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Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

Seth Godin

3.75 · Rating details · 38,025 ratings · 1,098 reviews

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 b ...more

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Hardcover, 160 pages

Published May 12th 2003 by Portfolio Hardcover (first published 2003)

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3.75 ·

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· 38,025 ratings · 1,098 reviews

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Jun 08, 2017 Alena Kuzniatsova rated it liked it

My overall impression is that the book is neither original nor profound enough to merit the notion of a "purple cow" (i.e. an exceptionally remarkable product or service) which is being promoted by the book. The book draws heavily on "Crossing the chasm" by Geoffrey A. Moore and re-iterates many of its conclusions: you first need to target innovators and early adopters and only then try to approach the rest of the market.

I have rather expected advice and replies to the "How?"question than an in ...more

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Nov 20, 2017 Maria rated it liked it

Shelves: personal-growth, mba-courses

In today’s crowded marketplace, there’s no room for “ordinary” products or services anymore; either you’re remarkable or you die. To become remarkable, you need to boldly take risks and not worry about criticism. Then, when you start spreading the word of your remarkable product or service, you need to target the people who are both willing to try new things, and eager to spread the word to others.

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Feb 28, 2019 Venky rated it liked it

Shelves: bibliocase

All of us have been indoctrinated into absorbing the various ‘Ps’ of Marketing. In fact, as technology and trends have caught up, moved on, been rendered obsolete, before catching up again in an endless spiral, the number of ‘Ps’ in a marketer’s arsenal has only increased over time. Anyone possessing a basic degree would be able to reel out a majority of the P’s even when abruptly aroused from a slumber – Product, Price, Promotion, Positioning, Publicity...

Seth Godin, the founder and CEO of Squi All of us have been indoctrinated into absorbing the various ‘Ps’ of Marketing. In fact, as technology and trends have caught up, moved on, been rendered obsolete, before catching up again in an endless spiral, the number of ‘Ps’ in a marketer’s arsenal has only increased over time. Anyone possessing a basic degree would be able to reel out a majority of the P’s even when abruptly aroused from a slumber – Product, Price, Promotion, Positioning, Publicity...

Seth Godin, the founder and CEO of Squidoo and one of the world’s foremost business bloggers in his book “Purple Cow: Transform Your Business By Being Remarkable” postulates that every aspiring entrepreneur and marketer should never lose sight of an additional ‘P’ which can make or break a business. This ‘P’ (as many of the readers may have guessed by now) is the ‘Purple Cow.’ Purple Cow is in plain terms, a synonym for remarkable. Hence unless a business can offer something remarkable, there is very little which it can do by way of progress and potential. If this sounds extraordinarily obvious, it is the obvious that is invariably and incredulously ignored. The very essence of remarkability is explained in a remarkable fashion by Mr. Godin:

“When my family and I were driving through France a few years ago, we were enchanted by the hundreds of storybook cows grazing on picturesque pastures right next to the highway. For dozens of kilometers, we all gazed out the window, marveling about how beautiful everything was. Then, within twenty minutes, we started ignoring the cows. The new cows were just like the old cows, and what once was amazing was now common. Worse than common. It was boring. Cows, after you’ve seen them for a while, are boring.

They may be perfect cows, attractive cows, cows with great personalities, cows lit by beautiful light, but they’re still cows.

A Purple Cow though. Now that would be interesting. (For a while.)

The essence of the Purple Cow is that it must be remarkable.”

The essential need for and relevance of a Purple Cow is demonstrated by Mr. Godin as he urges us to take a quick visit to the drugstore. A search for aspirin turns up the following unbelievable array of choices: Advil, Aleve, Alka-Seltzer Morning Relief, Anacin, Ascriptin, Aspergum, Bayer, Bayer’s Children, Bayer’s Regimen, Bayer Women’s, BC, Bufferin, Cope, Ecotrin, Excedrin Extra Strength, Goody’s, Motrin, Nuprin, St Joseph, Tylenol and Vanquish. “Imagine how much fun it must have been to be the first person to market aspirin. Here was a product that just about every person on earth needed and wanted. A product that was inexpensive, easy to try, and immediately beneficial.”
Thus, run-of-the-mill is passe. Mr. Godin asserts that we are living through revolutionary times where “the TV-industrial complex” phenomenon fails to deliver. This phenomenon represented, “the symbiotic relationship between consumer demand, TV advertising, and ever-growing companies that were built around investments in ever-increasing marketing expenditures.” Mr. Godin believes that companies would do well to experiment with inviting their potential and existing customers to alter their behavior thereby making the company’s offerings work exponentially better instead of sticking with the tried tested and clichéd formula of tinkering with technology and expertise to tailor make ‘better’ products. A classic case in point: Otis Elevators.

“When you approach the elevators, you key in your floor on a centralized control panel. In return the panel tells you which elevator will take you to your floor. Otis has managed to turn every elevator into an express. Your elevator takes you immediately to the twelfth floor and races back to the lobby. This means that buildings can be taller, they need fewer elevators for a given number of people, the wait is shorter, and the building can use precious space for people, not for elevators.”
So how does one go about being remarkable? One of the suggested means is by resorting to specialized, targeted or niche marketing. Instead of trying to – and futilely so – impressing an entire market, a company ought to strategically appeal to a small percentage of “Early Adopters”. These are the mavericks, heretics, lateral thinking ‘nuts’ possessing the necessary wherewithal to not only experiment and evaluate a future “Purple Cow” but also disseminate its utility across the market. If impressed the Early Adopters may well be the vehicles of “free advertising” (Mr. Godin calls them sneezers) for the brand: this act will in turn influence the major constituents of the market (“Early and Late Majority”).

Mr. Godin draws our attention to the fact that points out that 80% of the 30 newest entrants to Interbrand’s top 100 brand list attained their repute and rewards more due to word of mouth campaigns rather than the power of advertising. Super star brands such as IKEA, Starbucks, SAP, Krispy Kreme, Jet Blue, Google are a few examples.

Once the creation of a “Purple Cow” has yielded benefits, there is however, a real danger that a company might just being coasting along in a sea of complacency. This dangerous trend needs to be nipped in the bud. “Once you’ve managed to create something truly remarkable, the challenge is to do two things simultaneously:
1. Milk the Cow for everything it’s worth.
2. Create an environment where you are likely to invent a new Purple Cow in time to replace the first one when its benefits inevitably trail off.”

Purple Cow is Mr. Godin’s timely warning to companies urging them to shed to cobwebs of complacency and instead think seriously about reinventing, repurposing and repositioning themselves before their customers. A right step in this direction would be a transformation from the unremarkable to a “Purple Cow.” ...more

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Dec 11, 2015 Devika rated it did not like it

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.

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Nov 02, 2013 Tarek Amr rated it it was ok

I like Seth's blog and books, this one too is not bad, but very repetitive. I got a bit bored reading it. May be I am too late to read it now, hence, the boredom. The book itself and its message are not a purple cow to me anymore.

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Oct 09, 2017 Matej Latin rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: startup-business

A book that's saying you need to be remarkable isn't remarkable—the irony. It's very good but as Seth says himself: Very good is bad.

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Apr 06, 2018 Sipho rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: investing-and-business

Seth Godin is a popular marketing guru, blogger and public speaker. In one of his more well-known works, Purple Cow , Godin urges marketers and entrepreneurs to rethink the way they market their products.

The main idea is almost self-explanatory from the title.

Imagine driving down a countryside road. On either side of the road, you see cows. The first few cows may get your attention, but after a while they all begin to look the same and are not noteworthy. Now imagine that through the monotony ...more

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Mar 02, 2018 Dustin Rose rated it really liked it

Basic Idea:

Marketing to the masses doesn't work well anymore.

Be unique. Find a way to make your product/business remarkable. People talk about remarkable.

Find a niche and fill it with something remarkable.

Favorite Quotes:

"Don't try to make a product for everybody, because that is a product for nobody. . . target a niche"

"In other words, find the market niche first, and then make the remarkable product - not the other way around."

"As consumers get better and better at ignoring mass media, mass ...more

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Mar 10, 2018 Andreea Zanfir rated it it was ok

Nu regret dar nici nu recomand (neaparat).

Am gasit cartea in o lista de titluri recomandate Managerilor de Social Media: https://blog.hootsuite.com/books-soci... si am decis sa o citesc.

Cartea este scurta si se citeste usor. Pana la jumatate (parca) incearca sa te convinga de ce nu mai este bine sa investesti in reclame (TV si print) pentru produsele tale: "safe is risky", "boring leads to failure".

Apoi vorbeste despre "sneezers" - influencers, early adopters care transmit mai departe ideea/pro ...more

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Sep 01, 2017 Eat.Sleep.Lift.Read. rated it it was ok

This book probably would have been 'okay' or at least 'current' if I had read it the year it was published. But 10 years or so down the line, it is very outdated.

I guess it's underlying theme 'be remarkable' still stands today...

Anyballs, probably didn't need to read this one and I doubt you do.

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Jul 23, 2018 Hope Eifert rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018

Fun, fast, motivating read! It's amazing to me how both current and dated this book feels. The principles are so good, and such a good reminder, but so many of the particulars feel so dated, written in a pre-iPhone, pre-social media world. It is really mind blowing how much the world can change in 16 years!!

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Dec 10, 2017 Bryce rated it it was amazing

Great book for marketers/business people.
Book shares the timeless principle that in this market unless you have a product in a new category then mass marketing isn’t the way to go initially. Differentiate from competitors to win in business.

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Sep 18, 2018 Marvin Musfiq rated it really liked it

One of the best book for Remarkable Brand creation...

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Mar 22, 2018 Katharine rated it really liked it

Shelves: business, nonfiction, 2018

The 4 rules: 1) don't be boring. 2) safe is risky. 3) design rules now. 4) "very good" is bad.

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Dec 14, 2018 Roxanne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed reading this book about being and creating the “purple cow” in life and in business. This book is to-the-point and a quick read that provides anecdotes and practical tips and questions to apply to your business. I appreciate that it’s different from typical books on business as it addresses how technology and the times have changed the way business should be approached. Some of the information is outdated but the author makes up for t with the bonus section at the end.

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Jun 08, 2017 Giordi DeAngelo rated it it was amazing

One of the first books I purchased right out of high school, and probably one of the best. Godin's Puple Cow is the only book you really need to read for marketing. Honestly, you can apply it to everything. Whether it's your company or your resume, you want to be the purple cow. Buy the book today. Read it at least once a year.

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Jun 07, 2017 A.M. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Нічого надзвичайного.
Речі, які всім зрозумілі і так.
Але в цілому варта уваги.
4 з 5

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Nov 16, 2017 Hazel rated it liked it

good read for business owners/entrepreneurs both new and old. Either good basis or good refresher for your business motto

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Mar 12, 2017 Runwright rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This small book includes lots of tips that could be applied to every business, every entrepreneur and every job seeker who wants to stand out in their industry. I found a lot here that I can include in my life.
The book was originally published in 2002 so some of the business models are a little out of date but I think we can still learn from all the success stories as well as all the misses.
I read the 2009 edition which included blog posts that some readers had submitted where they saw busines ...more

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Dec 17, 2018 Alicia Bonk rated it liked it

3 stars because not my favorite Godin book...if you love Godin, totally recommend checking him out on “The Tim Ferris Show” podcast - so good, left me wanting more Godin.

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Jun 01, 2017 Gin rated it really liked it

Shelves: entrepreneurship

A good book about how to stand out with your product. Well actually more about how others have done it.

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Mar 01, 2017 David Galloway rated it liked it

Shelves: business, entrepreneur, audiobook

I listened to the audiobook of Purple Cow after having read The Dip a few weeks beforehand.

The basic idea of Purple Cow is exploring how a unique or exceptional product helps with branding and marketing. This book was written in 2009 and it already shows a bit of aging, but there's still a lot of worthwhile content.

I really liked how Seth broke down how traditional MadMen marketing campaigns where a narrative was built over a captive TV/Radio/magazine audience that helped consumers buy the pro ...more

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Sep 25, 2017 Jon G rated it it was amazing

Shelves: business, nonfiction

My favorite Seth Godin book so far. Very well written and accessible to the aspiring entrepenur or marketing professional.

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Mar 12, 2011 Chad Warner rated it really liked it

Shelves: business, non-fiction, marketing

Seth Godin provides a refreshingly simple but effective alternative to traditional advertising: build marketing into your product (or service) by making it remarkable and worth talking about. You’ll stand out like a purple cow in a plain herd, and people will notice and spread the word.

Godin, a renowned marketing expert, offers straightforward, actionable advice and plenty of examples of entrepreneurs and companies, both good and bad. I highly recommend it to marketers, especially entrepreneurs ...more

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Mar 20, 2017 Filipa Canelas rated it really liked it

Seth Godin is a bestselling author of 18 books, a marketing expert but mostly: a very interesting person.

This book, Purple Cow, is 137 pages long, but it is full of insights that can dramatically impact your business and life!

Even though the book was published in 2003, there’s no way it’s out of date!
The principles Seth talks about in his book should not only be used by marketers but by everyone (whatever your job might be).

If you could only retain one thing from this book make sure it is this o ...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Loy Machedo rated it liked it

Loy Machedo’s Book Review - Purple Cow by Seth Godin

I have ardently become a fan of Seth Godin. It may his brash style of writing, his unique branding strategy of being the Rebel Marketing Guru or his bald head and over-sized glasses (I also purchased a pair) that has made me a fan of his. So that made me purchase ‘Purple Cow’.

The strange fact of the matter is this – I had seen the book many a times while shopping for new books. But I never thought I would ever want to read it. I mean, I picked ...more

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Nov 17, 2018 Tony Bonk rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Great for anyone looking to improve professionally.

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Sep 12, 2017 Srtapalomo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Seth Godin es El Fucking Master. Lenguaje sencillo, directo,canalla...Me encanta.

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Feb 02, 2017 Patrick rated it really liked it

Seth Godin gives good, clear, concise advice - mostly related to marketing and business. I've read several of his other books and enjoyed them - they are 101's to anyone interested in running a business.

The Purple Cow - we live in a world with lots of people, but also lots of competition. He argues that today (written in 2003 but really more applicable now), the best way to create a successful business is to create something remarkable. Remarkable ideas are unique, provide high value, and stand ...more

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Jan 30, 2015 Satyaki Mitra rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: entrepreneurship, non-fiction

This book provides a lot of valuable insights into the changing dynamics of modern marketing, the central idea of this book is premised on two main concepts, one is creating remarkable products instead of wasting millions of bucks on conventional forms of advertising, and the other is integrating design with marketing, the conjunction of both the author believes can lead to a path of sustainable growth for a company and it's products. The author has termed such path-breaking and remarkable produ ...more

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About Seth Godin

Seth Godin

3,462 followers

Seth Godin is a bestselling author, entrepreneur and agent of change.

Godin is author of ten books that have been bestsellers around the world, and he is also a renowned speaker. He was recently chosen as one of 21 Speakers for the Next Century by Successful Meetings and is consistently rated among the very best speakers by the audiences he addresses.

Seth was founder and CEO of Yoyodyne, the indust ...more