Bovine blues?

Entrepreneur, August, 2003 by Mark Henricks

PRICING, PROMOTION, PUBLICITY, PLACE--THE FAMED four Ps of marketing-need another: Purple Cow. That's bestselling marketing author Seth Godin's way of saying every business has to have something phenomenal, counterintuitive and exciting to grab attention away from all the brown cows out there. His new book, Purple Co w: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable (Portfolio, $19.95) boasts a heliotrope Holstein cover and a payload of one-or two-page nuggets, such as a history of the first bread-slicing machine, which flopped until Wonder Bread marketed the concept into a hit 20 years later. The unorthodox approach works. From Godin's first tips--which include a compelling mini-essay on the importance of being first--to the time he winds up his advice by urging you to ask "why not?" your attention is thoroughly grabbed.

MARK HENRICKS IS Entrepreneur's "Smart Moves" columnist.