In his book Purple Cow, Seth Godin tells how a purple cow is different from other cows. A “Purple” in marketing and advertising today usually refers to an idea or product that nobody else has thought about before – something novel enough for people’s attention.
Seth implements this concept into everyday life by describing three simple steps any entrepreneur can follow when looking at their startup ideas. So, the following are lessons from Purple Cow by Seth Godin to help other entrepreneurs or just people looking for a good read.
1. People don’t want to be educated about your product.
To understand this concept, it is necessary to know what a “Moo” is in business terms. A Moo is an action that helps consumers interact with products and services to get something done or solve a problem. For example, for Uber (a taxi-like service), a Moo press a button and have a car arrive.
For that Uber to be successful, they must remove the friction that exists when calling a taxi- like waiting around for a cab, walking outside to hail it, and giving directions.
The problem is if Uber tried to be the best taxi service with all of their drivers having “expert knowledge” on where people wanted to go, they would fail. If this were the case, anyone could start their own taxi business, and Uber would be out of business.
So, what makes Uber successful is their “Uber” idea. That is the Purple Cow part of it-an idea so novel that you can catch people’s interest. If they tried to explain how great their taxi service was over other competitors, most would not pay attention because nobody wants to know why your product or service is better than the existing one. Instead, they would return to the old method of hailing a taxi or signing on with another service.
All Uber has to do is implement their Moo-creating an app for people to hail taxis and sign on as drivers, and they succeed because even if it isn’t the best taxi service out there, it changed transportation for the consumer.
How to apply this lesson:
- Take your business idea-whether it is a product or service, and build upon it with an “Uber”-like concept that will help people solve problems more easily than before.
- Don’t worry about why your idea is better.
- Just implement it and work on improving over time.
2. Your market needs to be chosen, not discovered.
This lesson is the most important of the three because it shows how understanding your customers, their problems, and what they want is more important than having a great product or service that nobody knows about. For example, when Apple first started selling computers in the 1970s, their main competition was IBM (at the time- now it is Microsoft).
IBM computers were like the Big Ben of computers-so big that they took up an entire room. The problem with these IBM computers was that very few people could afford them or even wanted one in their home, so most who started with Apple only used them for personal projects and schoolwork.
Apple understood that the main population was not their target and instead targeted designers and other high-end markets who could afford and want a computer.
Because Apple chose their market, they succeeded in that demographic by creating products that solved problems for those people (such as using computers for graphic design).
How to apply this lesson:
- Think outside of your box.
- Don’t focus on a particular group just because they are easier to tackle or understand.
- Look at who is going to benefit most from what you have to offer and go from there.
3. There is no such thing as being second in a crowded market with a complicated product that is expensive to produce.
With the rise in popularity of Uber, more and more taxi companies are trying to compete by lowering their prices or offering a similar service. The problem with this strategy is it is too late. A significant amount of damage has been done from Uber’s brand recognition alone, not even counting the number of people who have already gone through the trouble of downloading their app and signing up.
Soon enough, everyone will notice that they are paying for a service that they can get cheaper or even for free with Uber.
How to apply this lesson: Don’t compete in crowded markets when something simpler is bound to catch on before your product/service does. Of course, by then, you’ll be left in the dust.
4. Branding is not a logo.
Many people mistake a well-designed logo for good branding, but good branding isn’t only your company’s visual identity or product. Everything from word of mouth to experiences with your service/product makes up the foundation of your brand. In other words, having a bad logo won’t ruin you, but ignoring your branding will.
How to apply this lesson: Spend as much time developing your brand as you design a logo! Make sure everything from the colours you choose, the way people talk about your product, service, or even tiny little things like how your website responds when someone is using a mobile device are all cohesive and have a feeling of belonging.
5. The market doesn’t pay for the best products.
Instead, they pay for the products that best fit their worldview and solve the right problems in ways they recognize and value.
People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it and choose to follow your lead in how you intend to change their world. They also buy how you do it, not just what you do or make.
How to apply this lesson:
- Get to know your customers and figure out what makes them tick.
- What is important to them?
- What impact do they have?
- Why do they care about it?
- What challenges do they want your product or service to solve?
- How would you solve those problems, and why does your product or service explicitly solve those for them?
6. In a crowded market full of complicated choices, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
To have a successful business in today’s fast-paced environment, not many can afford to have a complicated service or product that appears to have a greater risk of not meeting a customer’s needs.
How to apply this lesson: Keep your product or service simple! By keeping it simple, you eliminate the risks that come from people having a hard time understanding your business and what exactly they are getting out of it. In turn, you make them more willing to give your business a chance.
7. If you’re marketing to consumers, then start by finding the influencers.
Influencers are people who influence other people’s purchasing decisions because they are trusted, respected, and well-liked. By marketing your product/service to them first, there is a higher likelihood that they will mention it to their friends and followers, leading to word-of-mouth marketing.
How to apply this lesson: Look for influencers in your field or just people who you think would be interested in what you have to offer. After that, look at how that person has grown their following or fanbase in the past and then try to come up with a strategy that will benefit them and yourself.
8. Give people a taste of your best stuff, not just free samples of the cheapest version of what you sell.
These days, it’s more important than ever to give customers a reason to want to come back and pay for your product/service in the future instead of going to a competitor.
How to apply this lesson: Figure out what your product/service is made of, and then give a little bit of that out for free. This will spark a desire inside of people to want more which will, in turn, make them come back for more!
9. When you’re first starting up, don’t focus on selling to everybody at the same time.
When you’re first starting up, it’s more important to focus on marketing your product or service to people that already love what you do rather than trying to sell something completely new all at once. You can then use these people as references or examples for others interested in what you have to offer.
How to apply this lesson:
Rather than promoting anything new all at once, focus your marketing approach on selling to existing customers. This way, you’ll be able to ease into gaining new customers and avoid overwhelming yourself or your staff.