Hot Buffalo wings and Purple Cows

I read Seth Godin's "Purple Cow" again last week and it's pretty amazing how every different read yields a unique and different response. (Kinda like Willy Wonka's varied flavored candy).I found myself thinking more and more about how true some of his observations were. The basic idea is simple enough, your brand/product needs to be outstanding amongst a sea of mediocrity. ( Thus a "purple" cow) Seth's adaptation is that it might not matter what the difference really is, as long as it is.

Be the first, the hippest , the largest, the smallest, the most hard to find and so on. I started to think about our very own local Sunset Grill with it's legendary Buffalo Wings. ( I've gone up to heat level 17 and i have the scars to prove it)
Now, for those who have been there, you'll know what i am talking about. For those who have not , let me summarize it briefly.

The location is inaccessible , the decor is just run down ( i don't care what anyone says, it's not "rustic") and the food is very mediocre and priced on the high side. So why do throngs of fans and super fans continue to make the pilgrimage to torture their taste buds and murder their bowels? The answer is in the heat. The challenge it presents to anyone who prides themselves as a hot head.

But how do you explain the other multitude of customers who think KFC hot n spicy really is hot n spicy? Why would they make their way down for a plate of level 1 cowardice?

WOM marketing is the holy grail of viral marketing in my opinion. Whether you hate or love Sunset Grill's wings, everyone has an opinion and is not afraid to express it. This to me is the secret recipe behind Sunset's cash register ringing in the dollars.
Everyone, whether heat lovers or not has heard the tale of Sunset's grill from someone they know. This influencer has somehow piqued enough interest for his audience to give it a go. In the words of Paris Hilton, "That's Hot!"

WOM marketing can only be manufactured/conjured when you as a business owner are not afraid to relinquish control over what the word is. I often get into conversations with clients who demand a very fixed outcome based on a specific message. I usually have a hard time convincing them that it won't work unless the word is the truth. Apologies for the religious context but in this instance, the "word" in WOM marketing should never be treated like an ad copy.

Whether you are selling hot wings or branding the next massage chair, your product/service is the WORD. What makes it different from anyone else ( the Purple Cow) are the letters that form the word but ultimately, your WORD will be determined by your customers and if it's a good one, it will make its way to your sales/targets.

Song of the day

Let it be me by Ray LaMontagne