Executing a Purple Cow

When I first wrote the title for this blog, “Executing a Purple Cow,” I realized it could easily be misinterpreted. You might even think this was a Netflix documentary in the vein of “Don’t F**K With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer” (trailer here). Or maybe it’s like those clever t-shirts we’ve all seen, the ones proclaiming how “Commas Save Lives.”

Grammar Geeks get yours here.

But really this is a follow up from last week’s blog, ‘Find Out Why Playing It Safe Is the Riskiest Business Strategy.’ In that blog, we reviewed Seth Godin’s ‘Purple Cow’ and discussed how to identify or cultivate our own ‘purple cow’.

As a recap, let’s define a ‘Purple Cow’. It’s a product or service that is so remarkable, people can’t help but talk about it.

Let’s look at a couple of quick examples of ‘Purple Cows.’ The first one is Michael Jackson’s music video ‘Thriller,’ which generated so much buzz that people, including yours truly, sat in front of their TVs (or, in my case, my neighbor’s TV because we didn’t have cable growing up) just hoping MTV would play it. If you haven’t seen it, what the heck have you been doing for the past forty years?!

Enjoy the full-length video below:

The second example hits close to home. My friend, Laura Pinner, who recently passed away after a valiant fight against ALS, was a living embodiment of a ‘Purple Cow.’ Her vibrant personality and indomitable spirit stood out, remarkable in every sense. She will be greatly missed by those that knew and loved her.

So, now you’re all fired up and ready to paint your own ‘cow’ purple. Simmer down now! You don’t just get to slap some paint on your cow and call it remarkable. Creating your own purple cow is about standing out, not just looking different.

What are your unique selling points? What makes you, well, you? Maybe you have incredibly friendly customer service (à la Zappos), or perhaps you raise the most unique baby chicks ever seen, like those at Sanford farms in Kettle, Mississippi. Whatever makes you stand out, wear it like Frank Costanza’s Caped Lawyer in Seinfeld.

But be careful not to go overboard just trying to be different. You want to be remembered and talked about for what you do, not laughed at like this dude!

I can’t go on after that.

Till next time.