The Color Purple
As an expatriate in Europe, going to a bookstore and finding useful business books can be a challenge. We do have Amazon and a few other online companies but I have no idea what business book I want and I want the ability to browse.. when I do find business books in a store, The book is either not available in English, outdated or extremely expensive. When I met with a few expatriate entrepreneurs for coffee last week, I was given a business book which I showed to one of my advisers.
The book that was snatched, read and returned is "Purple Cow" by Seth Godin. I asked Dr. Kern his opinion of this book and was told that there was nothing new in the book. Of course my adviser wrote a book called "European Retail Banks - An Endangered Species" which talks extensively about market share, branding and how to capture customers bored and disinterested with your products. How do you get people to show allegiance to a bank? how do you get them to change banks? How do you create a branding when it comes to something like banking?
In the purple cow, Seth Godin talks about how there are no longer basic services or products that are able to easily capture customers. There is no room for new large brands, only for small companies to come into the market and capture a niche. Dr. Kern says the same thing about banking. You cannot please everyone so go look for a niche to capture. Seth Godin says you need to have a purple cow...
As I walked through the airport on Saturday, I thought about both Dr. Kern's book and Seth Godin's book. As I walked down the hallway I was surrounded by photographs of underwater animals. The photos were beautiful and I love scuba diving so I enjoyed looking at the photographs but now that I am home, I can't remember the name of the bank who was advertising their services. what is the use of having an advertising campaign if I can't remember the company, only the pretty photographs.
Mr. Godin and Dr. Kern both say that you need to have something unique. A unique feature that appeals to a niche of customers. don't try to go after everyone. Mr. Godin says to go after people who are sneezers.. who will tell their friends about your product and help promote it. What niche was this bank at the airport trying to capture and how are you supposed to sneeze about it?
According to Both Dr. Kern and Seth Godin, I need to focus on a niche. I am doing that.. I want women who use technology and are not afraid to download products. That is 30 percent of the female market. What do I want with them? I want to provide them with information that allows them to purchase products they want and need. now what is my purple cow? how about a purple podcast, or a purple magazine?
I read something interesting about Google and I am going to try and utilize this morsel of information with my magazine website.. if it works, I will let you know.
The book that was snatched, read and returned is "Purple Cow" by Seth Godin. I asked Dr. Kern his opinion of this book and was told that there was nothing new in the book. Of course my adviser wrote a book called "European Retail Banks - An Endangered Species" which talks extensively about market share, branding and how to capture customers bored and disinterested with your products. How do you get people to show allegiance to a bank? how do you get them to change banks? How do you create a branding when it comes to something like banking?
In the purple cow, Seth Godin talks about how there are no longer basic services or products that are able to easily capture customers. There is no room for new large brands, only for small companies to come into the market and capture a niche. Dr. Kern says the same thing about banking. You cannot please everyone so go look for a niche to capture. Seth Godin says you need to have a purple cow...
As I walked through the airport on Saturday, I thought about both Dr. Kern's book and Seth Godin's book. As I walked down the hallway I was surrounded by photographs of underwater animals. The photos were beautiful and I love scuba diving so I enjoyed looking at the photographs but now that I am home, I can't remember the name of the bank who was advertising their services. what is the use of having an advertising campaign if I can't remember the company, only the pretty photographs.
Mr. Godin and Dr. Kern both say that you need to have something unique. A unique feature that appeals to a niche of customers. don't try to go after everyone. Mr. Godin says to go after people who are sneezers.. who will tell their friends about your product and help promote it. What niche was this bank at the airport trying to capture and how are you supposed to sneeze about it?
According to Both Dr. Kern and Seth Godin, I need to focus on a niche. I am doing that.. I want women who use technology and are not afraid to download products. That is 30 percent of the female market. What do I want with them? I want to provide them with information that allows them to purchase products they want and need. now what is my purple cow? how about a purple podcast, or a purple magazine?
I read something interesting about Google and I am going to try and utilize this morsel of information with my magazine website.. if it works, I will let you know.
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