следующих шагов и для работы, и для своих личных проектов.
January 6, 2009
At the heart of this book is the notion of "Moore's idea diffusion curve". It's just a bell-curve that shows innovators (sneezers), early adopters, early/late majority, and laggards. The central theme of the book is that you need to target the front of that curve by appealing your "remarkable" product to them as a niche, and treat them very specially.
Contrary to the most popular review here (quite negative) calling this book an unnecessarily expanded essay, I would argue that Godin covers a lot of ground in a concise 137 pages. And you don't need an MBA to understand the principles. This book is required reading for anyone looking to start a business.
The most resonating take-away is that marketing has worked its way to the front phases of product development. If the product can't *be* the marketing, then it will fail. This means that developers/engineers need to understand a bit about marketing, and need to be able to include and work with marketers from conception.
In the few hours it took to read through "Purple Cow", I've been able to take away quite a few valuable insights:
- The days of the "Hurricane Effect" (traditional massive blitz marketing, e.g., TV commercials, banner ads) are over
- Understand the importance of the idea curve (a simple concept) and its ripple effect.
- Employ market-centric design (marketers need to be a part of early design phase).
- At the front of the curve are sneezers -- a very loud group of users who will do your marketing for you.
- Treat the sneezers individually and personally, as your most valuable asset. Overwhelm that small target, and please them in every way possible.
- You can only attract sneezers by being remarkable (a purple cow, stand out, break the rules, do the unsafe thing, etc).
- The marketing *is* the product (the Leaning Tower of Pisa markets itself just in its name), and a good slogan is essential.
- If your product is not innovative, start over.
- Find an edge of the market, go to it and beyond.
- Resist the temptation to "milk the cow" (be ever seeking the next purple cow).
If you must pay $[...] for this book, it is well worth it. But given its popularity, you'll likely find many copies at your local library. In reading this you'll probably become a Godin fan. His blog continues to discuss material similar to that found in this book.
Contrary to the most popular review here (quite negative) calling this book an unnecessarily expanded essay, I would argue that Godin covers a lot of ground in a concise 137 pages. And you don't need an MBA to understand the principles. This book is required reading for anyone looking to start a business.
The most resonating take-away is that marketing has worked its way to the front phases of product development. If the product can't *be* the marketing, then it will fail. This means that developers/engineers need to understand a bit about marketing, and need to be able to include and work with marketers from conception.
In the few hours it took to read through "Purple Cow", I've been able to take away quite a few valuable insights:
- The days of the "Hurricane Effect" (traditional massive blitz marketing, e.g., TV commercials, banner ads) are over
- Understand the importance of the idea curve (a simple concept) and its ripple effect.
- Employ market-centric design (marketers need to be a part of early design phase).
- At the front of the curve are sneezers -- a very loud group of users who will do your marketing for you.
- Treat the sneezers individually and personally, as your most valuable asset. Overwhelm that small target, and please them in every way possible.
- You can only attract sneezers by being remarkable (a purple cow, stand out, break the rules, do the unsafe thing, etc).
- The marketing *is* the product (the Leaning Tower of Pisa markets itself just in its name), and a good slogan is essential.
- If your product is not innovative, start over.
- Find an edge of the market, go to it and beyond.
- Resist the temptation to "milk the cow" (be ever seeking the next purple cow).
If you must pay $[...] for this book, it is well worth it. But given its popularity, you'll likely find many copies at your local library. In reading this you'll probably become a Godin fan. His blog continues to discuss material similar to that found in this book.
May 24, 2017
The book is all about being remarkable. Old days we used TV, newspaper and magazine ads to promote the product and it helped many big products succeeded. But now promoting the product in TV will not give any profit to their company. Because customers don't care about you and they won't have to buy your product.
So the author Seth Godin says your product should be remarkable and you should target the early adopters. Because TV ads don't have a specific target they just show ads. But it won't reach the people. People might see but they won't buy or try your product.
But if you targeted to specific people who try your product initially they are very important. Those people will buy your product only if is remarkable because now a days market have so many similar products with different prices.
Then those early adopters fine with your product then they might share your product experience to their friends. This is called word of mouth marketing. That is the very effective marketing.
Also author giving so many real time examples of how the different companies tried their remarkable or uniqueness in their product. Only if you are remarkable then only people will notice.
So the author Seth Godin says your product should be remarkable and you should target the early adopters. Because TV ads don't have a specific target they just show ads. But it won't reach the people. People might see but they won't buy or try your product.
But if you targeted to specific people who try your product initially they are very important. Those people will buy your product only if is remarkable because now a days market have so many similar products with different prices.
Then those early adopters fine with your product then they might share your product experience to their friends. This is called word of mouth marketing. That is the very effective marketing.
Also author giving so many real time examples of how the different companies tried their remarkable or uniqueness in their product. Only if you are remarkable then only people will notice.
May 10, 2015
Автор приводит множество аргументов в пользу того чтобы владельцы и руководство компаний по другому посмотрели на маркетинговую политику и существенно выделили свои продукты, услуги или сервис. Отсюда и название данной книги.
Годин предлагает сделать вашим конкурентным преимуществом яркое выделение среди множества ваших конкурентов. Конечно же автором приведено десятки фактов и кейсов с опыта многих других компаний мира. Среди них не только компании корпорации и крупный бизнес, но также и средний и мелкий.
Вообще все советы автора вполне универсальны и уверен их можно использовать даже в бизнесе таких компаний как металлургические, нефтедобывающие и многие другие со схожих компаний тяжелого дивизиона.
Но особенно книга будет полезна для малого бизнеса и компаний которые только родились. Если применить советы автора, то они вполне могут подорвать бизнес устоявшихся на рынке их конкурентов и даже оторвать свой кусок рыночной ниши.
Читайте, применяйте главное будьте запоминающимся!
Годин предлагает сделать вашим конкурентным преимуществом яркое выделение среди множества ваших конкурентов. Конечно же автором приведено десятки фактов и кейсов с опыта многих других компаний мира. Среди них не только компании корпорации и крупный бизнес, но также и средний и мелкий.
Вообще все советы автора вполне универсальны и уверен их можно использовать даже в бизнесе таких компаний как металлургические, нефтедобывающие и многие другие со схожих компаний тяжелого дивизиона.
Но особенно книга будет полезна для малого бизнеса и компаний которые только родились. Если применить советы автора, то они вполне могут подорвать бизнес устоявшихся на рынке их конкурентов и даже оторвать свой кусок рыночной ниши.
Читайте, применяйте главное будьте запоминающимся!
May 4, 2018
I read it first 12-14 years ago. It was a blast! Unfortunately, it did not age too well. Even though key messages are still valid - the case study examples no longer reflect the world out there :)
If you fancy yourself little Seth Godin - go for All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World instead or The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit
If you fancy yourself little Seth Godin - go for All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World instead or The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit
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