Purple Cow

by Seth Godin
Purple Cow cover
Good Books rating 4.5
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  • ID: 7124
  • Added: 2025-12-11
  • Updated: 2025-12-13
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 4
Reviews
elleandcompanydesign.com · Unknown · 2025-12-19
inspiring 4.50

Purple Cow by Seth Godin challenges conventional marketing wisdom, advocating for products that are remarkable and worth talking about. The book emphasizes the importance of standing out in a crowded market and offers practical advice for creating innovative products that captivate audiences.

Purple Cow by Seth Godin is a compelling read that challenges the status quo of marketing. Godin argues that traditional marketing methods are no longer effective in today's saturated market. Instead, he advocates for creating products that are so remarkable they naturally attract attention and generate word-of-mouth buzz. The book is filled with practical examples and actionable advice, making it a valuable resource for entrepreneurs and marketers alike. They found the concepts refreshing and thought-provoking, particularly the emphasis on innovation and authenticity. However, some readers might find the examples a bit dated, as the book was published over a decade ago. Overall, it's a must-read for anyone looking to make a significant impact in their industry.

Quick quotes

    The only purpose of marketing is to spread ideas

    Remarkable marketing is more likely to be passed on or talked about, making a bigger splash

    In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is a failure. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible.

ronstauffer.com · Unknown · 2023-10-21
great 4.50

Purple Cow by Seth Godin is a book that stands out in the marketing genre, offering valuable insights without the typical sales pitch. The reviewer appreciates Godin's observational style and the book's unique presentation, which aligns with its core message of being remarkable.

Purple Cow by Seth Godin is a refreshing take on marketing, focusing on the importance of being remarkable. The reviewer highlights Godin's unique observational style and the book's practical advice, which is presented in an engaging and thought-provoking manner. The book itself is a purple cow, standing out in bookstores and proving its own point. The reviewer recommends it for those who work with businesses that struggle to stand out, emphasizing the value of the physical book as a conversation piece. Overall, the book is seen as a valuable resource for anyone looking to make a mark in a crowded market.

Quick quotes

    …picture driving down a country road, with hundreds of cows, scattered across the fields. As you’re driving, you notice one cow. One cow standing out from all the rest, for one reason. It has purple spots. Wouldn’t that grab your attention?

    Seth is one of the few marketing “experts” that I actually like to listen to. There’s a lot of information out there, and an most of it is pretty bad.

    So, do I recommend it? Yes. If you’re like me, and you work for a business or work with businesses that have a tough time standing out.

elizabethmccravy.com · Unknown · 2017-11-20
insightful 4.50

Purple Cow by Seth Godin is a dense and insightful book on marketing that emphasizes the importance of creating remarkable products that stand out. The book argues that vanilla products, while safe, are boring and that growth comes from being 'too something' for some people but just right for the right people. Designers play a crucial role in marketing, as the product itself must be remarkable to be worth telling people about.

Purple Cow by Seth Godin is a dense and insightful book on marketing that emphasizes the importance of creating remarkable products that stand out. The book argues that vanilla products, while safe, are boring and that growth comes from being 'too something' for some people but just right for the right people. The author uses the metaphor of a purple cow to illustrate the idea that remarkable products are worth telling people about, while very good products are simply expected and not noteworthy. The book also highlights the role of designers in marketing, as the product itself must be remarkable to be worth telling people about. Overall, the book is engaging and provides valuable examples of how to create remarkable products.

Quick quotes

    When my family and I were driving through France a few years ago we were enchanted by the hundreds of storybook cows grazing on the picturesque pastors right next to the highway. Then, within 20 minutes, we started ignoring the cows. The new cows were just like the old cows, and what once was amazing was now common. Worse than common. It was boring. Cows, after you’ve seen them for a while, are boring. They may be perfect cows, attractive cows, cows with great personalities, cows lit by beautiful light, but they’re still boring. A purple cow though. Now THAT would be interesting.

    Don’t try to make a product for everybody, because that is a product for nobody.

    If you are a marketer who doesn't know how to invent, design, influence, adapt, and ultimately discard products, then you're no longer a marketer. You're deadwood.

goodreads.com · Unknown · 2003-05-12
insightful 4.50

The reviewer found Purple Cow by Seth Godin insightful and dense, highlighting the shift from traditional marketing tactics to creating remarkable products. They appreciated the concept of 'purple cows' and 'sneezers' as key to successful marketing in today's crowded marketplace. The book encouraged them to think differently about marketing their own business, despite some scattered content.

The reviewer enjoyed Purple Cow by Seth Godin, noting that while the book is small, it is dense with valuable insights. They particularly appreciated Godin's discussion on the shift from traditional marketing tactics to the importance of creating remarkable products, or 'purple cows.' The concept of 'sneezers'—people who spread the word about a product—was also highlighted as a key to successful marketing in today's crowded marketplace. The reviewer found the book motivating and thought-provoking, encouraging them to think differently about marketing their own business. They noted that the book was a bit scattered at times but was overall chock full of helpful information. The reviewer highly recommends it, especially for those looking to innovate and stand out in their industry.

Quick quotes

    The following quotes were motivating for me: "In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is failing. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible (56).

    You can't know if your Purple Cow is guaranteed to work. You can't know if it's remarkable enough or too risky. That's the point. It's the very unpredictability of the outcome that makes it work. The lesson is simple - boring always leads to failure. *Except, of course, when being boring is, in and of itself, remarkable (61).

    Boring is always the most risky strategy. Smart business-people realize this, and they work to minimize (but not eliminate) the risk from the process.

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