In Defense of the Celebrity Cow

April 1, 2003
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In This Issue
-- Do Purple Cows Give Purple Milk?
-- How Do You Catch a Unique Rabbit?
-- The Booklet Queen
-- The Bad News
-- Answer to Brain Teaser
-- In Happier Times
-- Gee, I Thought He Was a Right Winger
-- When Eggs Go Bad
-- Night Vision Binoculars
-- This Week's Brain Teaser

This week, I'll look at how a few great companies perform remarkably by being the best at "just one thing".

Do Purple Cows Give Purple Milk?
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I recently read Seth Godin's new book, "Purple Cow". It's a funny-looking little book with a silly title, but it packs a powerful message. In a nutshell, Seth claims that sustainable success can only be achieved by being remarkable at something.


What could YOU be remarkable at?


His message is right on. Every great company is exceptional at ONE KEY THING. Sometimes they're great at a few things, but there's always one thing that stands out.

Here are a few examples not in his book:

• UPS is known for their exceptional delivery employees
  
  
• Cinnabon is known for their exceptional cinnamon buns
  
  
• J. Lo is known for her exceptional cinnamon buns

Seth has a few Orwell-type sayings that I'll share with you. . .

• "Very Good is Bad" - if you're not remarkable at something, being a little better than the competition won't cut it.
  
  
• "Don't Be Boring" - Nothing is incredible without burning passion.
  
  
• "Safe is Risky" - I'll add my own quote here, "Unless you step off the beaten path, you'll probably keep being beaten."

Link to Purple Cow Website

How Do You Catch a Unique Rabbit?
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Answer: Unique up on it of course!

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Question: How do you catch a tame rabbit?

Answer: Tame way.

(These jokes courtesy of the 2nd grade).

So What Makes You Unique?

Instead of uncovering new secrets to success, Seth profiles companies who apply the existing rules incredibly successfully. His book includes much more than the usual suspects (Southwest Airlines, Krispy Kreme and Starbucks).

He takes examples from obscure companies such as a remarkable salt (as in salt & pepper) manufacturer to Pearl Jam, the rock band who released 72 profitable albums through their website since 2001.

I noticed he didn't profile any remarkable Yellow Pages organizations. Gee, wonder why?

The problem is that you can't be remarkable by copying any of these companies directly. The good news is that you can be remarkable by applying their methods to your business. The reason it's so hard to follow the leader is this:

The leader is the leader precisely because he did something remarkable. And that remarkable thing is now taken -- so it's no longer remarkable when you decide to do it.

How could you be the Krispy Kreme of your industry?

It's not an easy answer, but wherever you see a successful organization, you can usually find one quality that makes them remarkable.

The Booklet Queen
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I recently met a truly exceptional marketing consultant.

I've known hundreds of marketing consultants through my career. Most would like to believe that they're unique, but hardly any of them are.

Her name is Paulette Ensign, and she's known as "The Booklet Queen". Her personal marketing consultancy is totally focused on teaching people how to market their businesses using 16 page tips booklets.

Talk about a niche! This is a micro-niche. But you know something? She knows more about marketing with tips booklets than all the advertising agencies on Madison Avenue. She teaches courses, sells tape programs, speaks and consults solely on marketing using tips booklets. She's been focusing on booklets for over 10 years.

What micro-niche could YOU dominate?

I stumbled across her website and was intrigued with its singular focus. When I realized that she works near my office, I invited her to lunch. We had a delightful discussion that resulted in me buying her tape program and vowing to write my own booklet.

Link to Paulette's Web Site

The Bad News
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Unfortunately, simply advertising in the Yellow Pages won't make an advertiser remarkable. Yellow Pages amplifies an existing message to motivated shoppers.

The Yellow Pages is like karaoke without beer; if your singing stinks, being louder doesn't really help. You've got to start with the right message.

Here's what you can do. . .

1. Find your core market. (Your top 5% customers)
   
   
2. Figure out what makes them excited about you.
   
   
3. Make it easy for others like them to sample your stuff.
   
   
4. Make it easy for them to tell others about you.
   
   
5. Reward those who spread your word.
   
   
6. Repeat steps 1 - 5 until you're wildly successful.

Answer to Brain Teaser
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Here is last week's puzzler...

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Buford and Festus are stamp collectors.

The dim-witted brothers are trying to divvy up their monthly food stamps.

Buford suggested that Festus give 6 of his food stamps to him so they would both have the same number.

Trying to pull a quick one on his brother, Festus said that Buford should hand over 6 of his food stamps. Then Festus would have 4 times more food stamps than Buford (because he has four times more teeth).

Angered by the insult, Buford threw Festus into the deep end of the septic pool.

How many food stamps did each start with?

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Our winner is Maura Sullivan Vice President., Director of D'Arcy Masius, Benton & Bowles in lovely Troy, MI

Festus ...started with 26
Buford ...started with 14

Thanks for all the entries!

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Before their rivalry began, Dub-ya and Potsie loved clowning around at Arnold's Drive-In.

This photograph was sent to me by Dane Madsen who runs yellowpages.com.

The neat thing about Dane and his team is that they have been very smart about building a business around a URL.

By sending me this photograph, he'll probably become rich and famous.

Link to YellowPages.com

Gee, I Thought He Was a Right Winger
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Do You Know the Top 300 Yellow Pages Headings?

When Eggs Go Bad
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Using scale models to illustrate technique, Donald Rumsfeld presented President Bush the Pentagon's plans for Saddam Hussein should he be captured.

Guess what happened the day the telephone was unveiled to the public

Night Vision Binoculars
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President Bush observed Marine Corps training exercises in Alexandria, Virginia this week using the latest infrared binoculars.


The Commander in Chief was amazed by the effectiveness of the technology.


Bush commented to the base commandant, "These night vision binoculars are totally awesome. It looks just like night out there. This is so cool!"

Subscribe a friend who would enjoy this sophomoric humor. [click here]

This Week's Brain Teaser
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Mabel challenged Festus and Buford to a battle of wits.

The winner gets to use the dentures for dinner. They're having corn on the cob, so stakes are high.

Our lovely lass asked this question. . .

I have holes in my top and bottom, my left and right, and in my middle. But I still hold water. What am I?

Festus shouted the answer and put the store-bought choppers in his pocket for later.

Looks like poor ol' Buford will be gummin' the cob tonight.

Think you're smarter than Buford?

If so, email your answer to puzzler@dicklarkin.com no later than Sunday. We'll select one correct entry to receive a rare two-fisted bottle-popper.


Well kids, that's all the time we have this week.


Make sure to talk with plenty of strangers until we meet again.

Have you taken my listening skills test?