Lessons from "Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable" by Seth Godin

 Why do some businesses become legends while others fade into obscurity? Picture a vast field stretching endlessly to the horizon, filled with cows. Brown cows, white cows, spotted cows—they all blur together, unremarkable and easily forgotten. But then, in the distance, you see it: a Purple Cow. Impossible to ignore. Unforgettable. That’s the kind of business Seth Godin argues you need to build. And here’s the shocking part—most companies are too afraid to be that bold.

For decades, businesses have been obsessed with playing it safe. Get a good product, price it right, advertise well, and success will follow. But look around. We live in a world where ads are ignored, products are disposable, and consumer attention is the rarest currency. The old formula is broken. Godin’s Purple Cow isn’t just a marketing book—it’s a wake-up call. He exposes a brutal truth: being good isn’t good enough anymore. If you’re not remarkable, you’re invisible.

Think about this: When was the last time you told someone about an average restaurant? You didn’t. But if a place served burgers inside hot pink, cotton candy buns, you’d bring it up in conversation. Not because you tried it, but because it was interesting. That’s how word-of-mouth spreads. Not through quality alone, but through remarkability.

Take Cirque du Soleil. The circus was a dying industry—clowns and elephants weren’t drawing crowds like they used to. But instead of competing with traditional circuses, Cirque did something radical. No animals. No ringmasters. No cheap popcorn. Instead, they created an art form—blending theater, music, acrobatics, and storytelling into a breathtaking spectacle. It wasn’t just a better circus. It was a Purple Cow.

Meanwhile, thousands of companies stick to the safe, familiar path, hoping to win by following the rules. Car companies churn out slightly improved models each year, retailers battle over marginal price differences, and fast-food chains tweak their menus just enough to claim they’ve “innovated.” And then they wonder why no one’s paying attention.

Here’s the hard truth—if your product, your service, your brand isn’t worth talking about, then you don’t have a marketing problem. You have a boring problem. And boring isn’t just bad—it’s fatal.

In this lecture, we’re tearing down the outdated playbook of traditional marketing and rewriting the rules. We’ll explore why safe is risky, why advertising alone won’t save you, and why the only way to succeed is to be so extraordinary that people can’t help but spread the word. The companies that thrive don’t beg for attention. They demand it by being different.

Are you ready to build something worth noticing? Let’s begin.

Imagine standing in the middle of Times Square at rush hour. Neon billboards flash, car horns blare, thousands of people rush past. Amid the chaos, a street performer breathes fire—a blazing orange inferno cutting through the noise. For a moment, your brain forces you to stop and take notice. That’s how our attention works. We don’t remember the background—we remember the unexpected.

Now, translate that to business. Most companies blend into the background, barely distinguishable from their competitors. They play by the same rules, sell the same products, and expect customers to care. But they don’t. Because in a world of infinite choices, only the extraordinary survives.

This is the premise of Purple Cow by Seth Godin, a book that delivers a truth most businesses refuse to accept: marketing isn’t about shouting louder—it’s about being different. And here’s why that’s so shocking. For decades, businesses have relied on the same tired formula: create a decent product, push it out with mass advertising, and wait for customers to come. But look around. How many ads did you see today? How many do you actually remember? The world has changed, but most businesses haven’t.

The Problem with Traditional Marketing

Let’s rewind to an era when traditional advertising worked. Picture America in the 1960s. If a company launched a new cereal, they’d run a TV commercial during The Tonight Show, put up a few billboards, and boom—sales skyrocketed. It was a numbers game. More ad dollars meant more eyeballs.

Fast forward to today. The average person sees over 10,000 marketing messages per day. We scroll past them, skip them, block them. The sheer volume has turned ads into white noise.

Think about the last time you watched YouTube. Did you let the ad play, or did you smash that Skip Ad button the second it appeared? Exactly. We’ve built defenses against marketing. And yet, many businesses still believe if they just advertise harder, they’ll break through.

But here’s the twist: the most successful brands today don’t rely on advertising alone. They make products so unique, so intriguing, that people talk about them without being asked to.

The Purple Cow Moment

Let’s go back to that metaphorical field of cows. You drive past hundreds of them, all blending together—until you see one that’s purple. That’s a business that dares to be different. That’s what people talk about.

Cirque du Soleil didn’t just improve the circus. They reinvented it. Tesla didn’t just make a car—they made the first one that could update itself like a smartphone. Patagonia doesn’t just sell jackets—they tell you not to buy one unless you really need it.

These companies didn’t win by being slightly better. They won by being so different that ignoring them wasn’t an option.

And here’s the fundamental lesson: If people aren’t talking about you, it’s not because your marketing is weak—it’s because you’re not remarkable.

The New Marketing Reality

The businesses that dominate today aren’t the ones that spend the most on ads. They’re the ones that create stories, experiences, and innovations that spread organically. They’ve abandoned the old playbook and embraced a new reality:

• Mass marketing is dead. Precision targeting wins.
• Playing it safe is the riskiest move you can make.
• Customers don’t want better—they want different.

In this lecture, we’ll unpack the principles that turn ordinary businesses into Purple Cows—from creating products that sell themselves to understanding why word-of-mouth trumps every billboard and TV ad combined.

If you want to build something that doesn’t just survive but thrives in today’s world, you need to stop thinking like a traditional business and start thinking like a movement.

Because in a world drowning in sameness, the only way to stand out is to be unforgettable.

Imagine walking into a bakery, greeted by the scent of freshly baked bread. The shelves are lined with pastries—croissants, muffins, cakes—all expertly made, all very good. You grab a muffin, pay, and leave.

Now, imagine walking into another bakery, but instead of ordinary muffins, they serve lava muffins that ooze chocolate the moment you break them open. The chef wears a magician’s cape, and each pastry is served with a sparkler. Suddenly, you're not just buying a muffin—you’re part of a spectacle.

Which one would you tell your friends about?

This is the problem with “very good.” It’s invisible. It’s forgettable. It’s expected. And in a world overflowing with choices, customers don’t remember what’s good. They remember what’s remarkable.

Seth Godin’s Purple Cow obliterates a comforting myth that has guided businesses for decades—the idea that if you simply make a good product and work hard, success will follow. That used to be true when choices were limited. But today, when consumers have an infinite number of options at their fingertips, being “good” is the same as being irrelevant.

Why ‘Very Good’ Is No Longer Enough

Think of the last five restaurants you visited. You probably remember the best one and the worst one, but everything in between? A blur. That’s the danger of being average—even above average isn’t enough.

Take the airline industry. Most airlines offer the same experience—cramped seats, mediocre food, and scripted service. But then there’s Southwest Airlines, where flight attendants crack jokes, pilots sing happy birthday, and passengers actually enjoy flying. They don’t just provide transportation—they create a story people want to share. That’s what it means to be remarkable.

Apple didn’t succeed by making a slightly better MP3 player; they revolutionized how we interact with music with the iPod. Dyson didn’t just improve the vacuum; they reinvented how vacuums work with their bagless cyclone technology. These companies didn’t win by being “very good.” They won by being impossible to ignore.

The Psychology of Remarkability

Why do we instinctively share remarkable things? Because our brains are wired for novelty. When something breaks the pattern of what we expect, our minds snap to attention. This is why people stand in line for hours for a sneaker drop but ignore perfectly good shoes sitting on store shelves. Scarcity. Uniqueness. Exclusivity. These drive conversations.

Think about it—how often do you text a friend to say, “I just had a perfectly fine cup of coffee”? Never. But if your barista draws your face in the foam? Suddenly, that’s worth a photo, a post, a conversation.

Case Study: The Milkshake Mistake

McDonald's once tried to perfect their milkshakes—they adjusted the texture, optimized the flavor, even tested different straws. But sales didn’t budge. Then, they realized something shocking: People weren’t buying milkshakes for the taste. They were buying them in the morning to keep their hands busy on long commutes. The real problem wasn’t the milkshake—it was boredom.

What if instead of making a slightly better milkshake, McDonald's had introduced a "Morning Shake" with built-in caffeine and a spill-proof lid? That would have been remarkable—a conversation starter, a new category, a reason for people to care.

So, How Do You Become Remarkable?

1. Stop trying to be the best. Be the only.

   • The best pizza shop in town? Forgettable.
   • The only pizza place where chefs rap while making your order? Unforgettable.

2. Find your extreme.

   • Is your product the fastest? The slowest? The smallest? The biggest? The weirdest?
   • Ben & Jerry’s didn’t sell just ice cream—they made the chunkiest, wildest, most over-the-top flavors in the industry.

3. Create an experience, not just a product.

   • Disney doesn’t sell theme park tickets. They sell childhood memories wrapped in magic.
   • People don’t just go to Starbucks for coffee. They go for the ritual, the smell, the feeling of being part of something.

The Danger of Playing It Safe

Most businesses are afraid to be remarkable because remarkable means taking risks. They fear alienating customers, making mistakes, or looking ridiculous. But here’s the harsh truth—if you try to please everyone, you’ll be noticed by no one.

The brands that change the game are the ones willing to be different, to be bold, to be memorable. The ones that know the real risk isn’t standing out—it’s blending in.

So, the question isn’t, "How can we be better?" The question is, "How can we be unforgettable?"

Because in a world drowning in “very good,” the only way to win is to be truly remarkable.

Imagine stepping into a time machine and landing in 1955. You turn on the television, and a commercial for a brand-new toothpaste appears. A smiling doctor in a white coat claims it’s the “#1 dentist-recommended brand.” The ad is simple, authoritative, and convincing. People rush to the store and buy it.

Now, fast forward to today. If that same ad aired, would you even notice it? Probably not. In fact, you’d likely be scrolling past it on your phone, distracted by a viral meme, a TikTok challenge, or a friend’s outrageous travel post. The toothpaste ad? Dead on arrival.

For decades, marketing followed a predictable formula:

• Make a decent product.
• Buy TV, radio, and print ads.
• Repeat until people believe you.

But here’s the problem—this playbook was designed for a world that no longer exists. Consumers today are no longer passive audiences who wait to be told what to buy. They’re informed, skeptical, and bombarded with thousands of marketing messages daily. And yet, many businesses still cling to the outdated belief that if they just spend more on advertising, they’ll break through the noise.

They won’t.

The Rise and Fall of Mass Marketing

Let’s go back to the golden age of advertising—the Mad Men era. Big brands like Coca-Cola, Ford, and Marlboro dominated because they had the money to buy attention. There were only a handful of TV channels, magazines, and newspapers, so if you had the budget, you could control the message.

But then, the internet happened.

• Suddenly, anyone with a website could compete with industry giants.
• Social media turned consumers from passive viewers into active participants.
• People stopped trusting ads and started trusting each other.

Marketing stopped being a monologue and became a conversation—and most businesses were completely unprepared for the shift.

Why Traditional Advertising No Longer Works

1. People Ignore Interruptions

   • The average person sees over 10,000 ads per day—and consciously ignores almost all of them.
   • We’ve built reflexes to tune out marketing: Ad blockers. Skip buttons. Premium subscriptions.
   • Businesses are spending more than ever on ads, yet ROI is shrinking because consumers simply don’t care.

2. Trust Has Shifted

   • We don’t believe brands anymore—we believe each other.
   • 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends over any form of advertising.
   • Online reviews, influencer endorsements, and user-generated content now drive purchasing decisions more than million-dollar ad campaigns.

3. The Death of Mass Appeal

   • The era of making one product for everyone is over.
   • Niche audiences now control the conversation.
   • Instead of marketing to the masses, businesses must find their tribe—the small, passionate group of people who will not just buy, but spread the word.

Case Study: The Sneaker Revolution

For years, sportswear brands followed a simple formula—sign a big-name athlete, slap their face on a billboard, and watch sales roll in. It worked for Nike, Adidas, and Puma for decades. But then, something changed.

A tiny, independent sneaker company called Allbirds did the unthinkable. No flashy commercials. No superstar endorsements. Just a radical idea: a sneaker made from sustainable, natural wool that was ridiculously comfortable.

Rather than screaming their message through traditional ads, they let their customers do the talking. Tech entrepreneurs, creatives, and eco-conscious consumers became obsessed—and they told their friends. Suddenly, Silicon Valley was full of Allbirds. No massive ad budget. No Super Bowl commercials. Just a product that was remarkable enough to spread.

This is the new reality—people don’t want to be sold to. They want to discover.

The New Playbook: How to Market in a World That Hates Marketing

So if TV ads, billboards, and mass marketing don’t work anymore, what does?

1. Be Part of the Conversation, Not an Interruption

   • Old marketing: Blast your message everywhere and hope it sticks.
   • New marketing: Create something so compelling that people want to talk about it.
   • Example: Liquid Death, a canned water company, built a cult following by marketing itself like a heavy metal brand, not a beverage. Instead of traditional ads, they made outrageous, hilarious videos that went viral.

2. Build for Word-of-Mouth, Not Just Awareness

   • Ask yourself: Would someone tell a friend about this?
   • If the answer is no, rethink the product or the message.
   • Brands like Tesla didn’t rely on commercials—they built a product people couldn’t stop talking about.

3. Find Your Tribe and Super-Serve Them

   • Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, find your most passionate customers and obsess over them.
   • Example: Glossier, a beauty brand, built an empire by listening to its customers, using their feedback to shape the brand itself.

4. Marketing is No Longer Separate From the Product

   • The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing—it’s built into the experience.
   • The iPhone’s sleek packaging, Spotify’s personalized playlists, and Starbucks' name-on-the-cup ritual—these aren’t ads. They’re marketing that feels natural, personal, and shareable.

Adapt or Disappear

The old marketing playbook was about spending the most money to control the narrative. The new playbook? Create something remarkable and let people do the marketing for you.

• Instead of chasing customers, attract them.
• Instead of interrupting people, engage them.
• Instead of trying to be louder, be more interesting.

Because in a world where no one is listening to traditional ads anymore, the only way to win is to make people want to listen.

Imagine you’re at a party. The music is loud, the drinks are flowing, and someone pulls out a brand-new gadget—a tiny projector that turns any surface into a touchscreen. Before long, everyone gathers around, asking questions, taking videos, sharing reactions. Within minutes, the device goes from unknown to unforgettable.

Now, imagine if that same product had launched with a million-dollar TV campaign instead. Sure, people might notice, but would they care? Would they trust the message the same way they trusted the excitement of the person showing it off at the party? Probably not.

This is the power of early adopters—or as Seth Godin calls them, Sneezers. They don’t just buy products; they spread ideas like a virus. They are the first to try, the first to share, and the first to influence what comes next.

Why Early Adopters Matter More Than Ever

For years, companies relied on mass marketing to reach everyone at once. They aimed for the middle, hoping a big enough advertising budget would push products into people’s lives. But today, that strategy is dead. The real secret to success? Find the few people who will love your product so much that they do the marketing for you.

Let’s take an example. Think back to when Tesla first launched. Instead of marketing to the average car buyer, they targeted a specific tribe—tech enthusiasts, environmentalists, and innovation lovers. They didn’t care about the entire world. They only needed one small group of obsessed people to spread the message.

And it worked. Those early Tesla buyers weren’t just customers—they were evangelists. They showed off their cars, talked about them at dinner parties, and posted videos online. Tesla didn’t buy their attention. They earned it. And that made all the difference.

The Two Types of Sneezers: Innovators vs. Connectors

Not all early adopters are created equal. Some influence through expertise, while others influence through reach. The key is knowing the difference.

1. Innovators (The Pioneers)

   • These are the obsessed ones—the gadget geeks, the startup founders, the trend-chasers who live for the new and different.
   • They don’t need convincing. In fact, they love being the first to discover something before the rest of the world catches on.
   • Think of the first people who lined up for the original iPhone, not because they needed it, but because they wanted to be part of the story.

2. Connectors (The Amplifiers)

   • These people might not be the first to try something, but when they do, they tell everyone.
   • They’re the influencers, the journalists, the community leaders—people whose opinions spread like wildfire.
   • Think of that one friend who always recommends the best movies, books, or restaurants—they shape what others try next.

A successful Purple Cow strategy doesn’t just rely on marketing—it orchestrates a chain reaction by putting the right product in the hands of these Sneezers.

Case Study: The Rise of a Billion-Dollar Brand (Without Traditional Ads)

Let’s talk about Glossier, the beauty brand that built a cult-like following without a single traditional advertisement.

How? Instead of marketing to everyone, they focused on beauty enthusiasts and micro-influencers—the Sneezers of the industry. They invited them to test products, give feedback, and share their honest opinions.

And then something magical happened. Instead of feeling like they were being marketed to, these early adopters felt like they were part of the brand’s inner circle. They raved about the products on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

The result? Glossier became a billion-dollar company with a loyal fan base who felt like insiders. They didn’t need to beg for attention. They engineered word-of-mouth.

How to Find Your Sneezers

If you’re launching a new product, service, or brand, forget trying to reach everyone. Instead, focus on the smallest possible group that will love you enough to spread the word.

1. Identify Who Cares the Most

   • Who are the people that obsess over your industry?
   • Who is actively searching for something new?
   • Find them and speak directly to them.

2. Give Them a Reason to Talk

   • People share things that make them look interesting, smart, or ahead of the curve.
   • Apple’s AirPods weren’t just wireless—they were instantly recognizable. That made them a social signal people wanted to show off.

3. Make It Exclusive (At First)

   • People want what they can’t have.
   • Gmail used invites only at launch, making it feel like a VIP club.
   • When something is scarce, people want it more.

4. Turn Customers Into Storytellers

   • Instead of thinking about how to market a product, ask:
     What story does this product allow people to tell?
   • A reusable water bottle is just a bottle—until it becomes a movement to save the planet.

Marketing Is No Longer a Push—It’s a Pull

The old playbook said, “If you shout loud enough, people will listen.”

The new playbook says, “Find the right people, and they’ll do the shouting for you.”

The secret isn’t about reaching the masses. It’s about finding the few who will make your brand impossible to ignore.

Because once your Sneezers start talking, you don’t need a megaphone. You’ve already built a movement.

Picture a bustling city street lined with restaurants. Every place looks the same—same menu, same decor, same predictable promises of “authentic flavors” and “fresh ingredients.” You walk past without a second glance. Then, at the very end of the street, you see something bizarre—a restaurant with no sign, no menu, just a chef personally inviting people in for a surprise meal. Would you stop? Probably. Because it’s different. Because it’s intriguing. Because it’s risky.

Now, imagine that same principle applied to business. Most companies play it safe. They stick to industry norms, follow best practices, and try not to offend or surprise anyone. But here’s the paradox—playing it safe is the riskiest move of all.

Seth Godin’s Purple Cow dismantles the illusion that safety leads to success. In reality, blending in is a slow death. If no one notices you, no one talks about you. And if no one talks about you, you don’t exist.

The Cost of Playing It Safe

Let’s talk about the graveyard of “safe” companies. These were once household names, brands that led their industries—but they clung to the familiar, resisted change, and vanished as a result.

• Sears was once America’s biggest retailer. It played it safe while Amazon reinvented shopping.
• Nokia dominated mobile phones—until they ignored smartphones, assuming their old models would always sell.
• MySpace ruled social media—until Facebook took risks with real-name profiles and an algorithm that learned users’ behavior.

These companies didn’t fail because they were bad. They failed because they refused to change.

Now, let’s flip the script. The brands that took the biggest risks—the ones willing to bet against the status quo—are the ones that defined new markets instead of competing in old ones.

The Risk-Takers Who Won Big

1. Tesla (Ditching Traditional Car Marketing)

   • Every major car company spent billions on ads—Tesla spent zero.
   • Instead, Elon Musk built a direct relationship with customers through Twitter, viral stunts, and a radical approach to electric cars.
   • Risk: Ignoring the entire playbook of the auto industry.
   • Reward: Created a global cult following and made EVs aspirational.

2. Red Bull (Selling Energy Instead of a Drink)

   • In a world of boring soda brands, Red Bull made its brand about extreme sports, stunts, and pushing human limits.
   • Instead of mass marketing, they filmed athletes doing death-defying jumps and space dives.
   • Risk: Marketing a drink by not marketing the drink at all.
   • Reward: Became a $10 billion brand by selling an experience, not just a product.

3. Crocs (Ugly on Purpose)

   • The world laughed at Crocs. They were chunky, weird-looking, and mocked by fashion experts.
   • Instead of apologizing, Crocs leaned into the weirdness—embracing their ugliness as a badge of uniqueness.
   • Risk: Defying every traditional rule of fashion.
   • Reward: Became a pop culture icon, selling millions annually.

What do all these companies have in common? They embraced risk, stood for something, and became impossible to ignore.

Why Most Companies Fear Risk

Risk feels uncomfortable. It invites criticism. It makes people nervous. And businesses, especially big ones, hate uncertainty.

Here’s the irony—the bigger risk is trying to please everyone.

• If your product offends no one, it excites no one.
• If your brand is inoffensive, it’s also forgettable.
• If your marketing feels familiar, it gets ignored.

Risk isn’t about being reckless—it’s about being bold enough to stand for something.

How to Take Smart Risks in Business

If risk is necessary, how do you take the right kind? Here’s how:

1. Be Willing to Polarize

   • Great brands have lovers and haters.
   • People mocked Tesla, dismissed Red Bull, and ridiculed Crocs—but that attention fueled their rise.
   • If you try to make everyone happy, you’ll make no one passionate.

2. Solve a Problem in a Radical Way

   • Most businesses improve what exists. The great ones rethink the entire system.
   • Example: Warby Parker cut out the middleman in eyewear and made stylish glasses affordable online.
   • Their big risk? Selling glasses without physical stores—at a time when no one thought it would work.

3. Make Your Brand an Experience, Not Just a Product

   • People don’t buy products—they buy stories, identities, and movements.
   • Example: Liquid Death took a simple product—water—and marketed it like a heavy metal brand.
   • Their slogan? "Murder Your Thirst." It was a risk—but it worked.

4. Take a Stand, Even If It’s Controversial

   • Patagonia openly tells customers not to buy their products unless they truly need them.
   • Risk? They could have lost sales.
   • Result? It cemented them as an authentic, purpose-driven brand that people trust.

Fear Kills Brands—Bravery Builds Them

The businesses that change the world are the ones willing to challenge it.

• Netflix risked everything by killing DVDs and going all-in on streaming.
• Nike took a stand with controversial ads that sparked global debates.
• TikTok ignored traditional media and let its users define its culture.

And the companies that played it safe? Most are either irrelevant or extinct.

So the question isn’t, “What happens if we take a risk?” The real question is:

“What happens if we don’t?”

Imagine you’re walking through an airport. A man steps up to security, unzips his backpack, and pulls out a suitcase—but not just any suitcase. It has a built-in charger, a GPS tracker, and it glides effortlessly on four whisper-quiet wheels. People around him notice. Someone leans over and asks, “Where’d you get that?”

In that moment, without a single ad, without a single dollar spent on marketing, the product just did the marketing for itself.

This is what every business dreams of—a product so good, so different, so remarkable that people can’t help but talk about it. But instead, most companies spend millions trying to convince customers that their ordinary product is worth buying. They push ads, spam inboxes, and chase trends, hoping to be noticed.

But what if you didn’t have to beg for attention? What if your product was so inherently shareable, so undeniably cool, so impossible to ignore that marketing happened automatically?

This is the idea at the heart of Seth Godin’s Purple Cow: Don’t just market your product—make your product market itself.

Why Traditional Marketing is a Losing Game

For decades, companies have relied on brute-force marketing—huge ad campaigns, celebrity endorsements, and billboards plastered across cities. But today, consumers are immune to the noise.

• We skip ads.
• We block pop-ups.
• We ignore billboards.

If your product isn’t interesting on its own, no amount of advertising will save it.

But when a product is truly remarkable—when it’s built with uniqueness at its core—it spreads organically. People tweet about it, post it on Instagram, send links to their friends. It doesn’t just exist—it travels.

Case Study: The Water That Became a Rockstar

Take Liquid Death. It’s literally just canned water. Nothing fancy, nothing new—except for one thing.

Instead of marketing it like a health brand, they marketed it like a metal band. Skull-laden packaging. Slogans like “Murder Your Thirst.” Outrageous, darkly humorous ads featuring punk rockers and hardcore athletes.

People didn’t just buy the water—they took pictures with it. They shared it. They posted it online because it wasn’t just a drink—it was a statement.

And the result? What could have been a boring water brand became a $700 million cultural phenomenon. All because it was built to be talked about.

The Three Pillars of a Self-Marketing Product

So how do you make a product that sells itself? There are three key pillars:

1. Make It Visibly Remarkable

People share things that are visually distinctive—things that look so unique that they demand attention.

• Oatly didn’t sell oat milk in boring white cartons. They made packaging covered in bold, quirky fonts that looked like a conversation.
• Dyson didn’t just make vacuums—they made futuristic, sleek, transparent cyclone machines that looked straight out of a sci-fi movie.

Ask yourself: If your product was sitting on a table, would someone ask about it? If not, it’s not remarkable enough.

2. Build in a Viral Element

Some products are designed with built-in virality—a feature that makes people want to show it off.

• Shareability: Polaroid cameras weren’t just fun; they produced instant photos that people passed around.
• Word-of-mouth hooks: Tesla’s referral program gave customers exclusive perks for bringing in new buyers.
• Social proof: TikTok’s algorithm made it easy for users to go viral, turning regular people into content creators overnight.

A product that gives people a reason to share will always outperform a product that needs constant advertising.

3. Create an Identity, Not Just a Product

People don’t buy things—they buy stories, identities, and tribes.

• Harley-Davidson doesn’t sell motorcycles. They sell rebellion and the feeling of being an outlaw.
• Patagonia doesn’t just sell jackets. They sell activism, and their customers feel like they’re part of a movement.

If your brand doesn’t give people a story to tell, it won’t spread.

The Litmus Test: Would You Talk About This?

Next time you create a product, ask yourself:

• Would someone tell their friend about this?
• Would they take a photo and post it?
• Would they feel proud owning it?

If the answer isn’t a clear yes, go back and make it more remarkable.

Because in today’s world, the best marketing isn’t a campaign. It’s a product people can’t stop talking about.

Imagine walking into a massive bookstore filled with thousands of books. You’re looking for something specific—something that speaks directly to you. You scan the shelves, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of generic bestsellers. But then, tucked away in a small corner, you find it—a book that feels like it was written just for you.

That feeling? That’s the power of niching down.

Most businesses make the mistake of trying to appeal to everyone—casting the widest possible net, hoping that more people means more success. But here’s the irony: the broader your audience, the less anyone actually cares.

Seth Godin’s Purple Cow makes one thing clear—mass marketing is dead. The real winners? The ones who go deep, not wide.

Because in today’s world, the riches are in the niches.

Why Niching Down is the Smartest Move

Let’s talk about why broad appeal is a death sentence.

1. General = Forgettable

   • When you try to please everyone, you become just another option—not the obvious choice.
   • A generic “men’s skincare brand” will struggle to stand out. But a skincare brand designed exclusively for bald men? Instantly memorable.

2. Niche Audiences Are Obsessive

   • A small, hyper-loyal audience is worth more than a large, indifferent one.
   • Vegans, sneaker collectors, vintage car enthusiasts—they don’t just buy products, they live for them.

3. Word-of-Mouth is Stronger in a Niche

   • When people find something made specifically for them, they become evangelists.
   • They spread the word—not just because they like the product, but because they identify with it.

Case Study: The $100M Business That Only Sold to Left-Handed People

Let’s talk about Lefty’s, a tiny store that sells exclusively to left-handed people.

For decades, left-handed people struggled with everyday items—scissors, notebooks, kitchen tools—because everything is designed for right-handed users. Lefty’s didn’t try to sell to everyone. They owned their niche.

And guess what? It worked.

• They built a fanatical customer base of lefties who finally felt seen.
• Their customers didn’t just buy—they told every other left-handed person they knew.
• They became the go-to brand for a tiny market that no one else bothered to serve.

Now, imagine if Lefty’s had tried to compete with Office Depot or Staples. They would’ve been crushed. Instead, they embraced their niche and became the only choice for a very specific audience.

The Key to Finding (and Owning) Your Niche

If you’re thinking, “But won’t a smaller audience mean fewer customers?”, you’re asking the wrong question.

The right question is: "How can I become the #1 brand for a specific group of people?"

1. Pick a Specific, Passionate Audience

• Find a group that is obsessive and underserved.
• Example: Instead of making coffee for everyone, Death Wish Coffee made the strongest coffee in the world—and hardcore caffeine lovers became their tribe.

2. Solve a Unique Problem Just for Them

• Generic solutions get ignored. Tailored solutions get loved.
• Example: The dating app FarmersOnly didn’t compete with Tinder. They created a space only for rural singles—and thrived.

3. Speak Their Language, Ignore Everyone Else

• When you serve a niche, your messaging should feel insider-only—like a secret club.
• Example: Supreme doesn’t care about mainstream fashion. They speak directly to streetwear culture, and their customers love them for it.

4. Be the ONLY Option, Not One of Many

• If you niche down enough, you eliminate competition entirely.
• Example: There are thousands of fitness brands, but Athlean-X built a multimillion-dollar business by targeting only serious lifters who want science-backed workouts.

Final Thought: The Niche Owns the Future

The businesses that succeed today don’t aim for the middle—they go extreme. They create for someone, not for everyone.

So, the question isn’t “How can we reach more people?” The question is:

“How can we matter more to the right people?”

Imagine you’ve just discovered a tiny, hidden bakery that sells black croissants—yes, jet-black, charcoal-infused, impossibly flaky croissants. You post a photo, your friends ask about it, and before you know it, the bakery is flooded with customers.

But here’s the catch—six months later, everyone has seen black croissants. The novelty wears off. The lines get shorter. Sales drop.

This is the problem with every great idea. What was once remarkable eventually becomes normal.

Seth Godin’s Purple Cow teaches us how to create something unforgettable, but here’s the part most businesses forget—a Purple Cow doesn’t stay purple forever.

The secret to long-term success isn’t just creating one remarkable thing—it’s knowing when to reinvent, evolve, and surprise the world all over again.

The Life Cycle of a Purple Cow

Every remarkable product or idea follows the same cycle:

1. The Wow Moment – It’s fresh, exciting, and people can’t stop talking about it.
2. The Peak of Attention – The idea spreads, becomes a trend, and hits mainstream awareness.
3. The Familiarity Problem – What was once extraordinary becomes expected.
4. The Decline – If nothing changes, interest fades and the brand gets lost in the noise.

The solution? Before your Purple Cow fades into obscurity, create the next one.

Case Study: The Evolution of LEGO

Think about LEGO. In the ‘90s, LEGO was in serious trouble. The classic plastic brick, once revolutionary, had become boring. Kids were moving on to video games, and LEGO was dying.

But instead of sticking to tradition, LEGO reinvented itself.

• They teamed up with Star Wars to create the first-ever branded LEGO sets.
• They expanded into movies, theme parks, and video games.
• They introduced LEGO Ideas, where fans could submit their own designs.

Each time LEGO risked staying the same, they created a new Purple Cow.

And today? They’re a $10 billion brand.

When to Milk the Cow—And When to Move On

So, how do you know when it’s time to reinvent? Here’s how:

1. If Everyone is Copying You, It’s Time to Change

• Once your remarkable idea becomes mainstream, it’s no longer remarkable.
• Example: When Starbucks first introduced pumpkin spice lattes, it was a sensation. Now? Every coffee shop has one. Starbucks had to introduce new seasonal flavors to stay ahead.

2. If Sales Are Slipping, You’re Too Late

• The moment growth slows, don’t wait—innovate.
• Example: GoPro’s action cameras were once revolutionary, but they failed to evolve fast enough. Now, competitors have caught up.

3. If Customers Are No Longer Talking, It’s Time for a New Story

• A product that doesn’t generate word-of-mouth is fading into irrelevance.
• Example: Apple launches a new iPhone every year—not because the old one is bad, but because they know people need something new to talk about.

How to Create the Next Purple Cow

If you want to stay relevant, you must always be one step ahead of your customers. Here’s how:

1. Listen to Early Adopters

• The first people who loved your brand will also be the first to get bored.
• Example: Fashion brands like Nike collaborate with underground designers to stay ahead of trends.

2. Reinvent the Experience, Not Just the Product

• People don’t just buy products—they buy experiences.
• Example: Disney doesn’t just make movies. They create immersive worlds with parks, merchandise, and storytelling.

3. Take a Risk Before You Have To

• If you wait until sales drop, you’re already too late.
• Example: Netflix pivoted from DVDs to streaming before physical rentals died. That’s why they survived.

Never Stop Surprising the World

The businesses that stay legendary aren’t the ones that create one great idea—they’re the ones that keep reinventing themselves.

So, don’t just create a Purple Cow. Keep the herd growing. Because in a world that moves this fast, the second you stop innovating, you start disappearing.

Imagine two street performers in the middle of a crowded city square. One is playing soft, forgettable acoustic guitar—pleasant, but easily ignored. The other? He’s breathing fire, walking a tightrope, and delivering a monologue that makes people stop in their tracks.

Guess which one draws the crowd?

This is how the market works. It doesn’t reward the safe, the predictable, or the forgettable. It rewards the bold.

And yet, most businesses operate like that first performer—playing it safe, hoping that being good enough will somehow lead to success. But here’s the truth: invisibility is more dangerous than failure.

Seth Godin’s Purple Cow makes one thing clear—if you’re not standing out, you’re fading out. The market doesn’t care how hard you’ve worked, how much you’ve invested, or how passionate you are. It cares whether you dare to be different.

The Illusion of Playing It Safe

Most companies believe that the safest route is to stick to what’s proven, what’s normal, what’s expected. But here’s the irony—playing it safe is actually the most dangerous strategy of all.

Let’s talk about brands that refused to play by the rules—and won because of it.

Case Study: The Airline That Made Flying Fun Again

For decades, airlines were boring, standardized, and robotic. Every flight had the same dry safety announcements, the same uncomfortable seats, the same soulless experience. Then came Southwest Airlines.

Instead of treating passengers like cargo, they made flying fun.

• Flight attendants told jokes over the intercom.
• Pilots personally greeted passengers.
• They didn’t charge for checked bags—because they knew customers hated it.

It was risky. It was bold. It went against everything the airline industry had done for decades. And yet, Southwest became one of the most profitable airlines in history.

Why Bold Companies Win Big

The market rewards boldness for one simple reason—people crave what’s different. They want to be surprised, entertained, challenged, and inspired. And in a world drowning in sameness, the companies that dare to stand out are the ones that get noticed.

Take Tesla. Every car company spent billions on ads, fighting over the same shrinking market. Tesla? Zero traditional advertising. Instead, Elon Musk tweeted, hosted live product launches, and made driving an electric car feel like a revolution.

Result? The market rewarded the bold move. Tesla became the most valuable car company in the world.

How to Be Bold in Business (Without Being Reckless)

So, how do you make bold moves without falling flat on your face? Here’s the formula:

1. Challenge an Industry Norm

• Every industry has "the way things have always been done."
• Find the rule no one is questioning—and break it.
• Example: Warby Parker stopped selling glasses in overpriced retail stores and sold them online for a fraction of the price.

2. Take a Stand That Others Are Afraid To Take

• Customers don’t connect with neutral brands. They connect with brands that have a mission, a belief, a cause.
• Example: Patagonia openly tells customers not to buy their jackets unless they truly need them—because they stand for sustainability.

3. Make Your Brand Unapologetically Unique

• If your brand feels like everyone else’s, it will be forgotten.
• Example: Liquid Death made canned water look like a metal band’s merch—and turned hydration into a rebellious statement.

4. Create a Product That Feels Like an Experience

• People don’t just buy products—they buy experiences.
• Example: Apple turned unboxing a phone into a ritual—one that customers actually film and share.

The Biggest Risk is Being Ignored

The market doesn’t punish risk—it punishes timidity.

If you’re not standing out, you’re not playing it safe. You’re losing.

So, the question isn’t, “What if this bold idea fails?” The real question is:

“What if we’re too afraid to try?”

Imagine you’re looking for a new restaurant to try. You see a flashy ad for a trendy new spot, complete with perfectly edited food photos and celebrity endorsements. It looks good—but you scroll past it.

Now, imagine your best friend raves about a tiny, hole-in-the-wall taco joint. “You have to try it,” they say. “It’s the best I’ve ever had.”

Which one do you trust more?

This is the power of word-of-mouth. It’s not just marketing—it’s the most powerful marketing there is.

Seth Godin’s Purple Cow makes one thing clear—the best advertising isn’t paid for, it’s earned. People don’t believe ads, but they believe each other. And in today’s world, where trust is currency, word-of-mouth can make or break a brand.

Why Word-of-Mouth is More Powerful Than Advertising

For decades, businesses relied on traditional ads—TV commercials, billboards, and magazine spreads. But here’s what changed:

• We’ve learned to ignore ads. We skip, block, and scroll past them.
• We trust real people more than corporations. 92% of consumers say they trust recommendations from friends and family more than any form of advertising.
• Word-of-mouth spreads faster than ever. Social media has turned every customer into a broadcaster.

Case Study: The $1,000 T-Shirt That Sold Out With No Ads

Think about Supreme. They don’t run traditional ads. No TV commercials. No celebrity partnerships forced on audiences. Instead, they rely entirely on word-of-mouth and exclusivity.

• Every product drop is limited and unpredictable.
• Fans camp outside for hours just for a chance to buy a $1,000 T-shirt.
• The hype spreads organically—because people want to talk about what’s rare.

Supreme mastered the psychology of word-of-mouth. They turned their brand into a conversation piece—and that’s why it sells.

How to Create Products That People Talk About

Want word-of-mouth marketing to work for you? It doesn’t just happen—you have to engineer it.

1. Make Your Product Worth Talking About

• If your product isn’t remarkable, why would anyone mention it?
• Example: Tesla didn’t just make electric cars. They made cars with ludicrous speed modes, self-driving features, and over-the-air updates.

2. Give People a Story to Tell

• People love sharing things that make them look interesting or knowledgeable.
• Example: Five Guys doesn’t just sell burgers. They fill their restaurants with massive sacks of peanuts and overflowing fries—a visual, shareable experience.

3. Turn Customers Into Evangelists

• Your best marketers are your happiest customers.
• Example: Dropbox gave users free extra storage every time they referred a friend. The result? Dropbox grew by 3,900% without spending millions on ads.

4. Build Exclusivity and Scarcity

• What’s rare gets talked about. What’s hard to get becomes more desirable.
• Example: Clubhouse became the hottest new social platform—because it was invite-only.

If They’re Not Talking, You’re Not Growing

If people aren’t naturally talking about your product, it’s not good enough.

Because in a world where ads get ignored, the only way to win is to make something so incredible that people can’t help but share it.

So, ask yourself:

Would someone tell their friend about this?

If not, go back and make it more remarkable.

Imagine walking into a store to buy a simple toothbrush. You scan the shelves, and every brand looks the same—blue, white, maybe a splash of green. Nothing stands out.

But then, you see one that’s jet black, made from bamboo, and comes in a sleek, minimalist box. It looks premium, different—almost like it belongs in an art gallery instead of a bathroom. Suddenly, you’re intrigued. You pick it up, inspect it, and before you even check the price, you’re already sold.

That’s marketing built into the product.

Most businesses think of marketing as something they add on later—an ad campaign, a promotion, a sales strategy. But the best brands don’t need to scream for attention. Their product is their marketing.

Seth Godin’s Purple Cow teaches one of the most important lessons in modern business: If your product isn’t remarkable on its own, no amount of marketing will save it.

The Problem with “Marketing as an Afterthought”

For years, businesses operated like this:

1. Make a product.
2. Spend millions on ads convincing people they need it.
3. Hope they buy.

But in a world where customers have unlimited choices and ignore traditional advertising, this model is broken.

The brands that win today design their products from the start to be inherently marketable. They don’t just create products—they create experiences, conversations, and status symbols.

Case Study: The iPhone – A Product That Sells Itself

Apple doesn’t just sell phones. They sell aesthetic, status, and exclusivity—before you even turn the device on.

• The unboxing experience is an event in itself—minimalist packaging, precise design, even the way the box slides open feels intentional.
• The Apple logo isn’t just branding—it’s a social signal.
• The design is so iconic that when you see someone holding one, you instantly know it’s an iPhone.

That’s built-in marketing. It makes people want to show off their purchase, post it on social media, and talk about it—without Apple spending a dime on direct promotion.

How to Build Marketing Directly Into Your Product

1. Make It Visually Distinctive

• If your product blends in, it’s dead on arrival.
• Example: Airbnb’s homepage isn’t just a booking site—it’s a curated gallery of dream destinations, sparking wanderlust the second you land on it.

2. Create a Built-In Shareability Factor

• People love sharing unique experiences—design for that.
• Example: Starbucks made writing your name on the cup a thing. Was it necessary? No. Did it make people share photos of their drinks? Absolutely.

3. Make the Product Itself a Status Symbol

• People want products that make them look good, smart, or ahead of the curve.
• Example: Tesla’s "Ludicrous Mode" wasn’t needed—but it made Tesla owners feel like they owned the fastest, most futuristic car in the world.

4. Design for Word-of-Mouth

• If people aren’t organically talking about your product, something is wrong.
• Example: The luxury brand Hermès doesn’t just sell handbags—they make them so rare that even celebrities struggle to get them. This exclusivity fuels demand.

The Best Products Market Themselves

If you have to convince people to care, your product isn’t remarkable enough.

Because in today’s world, the best marketing isn’t in the ad campaign—it’s baked into the product itself.

So ask yourself:

Would people talk about this—even if we never ran a single ad?

If not, start over.

Imagine you’re standing in a crowded marketplace, surrounded by thousands of voices shouting for attention. Every business, every brand, every entrepreneur is trying to be seen, trying to be heard. Most of them are saying the same thing, offering the same promises, fighting for the same customers.

And then, there’s you.

But instead of shouting, you do something different. You create something so remarkable, so unexpected, so impossible to ignore that people don’t just notice you—they can’t stop talking about you.

That’s what it means to be a Purple Cow.

Seth Godin’s message isn’t just about marketing—it’s about redefining the way businesses operate in a world where ordinary no longer works. And as we wrap up, here’s the truth you need to remember:

If you are not remarkable, you are invisible.

The 10 Core Lessons We’ve Learned

1. Being “Very Good” Is Boring – You Must Be Remarkable

   • Good isn’t good enough. If you’re not exceptional, you’re forgettable.

2. The Old Marketing Playbook Is Obsolete

   • Traditional advertising is dying. People ignore ads, but they listen to each other.

3. Find the Early Adopters (Sneezers)

   • The first people who love your product will spread it like a virus.

4. Safe Is Risky – Taking Risks Is Safer

   • Playing it safe guarantees failure. The boldest brands win.

5. Create a Product That Markets Itself

   • If your product isn’t inherently shareable, you’re relying on expensive, outdated tactics.

6. Embrace Your Niche

   • Don’t aim for everyone—find your tribe and become their only choice.

7. Milk the Purple Cow, Then Create Another

   • What’s remarkable today becomes normal tomorrow. Reinvent before it’s too late.

8. The Market Rewards the Bold

   • Standing out isn’t just an advantage—it’s a requirement.

9. Word-of-Mouth Is King

   • The best marketing doesn’t come from a brand—it comes from real people talking.

10. Marketing Is Built Into the Product

• A truly remarkable product doesn’t need an ad campaign—it is the campaign.

The Final Challenge: Are You Remarkable?

So, here’s the question that will define your success:

If your business disappeared tomorrow, would anyone notice?

Would your customers miss you? Would they talk about you? Would they tell others about the incredible thing you created?

Because if the answer is no, you have work to do.

But if the answer is yes—if you’ve built something so unique, so bold, so worth sharing—then you are on your way to owning your market, creating a movement, and becoming unforgettable.

The world doesn’t need more noise. It needs more Purple Cows.

The question is—will you be one of them?