Remarkable

What makes an idea remarkable? That’s the question posed by Seth Godin in his book Purple Cow. He starts by saying that a purple cow would be remarkable! He’s right, no one has ever seen a purple cow before, and you wouldn’t even have to use much marketing on it because it would market itself to a large extent.

He argues that marketing is more than just about considering the normal “P”s of marketing, that is, pricing, promotion, placement, publicity, among others, it’s about the new “P” – Purple Cow.

Godin, also uses real-life examples of remarkable ideas in his book. Allow me to explain a few.

Take the Case Study of Dutch Boy paint. Paint cans are heavy, hard to open and close, hard to pour from, and still, they’ve remained the same for decades Most of us assumed there was a reason for the design. There wasn’t, so Dutch Boy came up with a new can design. It increased their sales and got them more distribution, for a higher sticker price. Now I’m not a paint expert concerning the quality of the product in the jugs so I’m not going to give an opinion on their paints. The point here is to show that by doing something better and different than your customers can be most of the marketing you need. (paraphrased, Godin, 81)

Then there’s the the case of the Häagen-Dazs in Bronxville. It’s just like any other ice cream shop, save for it’s cleaner and a lot better run. Why is that? Here’s the thing, sitting on the front counter is a large stack of cards with the owner’s name and phone number. Each card also includes a note that reads: If you have any comments at all about the store, please call me at home.” Everyone notices, the employees and the guests. Everyone knows the power of that information being there. If everyone did this it probably wouldn’t make a difference. But it’s different so it’s remarkable. (paraphrase, Godin, 89)

This is marketing done right. Marketing where the marketer changes the product, not the ads.

Seth Godin, Purple Cow, pg. 81

The last case I mentioned is the most meaningful to me at this point, and it’s my own example, not from Godin’s book. Dispatch. I had never heard of them about 5 weeks ago, and now I work for them, and I love the company. They are a remarkable start-up because the product/service is remarkable. It’s like a combination of Uber and Priority; that is, it’s like Uber for B2B package deliveries. It allows for any business to order an on-demand, same-day delivery, and the Dispatch app allows them to track the package from pick up to drop off. It also allows the business to have a full fleet of cars trucks and cargo vans at the ready without having to own any of the vehicles or hire any of the staff, or get insurance for all those vehicles, or do maintenance on those vehicles, or ensure they always have the right amount of drivers clocked in. I could go on. Instead, they, as our slogan goes, “tap. track. deliver.”. The request a pick up in the app, view the driver’s status on the app, (as can anyone else they share a unique link with) and see it at their door hand delivered by a Dispatch driver. In fact, many of the Dispatch clients set up billing so that they can easily track their use of our app, plus there are no contracts, just pay for it when you need it.

There’s one more huge element that our founders figured out first before they launched. Blue-collar, skilled laborers.

With fewer people than ever going into tech schools or apprenticeships for careers like plumbing, electrics, HVAC, among other things. it costs more now to have someone in one of these fields (among others) come out and work on something. The last thing you want is for them to have to go and pick up parts. That’s because doing this takes them away from the work their doing, and keeps them stuck on the road while they still need to be paid full-rate, as their getting the part for the work they’re doing.

The problem? Like some purple cows, it sometimes sounds weird at first from the outside looking in. For example, why would a florist want to hire outside delivery service, especially if their staff has to drive out to set up a whole wedding anyway? Well, say there’s a whole other table at the reception that the bride wants to be decorated, or the florist forgot the last bridesmaid’s bouquet at the studio? Well, they can simply go to the Dispatch app and order a vehicle pick up the flowers and have it sent to the venue, the florist can even see the progress the driver is making towards the drop off, plus they know before approving the Dispatch order what it will cost them, that way the floral designs can continue setting up, meaning they can get to the next event quicker. Just substitute florist, and flowers for a plumber, and pipes, or another given profession and you can begin to see how remarkable the idea is and the true difference it can make in the workforce. Plus, did I mention, no more lost packages like normal couriers, because it’s all tracked and Dispatch is not based on routes! Want to set up an order for your business, or even just yourself? dispatchit.com

Believe it or not, I haven’t even described all the Dispatch benefits here, but I think this is enough to provide a clear example of the impact that it can and has already made.

I’m working in sales now so don’t mind my pitch being part of my explanation. I believe it’s a good example at any rate of the principle of the purple cow in action.

So what makes your business, or idea remarkable? Or, what makes the brands you just like in general remarkable? Are you combining two ideas together, helping other people or companies work more efficiently, offering a truly unique customer service opportunity, changing a product in a way that is valuable, or doing something totally new and different? Whatever your idea, make sure it’s a purple cow and surprise others.

I love hearing marketing case studies so please share them with me, I’d love to hear them, and honestly, learn from them. @katherineglader