Purple Cow by Seth Godin

COW COLORS
What a great book for personal inspiration. This has a lot of helpful info. view more & comment

what is purple car all about?
Explaining the purpose of the social media outlet purple cow. view more & comment

Purple Cow - Wikipedia, the free encyclo...
The origin of the term Purple Cow is a reference made in a poem and from there, the idea of a purple cow has evolved to be used in several different situations. There are a lot of different things with the name Purple Cow, check Google to see. view more & comment

Adam Lambert and the Purple Cow | Waxing...
Here's a post suggesting that recent American Idol 2nd place finisher is a Purple Cow. We shall see. view more & comment

Purple Cow by Seth Godin
This is the official Purple Cow page on Sethgodin.com. You can check out some bonus chapters from the book, and tons of other info. view more & comment

BzzReport by kcat
Sent following e-mail to 5 friends: Hey! Thought of you all when I came across a neat idea that was featured in a book I just read (Purple Cow-by Seth Godin) that I thought you all would be really interested in. This is a free service that will send you a 5min excerpt of a new book every day (5 days of the book) to see if it's something in which you are interested. I just signed up to try it and thought of you! Let me know what you think! http:\www.dearreader.com view more & comment

BzzReport by stpgator
Note – I was waiting to see how far along the Purple Cow went in our company but I’ve run up against the Buzz deadline so file this under “To be continued” Let me start this report by stating that I work for a major car rental company. About the only difference between my company and our competitors is the color of our signs. The companies could easily be known by their color. Red rent-a-car, Gold rent-a-car, Green, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Rainbow and so on. But nowhere in the industry is there a Purple rent-a-car. At least not yet. The night I received Purple Cow I read it straight through. As soon as I had started reading I knew who the perfect sneezer in my company would be. My bosses boss, who has been with us for 40 years and she loves books like Purple Cow and the lessons they teach. Her office bookshelf is lined with such books as “The 60 Second Manager,” “The :59 Second Employee,” “In Search of Excellence,” “13 Fatal Errors Managers Make,” “Who Moved My Cheese,” “ Stop Telling and Start Selling,” “1000 Things you Never Learned in Business School” and so on. Some of these books she bought herself but most have been purchased by the company and sent out to different management levels. I knew if she read Purple Cow she might just champion this book as the next company read. The following Monday we had our weekly lunch meeting so I made sure to bring in the book along with my notes for that days pow-wow. She saw the book and asked if that was part of the new MOO. I didn’t even realize how well this cow theme would work in my favor. Our company is running a Moments Of Opportunity (MOO) with our front line employees to expand our small client contract base and of course with a program called MOO the theme and mascot is a cow. Purple Cow is going to have an easy time getting noticed as we are already cow programmed. I took the opportunity to respond to her MOO comment by introducing her to the book and Seth Godin. She took an immediate interest and asked where I bought it. I said “Here, take my copy and just let me know what you think.” Thursday morning she brought me a cup of coffee and a piece of her homemade coffee cake to my office and started to rave about the book. We joked about changing the color of our company to purple but her always practical side did a quick shoot down of that idea, “Just image the incredible cost of changing our colors worldwide.” she said. Her practical side was also showing when she asked if she could pass along the book to Scott, our VP of marketing. I knew she was looking to make some brownie points with Scott and I knew that Scott was the one that would have the say if this book went out to the field managers. So of course I was also looking to make some brownie points with her and anyone that the book would get passed onto. I told here that I just wanted to put a “return to me” note in the book and she was free to pass it along to whomever she wanted it to go to. I asked her if she thought Purple Cow might be a book that would be purchased for the company and her response was “I think it just might be.” So I’m waiting to here what the upper managers at our HQ think of the book. Until then… view more & comment

BzzReport by Lisa1966
I had taken the book to work with me. I work for a small company (6) people and I had set the book on my desk. I did not really have to say anything. The cover alone caught everyone's attention! My boss had asked me what I was reading and I explained about Seth Godin and that this book was a fast read and would challenge him to make his business remarkable. My boss loves a "challenge" so of course he wanted to read it. I also told him about Hilton Hotels buying 240 copies for their managers. He was impressed. My coworkers were all very interested when they heard me talking about it to my boss and have all asked to read! view more & comment

BzzReport by dontheideaguy
Registered my campaign copy of Purple Cow at BookCrossing.com -- http://bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/dontheideaguy Handed it over to a friend who has promised to either pass it on when he's finished with it, or leave it in some public location for the next soul in need of some Purple Bzzing can find it. BookCrossing is a waaaay purple concept. Thanks for Bzzing me about it. :) ~DON view more & comment

BzzReport by suttondancer
While talking to an acquaintance of mine, she revealed that she was laid off from Anderson quite a while ago (Her umemployment benefit has just run out). She expressed an interest in starting her own consulting/personal assistant business from home. I gave her a card and the purple cow book and suggested that she read it, there are a lot of wonderful ideas in it. She called me later, told me she had read the book, was very impressed, and asked if she could pass out cards to other people who used to work with her, and let them read the book. I of course, willingly agreed. view more & comment

BzzReport by missxtrish
After reading the book, i decided to call Barns and Noble and ask them about it. The man who answered the phone was by the name of "Tom". I asked him if they carried the "Purple Cow" and he checked for me. After a few minutes he informed me that they do not have it yet. I explained how wonderful it was, being sure to throw in a few details. "It made me rethink a lot of things, and it has a ton of useful information in it." I explained. "Would you like to talk to the manager about it?" He replied. I was more than pleased to do so. The manager, "Shane", came onto the phone and i continued my conversation. "I would absolutely buy this book for tons of my friends if i knew you guys carried it. Its full of amazing things. I couldnt even believe how wonderful it was." He paused for a moment and then asked the author of the book, which i gladly told him, and he replied with; "I will be sure to put it on our list of items to order. I thank you for calling and allowing us to know about such a wonderful book. Im quite sure if you enjoyed it than many of our other customers would as well." I thanked him for his time and then we both hung up. Im amazed at the fact that he was so kind and that he seemed so interested in the book. I must have spent atleast 45 minutes talking to him and i really hope they do infact order it! view more & comment

BzzReport by ojsauza
So.....taking the advice from the book, I took it to work and gave it some view time in front of a real "sneezer". I work for a very large company and quite honestly all of our Product Development group could use the read. I introduced the book to a Product Manager, a known sneezer & collegue (sneezer like from the book). I mentioned how inspired I was by the information in the book & how it had things in it that break the group-think mentality of staying in the middle of the road. We'll see where it goes from there!!!! view more & comment

BzzReport by inrsence
While at a client's office working on some code for her site, she engaged me in a conversation about some marketing opportunities she had encountered on a site. Both of us being entrepreneurs, she always takes it upon herself to let me know what she learns, and I do the same. After seeing what she wanted to do, I assured her that what she was planning was nothing like what it could be. Instead, we made an arrangement to use one of my company's products to help her make a remarkable ad that stood out compared to others. We are already starting the initial prototypes and hoping that the unique nature of her dating site will be a huge success. view more & comment

BzzReport by Earlg
Bzzn’ the business meeting - and after . . . As moderator, I get to give my report at the end of our monthly church business meeting. For the most recent one, I focused my report on being remarkable. I asked the people what comes between “bad” and “remarkable.” The response was “good.” I asked if everyone was in agreement with that, and they were. I told them if “bad” was on the low end of the scale and “remarkable” was on the high end, where was “good?” Some of the responses were “in the middle,” or “average.” I asked them what another word for average was and I got the answer I was looking for: “mediocre.” Who wants to settle for “mediocre?” Who gets a raise for mediocre work? Who recommends a mediocre restaurant? Everyone was in agreement – nobody. Who wants remarkable? Who would recommend remarkable? Who looks forward to experiencing remarkable? Then why should we point towards, or settle for anything less than remarkable? If we try for remarkable and don’t hit it, what’s the downside? None! If we try for it and hit it, what’s the upside? Everything! It led to a good 15 minute discussion before we ran out of time. After the meeting, in the parking lot, I talked with the chairman of the deacons about the concept, shared the principles, and we discussed them – animatedly – for another half hour after everyone left! We talked about the book and the principles, and both promised to talk about it further, soon – and we did! view more & comment

BzzReport by vanessamc
My boss was at my desk and we were talking about this new project we're working on for a client. I had the Purple Cow book out on my desk on top of the trade magazines I get, and so he idly picked it up while we were talking. He started talking about Seth G's last book and how much he liked it, so I told him all about PC, and how it is a great, new intepretation of what we see going on around us with some of our clients who are still very old school in their marketing approach. He borrowed my copy and today told me that he finished it in just the one evening and wants to get a copy for everyone in our group, so they can talk about these types of issues with our clients. view more & comment

BzzReport by batsmeow
I was lucky enough to find myself in the elevator with several top executives of my company. I am on friendly terms with one of them and commented that I had just started reading a new book that was really making me look at marketing in a whole new light. I handed each of them a business card and told them they might be intereseted in checking it out for themselves. I was only headed to the 4th floor, so I didn't have much more time than that, but they did indicate that they'd definitely check it out. I've seen one of them since with his own copy of the book. view more & comment

BzzReport by pinballwizard
A second reader proposed a Project e-Tip of the week in my weblog "Reforming Project Management" http://weblog.halmacomber.com/2003_06_08_archive.html#200409066. Keith Ray said he already read "99 Cows" and wanted Purple Cow rather than a 1 year subscription to Business Book Summaries ($99 value). I told my readers about Keith's selection and today's #15 position on the NYT Biz Best Sellers list. view more & comment

BzzReport by cjbower
I'm in Arizona on business, and having dinner with the boss and co-worker. I tell them about purple cow. We're having a management retreat in Lake Tahoe in September, and I tell them what a great book this would be to pass around. Last year we gave out "Who moved my Cheese", but I think this one will top that one. Ski showed interest, and is going to read the book next week (when we get back and I pass it along to him). I sure hope I get it back!! If this works out, we could be purchasing about 45 - 50 copies. view more & comment

BzzReport by PositiveLight
I am a business & life coach and I led a free teleclass called "Package Your Passion - How to Find 20 Areas in Your Life to find a topic for your Workshop". One of the areas I talk about is taking classic trends in workshops - topics like losing weight, making money, sex, food, having fun, relationships, etc.. Anyway, I talk about taking these classic topics and making them noticeable - remarkable - like in Puple Cow. I shared the name of the book and author and the concept that there are tons of good, average coaches and consultants - but what can you do to make yourself remarkable. The agree was amazing! Several people chimed in with comments like..."that is so righ", "yes, that's what I want!" view more & comment

BzzReport by timidtim
I am the sales and marketing forum monitor for www.thehivenetwork.org and I posted a small inquiry to start the buzz about purple cow - then I wrote Seth a personal email to which he responded very positively. I then posted Seth's email (seen below). Seth's email is ranked in the top 10 forum's and I have had top executive's downloading the free e-book and I imagine when they finish the book they will have some great comments to share. Title of my post: Personal Message from Seth Godin to hN My Post: I've emailed Seth a couple times to tell him about hN and I asked him to write a message to hN members - he is a pretty interesting and busy fellow - he was kind enough to write a personal message to hN about his new book. Needless to say I'm a fan. See Below. What do Mitt Romney and David Neeleman have in common? They are Purple Cows. Individuals who cause a reaction in other people. They are remarkable. Remarkable in the sense that their actions are worth making a comment about, worth talking about, worth taking action on. In today’s post-consumer, post-TV world, it’s only the Purple Cows that have a chance. Jet Blue is a case study in my book. So are individuals, organizations, politicians, churches, service business and products that follow the same steps—talk to people who are listening, then those people will tell their friends. Purple Cow is holding on to #8 on the New York Times bestseller list because it strikes a chord with people. It’s a manifesto, an argument for being bold and brave and apparently risky—when in fact, being risky is the safest thing you can do. Some gifts for this group: Visit http://www.Apurplecow.com for free chapters of my book. Visit http://www.lightbox5.com/downloads/99cows.pdf to get my new ebook (worth $10) for free. Life’s too short to be timid. Take a chance—why not be great? It’s actually the easiest thing to do. view more & comment

BzzReport by A1KF
I already had a copy of Purple Cow (the original in the milk carton) from Fast Company. Last week, I had a marketing club meeting at my house, and I purposely left my copy on my coffee table. I knew someone would see it and ask because I put it next to the cookies. Sure enough, my friend Will said, "Purple cow? What?" Turns out one of the other guys in the room had also read the book, so he and I both explained it. I told about how it was Seth Godin's new book, and it's all about how businesses these days need to be remarkable. I got the milk carton out to show. Everyone in the group is or was a business student at the University of Colorado, and we're always looking for the next big thing to read about. I told the group how Seth Godin added a new "P" to the ones we're always hearing about in class, and how the diffusion of innovation is really based so much on word of mouth, but that to have effective word of mouth, businesses have to have done something remarkable that people really want to tell everyone they know about. Will's roommate has the Herman Miller Aeron chair, so I mentioned that it is one of the examples in the book. I told them that it was a fun book to read and made me think about things differently. I know Will is going to buy it, and a bunch of the other people in the room expressed interest, too. I have a feeling that once they read it, they'll be challenging their marketing professors with the new insights they gain, and word will spread to lots of the other business students. view more & comment

BzzReport by DolphinDuchess
Here's the Book Crossing link - www.BookCrossing.com/231-743163 Here's my journal entry - Journal entry 1 on Monday, June 09, 2003 Hey, now who doesn't want to be a Purple Cow?! This book is indispensible to anyone who has an idea they want spread, whether it be politcal, business-related or an idea you believe in. Not satisfied with your sales last quarter, the number of attendees at your last Earth Day meeting, the number of supporters for your favorite politician, the interviewers lack of interest in you at your last job interview? Get the book and learn techniques to help you be remarkable! by Nanami30 (1/0) from Altona, Illinois USA book rating: I just handed it to Annette, as she was leaving, to be released at the Galesburg Public Library. I had to write a quick entry, so I could hand her the book before she left, so it's not as detailed as I wanted it to be. view more & comment

BzzReport by DirectMarketingM
Included content from Purple Cow article in Fast Company along with quotes from Survival is not enough in lecture for MBA Customer Behavior class: Full text: http://www.directmarketingmba.com/content/mkt555_week5a.html Relevant excerpts: ... In 2002, Seth Godin, in his book Survival is Not Enough, wondered why Verizon requires him to enter his phone number when calling, only to have the customer service representative make him repeat it? A simple change in what is asked of the customer, or a simple addition to technology could have solved this customer service annoyance, which I know I have also experienced as a customer. It just makes it seem like the company is somewhat clueless in execution. In order to get a competitive edge, your organization needs to evolve. Evolution doesn't always require you to do something new, or sell something cheaper, (although sometimes it does.) Often, to identify the opportunities where your company needs to evolve, you just need to look at what makes more sense from a customer perspective than what you do now. Take a hard look at your process from a customer perspective. Find places to evolve by asking questions like, What policies and procedures are slowing your customers down?" and "How can they be improved?" Then look for ways to become a Purple Cow A year later, Godin has joined Schultz, Peppers and Rogers in declaring the four P's inadequate to guide marketers given the incredible cacophony of messages competing for consumers' attention. In his 2003 book, Purple Cow, he proposes a fifth and rather unconventional "P" to the marketing mix: ...quote... Godin goes on to describe the concept of the Purple Cow and why it's important to marketers. Cows, after you've seen them for a while, are boring. They may be well-bred cows, Six Sigma cows, cows lit by a beautiful light, but they are still boring. A Purple Cow, though: Now, that would really stand out. The essence of the Purple Cow -- the reason it would shine among a crowd of perfectly competent, even undeniably excellent cows -- is that it would be remarkable . Something remarkable is worth talking about, worth paying attention to. Boring stuff quickly becomes invisible. (http://www.fastcompany.com/online/67/purplecow.html) If you are invisible, you will have a hard time surviving in today's tight economy, where numerous competitors and messages compete for the attention of your best prospects. Only by becoming a Purple Cow, Godin says, can you differentiate your unique benefit to your customers and generate a level of loyalty that will inspire them to evangelize on your behalf and help you continue to grow your business. In the sidebar to the article that kicked off the word of mouth marketing campaign for his newest book, Purple Cow, Godin shared 10 ways to bring Purple Cows into your marketing mix. ...quote... When you look at these folks as potential keys to new ways to be a Purple Cow, they may seem more manageable. ... The Challenge of Becoming Customer-Centric... the emerging customer-focused mentality is the challenge for marketers who want to transform their organizations into customer-centric Purple Cows view more & comment

BzzReport by doubled
I must say I am going to be sad to see the Purple Cow campaign go away. I know that I will not stop talking about the book or the concepts of Seth. It has changed my company's entire business model. I am now always selling the idea of "permission marketing" to my clients. I quote Seth on an almost daily basis. This all to tell how my last Buzz of the Purple Cow campaign came about. I was at a five star resort called the Broadmoor Hotel. They have an outside fire place overlooking a lake right next to one of there classy lounge/bar areas. I sat done with a group of people I did not know. The conversation began with good evening and led into the question what do you do? I usually tell people that I am a marketing consultant, on this occasion I used Permission Marketing Consultant. The title instantly sparked questions. I explained that they way I looked at business and marketing had changed as a result of reading the Purple Cow, and other books by Seth Godin. I encouraged them to get a fresh perspective on business and marketing by doing the same. We spent a great deal of time talking about the permission concept. Everyone around the fire side was interested to say the least. These people were from all over the country. One was in Special Forces just back from Iraq, and two others were a businessman and his wife on vacation from Charlotte N. Carolina. I do not know wear the others where from, but I do know it was not Colorado. I am proud to have ended such a fun campaign knowing that this buzz could spread into several states and occupations. Thanks for the opportunity of creating the Buzz for this amazing book Buzz Agent DOUBLED view more & comment