I’ve just finished reading Seth Godin’s much-vaunted marketing manifesto, Purple Cow.
It’s a fairly short read – less than 140 pages of fairly big type – so I was able to polish it off over several nights whilst my wife was breastfeeding our new-born (before I am accused of being inattentive, please note that I was on hand to render assistance at the drop of a hat, even at 2am in the morning).
Godin is a well-known marketing guru, with a string of books and one of the world’s most popular blogs (in fact, I think I read somewhere that it is the world’s MOST popular blog?).
Purple Cow is perhaps his most recognised book title. In this book, Godin challenges businesses to extract themselves from the old paradigm of mass media marketing. He argues that businesses must cancel their multi-million dollar advertising budgets, in favour of ‘being remarkable’ - thus becoming a ‘Purple Cow’ that stands out from the rest of the pack (herd?). Godin believes that products will only survive in a crowded marketplace if businesses stop advertising and start innovating.
There are plentry of books about innovation and investing in R&D, but Godin’s little book contains some great concepts, case studies and anecdotes that make it a worthwhile read. It certainly provides some inspiration and has prompted me to take a close look at my business strategy going forward. I would recommend having a read.
You can buy the book here from my online bookstore, Boomerang Books…
Here’s the book blurb:
You’re either a Purple Cow or you’re not. You’re either remarkable or invisible. Make your choice. What do Apple, Starbucks, Dyson and Pret a Manger have in common? How do they achieve spectacular growth, leaving behind former tried-and-true brands to gasp their last? The old checklist of P’s used by marketers – Pricing, Promotion, Publicity – aren’t working anymore. The golden age of advertising is over. It’s time to add a new P – the Purple Cow. Purple Cow describes something phenomenal, something counterintuitive and exciting and flat-out unbelievable. In his new bestseller, 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 anyone who wants to help create products and services that are worth marketing in the first place.
Tags: book review, books, marketing, purple cow, seth godin