Purple Cow
by Alex Ng
Seth Godin’s revolutionary approach to marketing by being remarkable and worth talking about in a crowded marketplace.
The Big Idea
"In a world of infinite choices and information overload, being safe is the riskiest strategy. The only way to succeed is to be remarkable - so different that people can't help but notice and talk about you."
Key Insights
Advertising is Dead
The TV-industrial complex is over. Mass advertising to mass markets worked when there were few channels and people paid attention. Now attention is fragmented and advertising is ignored.
When was the last time an ad changed your behavior? Companies spend billions on ads most people skip, mute, or scroll past. The ROI of traditional advertising has collapsed.
The Purple Cow
If you drive past a field of cows, you notice nothing - cows are boring. But a purple cow would stop you cold. Your product must be that remarkable - so unusual that it's worth noticing and worth talking about.
The VW Beetle was remarkable when surrounded by identical American sedans. Starbucks was remarkable when coffee meant diner swill. JetBlue was remarkable when airlines were interchangeable.
Target the Sneezers
Don't market to everyone. Find the 'sneezers' - the early adopters who influence everyone else. If you can get them to spread your idea, the mass market will follow.
Apple doesn't try to convince everyone to buy Macs. They focus on creative professionals and tech enthusiasts who influence mainstream buyers.
Safe is Risky
Being boring feels safe. Following the industry standard feels professional. But invisibility is death. The biggest risk is blending in so completely that no one notices you exist.
Playing it safe with a mediocre product that offends no one guarantees failure. Better to create something some people love and others hate than something everyone forgets.
Chapter Breakdown
The Death of the TV-Industrial Complex
For decades, the formula was simple: buy ads, reach mass market, sell products. But this model is broken. Consumers have too many choices, too little time, and too many ways to avoid advertising. Permission-based marketing to engaged audiences beats interruption-based marketing to hostile ones.
The Idea Virus
The only marketing that works now is word of mouth. But word of mouth requires something worth talking about. This is the Purple Cow - a product so remarkable that people can't help but mention it.
Remarkable doesn't mean better. It means different in a way that matters. It means worth making a remark about.
Finding Your Purple Cow
Being remarkable is scary because it means some people won't like you. But that's the point - if no one dislikes you, no one passionately likes you either. The opposite of remarkable is invisible.
Look for edges: what's the fastest, cheapest, most extreme, most specialized version of what you offer? That's where Purple Cows live.
Who to Target
The idea diffusion curve shows that early adopters spread ideas to the mainstream. These "sneezers" are your real target market. Win them first; the mass market follows.
Design for sneezers, not for everyone. They'll forgive flaws if you're remarkable in ways that matter to them.
Making It Happen
Purple Cows require leadership to approve something risky. Most organizations' immune systems reject remarkable ideas because they seem dangerous. You need champions who understand that safe is actually the most dangerous path.
Take Action
Practical steps you can implement today:
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Ask yourself: would anyone actively tell their friends about your product? If not, it's not remarkable enough
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Identify who your 'sneezers' are - the influencers in your market - and design specifically for them
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Do something that scares you - if your idea doesn't make you nervous, it's probably too safe
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Stop trying to please everyone - a product some people love beats a product everyone tolerates
Summary Written By
Software Engineer & Writer
Software engineer with a passion for distilling complex ideas into actionable insights. Writes about finance, investment, entrepreneurship, and technology.
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