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Seth Godin
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Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable Kindle Edition

by Seth Godin (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,569 ratings
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The cult classic that revolutionized marketing by teaching businesses that you’re either remarkable or invisible.

Few authors have had the kind of lasting impact and global reach that Seth Godin has had. In a series of now-classic books that have been translated into 36 languages and reached millions of readers around the world, he has taught generations of readers how to make remarkable products and spread powerful ideas.

In Purple Cow, first published in 2003 and revised and expanded in 2009, Godin launched a movement to make truly remarkable products that are worth marketing in the first place. Through stories about companies like Starbucks, JetBlue, Krispy Kreme, and Apple, coupled with his signature provocative style, he inspires readers to rethink what their marketing is really saying about their product. In a world that grows noisier by the day, Godin's challenge has never been more relevant to writers, marketers, advertisers, entrepreneurs, makers, product managers, and anyone else who has something to share with the world.
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  1. Print length
    172 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Portfolio
  5. Publication date
    November 12, 2009
  6. Reading age
    18 years and up
  7. File size
    4081 KB
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The world is changing ever more rapidly, and the rules of marketing are no different, writes Godin, the field's reigning guru. The old ways-run-of-the-mill TV commercials, ads in the Wall Street Journal and so on-don't work like they used to, because such messages are so plentiful that consumers have tuned them out. This means you have to toss out everything you know and do something "remarkable" (the way a purple cow in a field of Guernseys would be remarkable) to have any effect at all, writes Godin (Permission Marketing; Unleashing the Ideavirus). He cites companies like HBO, Starbucks and JetBlue, all of which created new ways of doing old businesses and saw their brands sizzle as a result. Godin's style is punchy and irreverent, using short, sharp messages to drive his points home. As a result the book is fiery, but not entirely cohesive; at times it resembles a stream-of-consciousness monologue. Still, his wide-ranging advice-be outrageous, tell the truth, test the limits and never settle for just "very good"-is solid and timely.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Seth Godin says that the key to success is to find a way to stand out—to be the purple cow in a field of monochrome Holsteins. Godin himself may be the best example of how this theory works: The marketing expert is a demigod on the Web, bestselling author, highly sought-after lecturer, successful entrepreneur, respected pundit, and high-profile blogger. He is uniquely respected for his understanding of the Internet, and his essays and opinions are widely read and quoted online and off.”—Forbes.com

“Seth Godin alters the way people think about marketing, change, and work.”—Selling Power

“I love this book! Part wake-up call, part action plan, Purple Cow shows organizations how to add distinction—and avoid extinction.”—Tom Kelley, author of The Art of Innovation

“Godin is endlessly curious, opinionated, and knowledgeable on a wide variety of subjects. He is a relentless marketer…and also a clear-eyed visionary with strong and sensible ideas.”—Miami Herald

“Seth Godin may be the best intuitive marketer alive today. He’s in that tiny subset of the niche within the microcommunity of people who simply get it.”—Randall Rothenberg, columnist for Advertising Age

“Take Leo Burnett, David Ogilvy, Bill Bernbach, and Mark Twain. Combine their brains and shave their heads. What’s left? Seth Godin.”—Jay Levinson, author of Guerilla Marketing

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00316UMS0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio; New edition (November 12, 2009)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 12, 2009
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4081 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 172 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,569 ratings

About the author

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Seth Godin

Seth Godin

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Seth Godin is the author of 20 international bestsellers that have been translated into over 38 languages, and have changed the way people think about marketing and work. For a long time, Unleashing the Ideavirus was the most popular ebook ever published, and Purple Cow is the bestselling marketing book of the decade.

He worked as a year as the volunteer founding editor of The Carbon Almanac, and his recent bestsellers also include The Practice and This is Marketing.

He's a recent inductee to the Marketing Hall of Fame, and also a member of the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame and (go figure), the Guerrilla Marketing Hall of Fame.

His book, Tribes, was a nationwide bestseller, appearing on the Amazon, New York Times, BusinessWeek and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. It's about the most powerful form of marketing--leadership--and how anyone can now become a leader, creating movements that matter.

His book Linchpin came out in 2008 and was the fastest-selling book of his career. Linchpin challenges you to stand up, do work that matters and race to the top instead of the bottom. More than that, though, the book outlines a massive change in our economy, a fundamental shift in what it means to have a job.

In addition to his writing and speaking, Seth was founder and CEO of Squidoo.com,. His blog (find it by typing "seth" into Google) is the most popular marketing blog in the world. Before his work as a writer and blogger, Godin was Vice President of Direct Marketing at Yahoo!, a job he got after selling them his pioneering 1990s online startup, Yoyodyne.

He's known as a pioneer in online education, and was the founder of the altMBA.

You can find every single possible detail that anyone could ever want to know at sethgodin.com

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
3,569 global ratings
Awesome little book.
5 Stars
Awesome little book.
I love this little book. Very insightful and handy. I suggest a newer edition now but it has some very good points and eye opening suggestions. You should read this book if you sell goods and services.
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Top reviews from the United States

Detlman
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2024
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I heard about this book in a training class, while the concept isnt new it does put the concept of gong the extra mile to create a memorable experience in the forefront. Its a good read and worth the price.
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Corrynn Cochran
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Marketers
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2020
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Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin.

First published in 2003, and again in 2005, and again in 2019, The Purple Cow resonates with aspiring and seasoned marketers alike for it’s timeless message; BE REMARKABLE. Seth Godin is a champion of the marketing industry, making a name for himself by selling his marketing firm to Yahoo for 30 million dollars and then becoming their vice president of direct marketing. At the same time he began writing marketing books, to which Purple Cow in only one of many. Yet, its message is worth the three hours it will take to read it. Whether new to marketing or refreshing your ideas, you’ll want to consider the bullet points Godin has to offer within these pages.

When Godin speaks, people listen. This book is primarily base on his personal opinion and therefor scrutinized, yet it holds major weight for those individuals about to jump into the melting pot of marketing that Godin so wittingly has mastered.

Out with the old, in with the new. Marketing has evolved, according to Godin, and innovation is the key to success. He believes it would be a waste of energy to focus on products and services that already exist for the masses. Developing new products or services for a market that is not saturated but small and specific is the new key to success. His message is throttling innovators forward with the idea they must put extreme amounts of effort into standing out from the crowd. He provides multiple case studies of companies that have done so, such as Starbucks, and Dutch Boy Paint. His examples shed light on a different way of thinking that is so inspiring! It will spark you to try harder, search deeper, and expand your reach much farther than you had originally anticipated.

If you are dealing with attempting to re-spin an old idea into a new one, he uses the example of Dutch Boy, the painting company who changed the idea of the paint can, making it so much more user friendly than the old one that the companies’ sales went up, their distribution broadened, and their retail price instantly increased.

Godin’s approach to advertising leaves some weary of his methods. He believes television ads are in the stone ages and Internet banners are a complete waste of time. He has the statistics and the experience to back it up. His ideas stray from the typical mass media approach and hone in on investing in an idea and then spreading that idea to particular individuals that will find it remarkable, interesting, and a must have. This foreign concept seems like the long game to me, finding people to like a product, try it and then tell their friends, takes time. Yet Godin offers streamlined examples of how this can be done. Influencers on Instagram suddenly made much more sense. The entire format of Instagram and how it caters to like-minded individuals who feed off of each other’s ideas and inspiration is an absolute gold mine for what Godin proposes. It makes perfect sense. I would also gather, that the folks disagreeing with the value of this book may not be fluent in the social media formats younger generations have now grown accustom.

Godin sheds light on subjects not otherwise considered unless you’ve already read some of his other books in which case his ideas are similar and reiterated. He’s a master of marketing, and this book contains keys you might not otherwise have considered. Learn as much as you possibly can to succeed, explore every option at your disposal, and the remarkable will be within reach! 5 stars, and a quick easy, concrete, authentic read. In fact, I read it twice.
14 people found this helpful
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Alex
4.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read for Creativity Seekers!
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2024
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"The Purple Cow" by Seth Godin is a refreshing and thought-provoking read for anyone looking to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Godin's metaphor of the purple cow is a powerful reminder of the importance of being remarkable and differentiating yourself from the competition.

The book is filled with insightful examples and practical advice on how to create products and services that are truly unique and memorable. Godin challenges readers to embrace their inner purple cow and strive for excellence in everything they do.

Overall, "The Purple Cow" is a must-read for entrepreneurs, marketers, and anyone looking to unleash their creative potential. Highly recommended!
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Brian Perez
5.0 out of 5 stars Red Pill-MGTOW- Rugged Individualists
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2015
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Red Pill-MGTOW- Rugged Individualists
Reread: 2 of 7

Game.
Beware of Popcorn brain advertising with a dash of amygdala hijack.
Be remarkable. Who cares about dubious opinions from zombies? Assert your ideas.
Be sure to avoid eating too many Krispy Kreme donuts.
Slogan, business cards, South Park appeal to women, irresistible to certain tiny groups, complicated sells, word of mouth vs. TV ads.
Bonus part of book is not worth reading.
Self-publish

Research:

Decline of Maxwell house vs. Starbucks
Curad band- aid – collectible product
Otaku – Japanese passionate hobbies
Bloomberg terminal- learned and not going to give up that expertise

Monkey Branch:

Joel Spoelstra – Marketing Outrageously
Crossing the Chasm – Geoffrey Moore

Quotes:

The world has changed. There are far more choices, but there is less and less time to sort them out. 217

Boring is always the most risky strategy. 698 – learn game

It’s fairly obvious who the big losers are—giant brands with big factories and quarterly targets, organizations with significant corporate inertia and low thresholds for perceived risks. Once addicted to the cycle of the TV-INDUSTRIAL complex, these companies have built hierarchies and systems that make it awfully difficult to be remarkable. 829 – be fluid, ship it.

The Opposite of “Remarkable” is “very good.” 904 – go full throttle, share the game

Pearl Jam knows that once they have permission to talk to someone, it’s much easier to make a sale. 965 - warmth

Reinvest. Do it again. With a vengeance. Launch another Purple Cow (to the same audience). Fail and fail and fail again. Assume that what was remarkable last time won’t be remarkable this time. 1189 – fail and work

Marketing is the act of inventing the product. The effort of designing it. The craft of producing it. The art of pricing it. The technique of selling it. How can a Purple Cow company not be run by a marketer? 1203

Cheap is a lazy way out of the battle for the Purple Cow. 1337 – invest and share, game

South Park, it set a record, scoring just 1.5 out of 10 points with women. Three of the women in the group cried, 1485 – not appealing to the feminine imperative

Remember, it’s not about being weird. It’s about being irresistible to a tiny group of easily reached sneezers with otaku. Irresistible isn’t the same as ridiculous. Irresistible (for the right niche) is just remarkable. 1488 – attraction through polarization

When I wrote Purple Cow all those years ago, it was groundbreaking. People said I was nuts. The publisher of my earlier books refused to publish it, saying it would never sell. By leaving it as is, I want you to see what it was like then, sort of like a musician not resinging his old songs every time the album moves to a new format. 1739 – boldness, ship it, resistance, game
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Tool Box Talk For Electricians
5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book is very interesting and a good piece of inspiration
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Ronald Carvalho
5.0 out of 5 stars Marketing prático com charme
Reviewed in Brazil on January 13, 2021
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Uma aula prática de bom Marketing. Útil e agradável de ler. Nota 10
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ravid
5.0 out of 5 stars Birlant as always. How to Marketing.
Reviewed in Germany on December 4, 2022
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Highly recommended to markets, founders, entrepreneurs, business people, product people and more.

How to rethink marketing.

To the point as always, Seth.
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Guia Online Music
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book for sales and marketing
Reviewed in Spain on October 10, 2022
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Very good book for sales and marketing, good ideas and pills to transfer to small business. And above all, he insists throughout the book that you have to be different and creative. Recommended.
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Shruti
5.0 out of 5 stars Paper quality is bad
Reviewed in India on July 31, 2022
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The media could not be loaded.
 The book is amazing but the paper quality is that of what we get on street (the rip offs, replicas). 5 stars for the book not the quality
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