Build Your Identity Into Your Product

What is your point of difference? What makes your company, product or service different or better than your competition? Your point of difference depends on two things – whether you have a Purple Cow or not.

A Purple Cow…Now That’s Interesting

Think about it. If you had a Purple Cow, do you think you would stand out from the crowd? Sure you would. Seth Godin thinks so too. His idea of the Purple Cow signifies your need to differentiate yourself by creating a product or service that’s remarkable. Godin says, we pretty much have everything we need in life with regard to products and services, but imagine if you had a Purple Cow? Now that would be something. Some examples of Purple Cow’s include: Jet Blue, Starbucks, Dutch Boy, Pearl Jam and The Aeron Chair.

The New Zealander – A Local Purple Cow

After reading the Purple Cow, I’m now on the look out for companies differentiating themselves – and getting very creative in the process too. An excellent example of a company that developed a Purple Cow is The New Zealander, a new restaurant here in Alameda California that has a niche selling pub/pot pies (That’s a Purple Cow in itself). They designed and built their brand literally into the existing building.

Building Your Brand Into The Product

The restaurant is surrounded by 8 windows. It was like looking into a fishbowl. Diners didn’t have very much privacy. To alleviate the fishbowl effect, they frosted the bottom portion of the windows. But they didn’t just frost them; they included their logo into the design. What a fantastic idea! Brilliant!

Not only did they provide privacy for their customers, but they also built their brand right into the product – the building. Now that’s remarkable.

My question to you: What is your Purple Cow?

P.S. They also have good pies too. Mike Swartz says, “Check ‘em out”.