Glossary/Strategy & Frameworks/Purple Cow
Strategy & Frameworks
Purple Cow
Seth Godin's 2003 idea that products must be genuinely remarkable to stand out, because ordinary products become invisible.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Short answer
Purple Cow is Seth Godin's 2003 idea that products must be genuinely remarkable to stand out, because ordinary products become invisible. Like a purple cow in a field of brown ones, a remarkable product is worth talking about. The concept argues that differentiation should be built into the product rather than added through advertising.