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By Phil, June 3, 2009 12:39 pm

Purple Cow

Extraordinary Passion – Find your Purple Cow           

Reading Time – 2 minutes 45 seconds

What on earth does a Purple Cow have to do with being exceptional?  This question came up on a recent visit to the Business Start Up Show in London last week.  The place was rammed with stalls trying to sell every product and service under the sun.  Yet only one or two stands really stood out from the crowd. 

What was the difference?  These stands were engagingly put together, with a clear and consistent brand message and manned by passionate people who loved what they did.  They were vibrant, energetic and had the X Factor.  This experience reminded me of the book Purple Cow by Seth Godin.

Seth Godin is a marketing guru and blogger from California (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/).  His book The Purple Cow focuses on the importance of companies being remarkable.  The theory was conceived driving through France, where Godin saw thousands of regular black and white cows.  Suddenly, Godin saw an advert for Milka Chocolate with a Purple Cow and his attention was grabbed by something remarkable and different. 

With seven billion people on the planet, we face stiff competition for every job and opportunity.  Godin’s point is that you need to create a personal or corporate brand that captures the attention of your desired employer or customer.  The brand must reflect who you are , your passion and be truly memorable.  Purple Cows get your ideal customer, colleague or employer salivating with excitement – they want to meet you, buy from you, hire you.

So how do you find YOUR Purple Cow?

1) Purple Cows have energy and excitement.  Finding and doing what you are passionate about makes you stand out.  I met some salespeople at the show who could barely stifle a yawn as they told me about their “amazing” services.  When you meet someone who loves what they do, their passion is truly infectious and memorable.  Purple Cows have Passion!

2) Purple Cows stand out from the crowd.  What can you do that goes above and beyond expectations? Showing creativity, tenacity and a will to exceed expectations will mark you out and make others want to have you around.  Think about your most memorable service experience (at a restaurant, on an airline, at a bank) and how that made you feel.  What made it stand out in your mind so you still remember it?  Standing out from the crowd consistently will create an aura and be part of your Purple Cow.

3) Purple Cows are consistent.  They have an eye-catching appeal and continually deliver the same message.  What is your key message to the world?  Repeat it over and over again in a consistent manner.  Milka have used the same Purple Cow for decades to promote their product, and everything they do is coloured purple.  They even went so far as to paint cows purple for an advertising stunt in Paris (see inset picture).  Being consistent and persistent will burn your brand onto people’s memories and allow you to be remarkable.

Exercise – Find your Purple Cow

• What are you passionate about?
• What do you want to tell the world about you?
• What is your Purple Cow – how do you tell the world in a way that they will remember?
• What are the first steps to creating your Purple Cow?

Finding your Purple Cow is a major way to start building an extraordinary life and business.  Your Purple Cow will make you stand out from the competition, give you an edge in promoting yourself and make you plain remarkable.  We’d love to hear your comments on your Purple Cow  and how you tell the world about it.