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Summary: A "remarkable" book!
Review: If you are looking for a positive idea, which can lead you to the edge, you have to study the edge and understand it.
There are very important concepts in this book, which gives a good picture of how difficult is to go on top and how more difficult is to "stay" on top. I enjoyed all the Cases Studies, which give an aftertaste of reality after theory and ideas.
A good book to understand what worked, what is working and what (probably) will.
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Summary: Purple Cow simplicity is itself remarkable.
Review: Some of the negative reviewers criticize this book for having a simple message, not worthy of a book length treatment.
I think the fact that the detractors themselves are passing on the "cascade-able message" of the book (that you must be remarkable to succeed today) is a testament to why this book is in fact a great, focused read.Buy this book for your next business flight and you'll step off the plane with renewed energy, focused on being remarkable.
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Summary: Moooooooooooooooo...Revenue
Review: Seth Godin has an incendiary intellect but almost all of his ideas are anchored in real-world situations which Godin views with uncommon practicality. In this latest of his several thought-provoking books, he suggests all manner of strategies and tactics by which to transform both organizations and their products and services into what is uniquely and compellingly "remarkable." In a phrase, a "Purple Cow." When he and his family drove out of Paris into the countryside, extending their vacation travel into lovely rural areas, they were immediately entranced by "the hundreds of storybook cows grazing on picturesque pastures right next to the highway." However, after proceeding dozens of kilometers, they began to ignore the cows because, although they may be "perfect cows, attractive cows, cows with great personalities," they had become boring. "A Purple Cow, though. Now that [in italics] would be interesting. (For a while.)" You get the idea. The challenge for any organization is to differentiate itself -- and whatever it offers for sale -- in ways and to an extent that ensure that it becomes (and remains for a while at least) remarkable. In essence, that is what this book is all about: the why, what, and how of achieving that elusive but critically important objective. Although this book will probably be of greatest value to those entrusted with responsibility for marketing, its relevance extends to (literally) all decision-makers in all organizations (regardless of size or nature) who are determined, indeed obsessed to free themselves from what Jim O'Toole characterizes as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." Throughout his book, Godin asks direct questions which challenge his reader to challenge her or his core assumptions, premises, etc. "You don't need passion to create a Purple Cow. Nor do you need an awful lot of creativity. What you need is the insight to realize that you have no other choice but to grow your business or launch your product with Purple Cow thinking. [What follows is in italics.] Nothing else is going to work." Presumably Godin agrees with Robert Kriegel that sacred cows make the best burgers. Presumably he also agrees with me that any Purple Cow remains remarkable only for a while. Then what? A plaid kangaroo? A polka dot hamster? Whatever the metaphor, the fact remains that whatever one offers for sale must be perceived as remarkable but also BE remarkable in that it offers unique substance, value, features, benefits, etc. When that is no longer true, even a brilliant thinker such as Godin cannot save it from its inevitable fate.
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Summary: A Remarkably Mooooving Book
Review: This was a remarkable book. I am not a marketing person -- I am a finance guy -- but even still I found this book particularly useful. It's amazing to see all these companies that are Purple Cows and how they are now household names -- Krispy Kreme (love those hot doughnuts), Jet Blue, and Starbucks. I find myself in meetings now trying to do the remarkable, I look for the remarkable in everything I see. Even more, as I think of moving to new jobs in the future, I think back to a quote from the book -- "the best time to be a purple cow is when you are not looking for a job" -- so be remarkable every day.
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Summary: A Whole Lot of Hype...No Substance
Review: This book is a whole lot of packaging devoid of any real insight. I think he wrote this book to write off his family vacation to France as a business expense. (See, the Purple Cow idea came to him while he was in France.) To sum up the whole book, you can transform your business by being remarkable. That's it. He doesn't go into how because then you wouldn't need to pay for his consulting services. A 100 page brochure. I'm glad someone gave me a copy because paying money for this is a crime.
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Summary: An Essential Read for Marketers and Managers!
Review: From the book: "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 short, if you're a Purple Cow, you're remarkable. Most products and businesses are not remarkable and that's why they are destined to lead lives of quiet desperation according to Godin. This book is not your typical marketing or business book and you should be thankful for that. Instead Purple Cow is the kind of thought-provoking, smash the old archetypes type of book that will have you thinking and rethinking your business plan and products or services. Yes, it's that good.
Godin takes you through examples of Purple Cows (extraordinary companies and products) that have managed to cut through the clutter and noise of the marketplace. In a page or two he digs into why Starbucks or JetBlue are able to win, while their competitors wither. The book is small and at only 150 pages it could be read during a short plane ride or an impassioned morning. Each chapter or section ends with a key takeaway point that will leave you wondering and thinking hard about how you can implement the ideas into your own business or life. As a marketer, the book was like a kick in my pants to get me going and rethinking the products I sell and the way we go to market. If you're an employee at a mega-company with a role in sales or marketing or R&D or management or you're a self-employed go-getter, then this book is a must read. Traditional media like TV, radio, and print advertising just doesn't cut it anymore because no one's listening or cares to listen to the messages from advertisers. We're left with a network of individuals who tell us what to buy and why we should buy it. Purple Cow is about creating the products and mechanisms to cut through the clutter and reach those "sneezers" who spread the word about products and services to friends. Again, a must read book for those in the marketing/sales field or those entrepreneurs looking to make it big.
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Summary: Eye Candy Outside; Food for Thought Inside
Review: If Purple Cow had a bumper sticker, it should read: RUMINATE THIS! Seth Godin's message of "remarketability" is the meat of new wave economics. Fast reading, futuristic thinking, phenomenal movement!
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Summary: BE REMARKABLE OR BE INVISIBLE!
Review: Are you a PURPLE COW? Well you should be, I just finished reading this book. I am starting my own business and this book has become my bible. I carry it with me everywhere I go. Not only do I apply it to work but to my everyday life. The book itself is a PURPLE COW, for Seth to self publish 10,000 copies and sell them out in 19 days...that is REMARKABLE. The packaging and the word of mouth powered the book. He gives many examples of products, companies and what they did or didn't do and because you know these companies and products you can relate. Seths terms such as the "ideavirus" and the "sneezers" they are all very clever and if you stop and think about it very true and very real. I will end it with if you are in business or looking to get ahead this book in my opinion is a must read...
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Summary: The most important biz book since
Review: Seth Godin has written what may be the most groundbreaking business book since "In Seach of Excellence" hit in the early 1980's. Whether you run your own one-person shop (when you get down to it, we all run our own shop) or you're working in a Fortune 500 company, this book is a MUST READ. Seth's insite into why old marketing models no longer work--and what is working in today's business environment--will totally change your perspective on marketing in the 2000's. The best part is that Seth has boiled this down to an easy read that a 5th-grader could understand. EVERYONE working in any job should read this book. Look, if you're a manager, take advantage of Seth's generous volume discount and get copies of this book for everyone in your company. This book is the bible of marketing!
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Summary: Seth Godin is such a Cow!
Review: You know, sometimes it's an insult to call someone a Cow - but I would find it a true honor to be called a Purple Cow. That's because it would mean I was remarkable. Seth Godin has truly struck gold with this book! Anyone in the business world, whether you're just starting out or you're celebrating your company's 50th year, needs to have all of their employees read this book. From the person answering the phones to the CEO (or maybe that's all you), this book can help you learn to get your business noticed in a world where attention is in short supply. Word of Mouth advertising is the best thing going today and this book will help you figure out how to use it, no matter what type of product or service you're selling. Even a non-profit agency could use some of the ideas set forth by Mr. Godin. If you've got the drive and you're a "sneezer" or a "change agent" (read the book) - don't let this Cow get away!
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