It’s been 8 years since Seth Godin’s book Purple Cow was released. Great book. However, the very nature and content of the book (a relevant marketing approach) will soon require a Purple Cow 2.1 or Purple Cow with Interesting Orange Dots to come out.
I re-read Seth’s book this afternoon and decided to send out a few notes to remind us about the gold in this little book and ask you a few good questions.
Remember the premise? “The old rule was this: Create safe, ordinary products and combine them with great marketing. The new rule is: Create remarkable products that the right people seek out.” Godin
Which rule is your church operating by? The old or the new? Your church service and ministries are your “product.” Are they safe and ordinary or remarkable? Do you have to chase people to come to your church or do the right people (people who are far from God) seek you out?
It’s much safer to be risky. Purple Cow churches aren’t afraid. They don’t play it safe and follow the rules. The only thing that is sacred (speaking of cows) is the gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth in the Word of God. Other than than that, get out on the edge. Be remarkable. Let the community see you are different. What are you doing that the community would notice? What are you doing that if you stopped the community would care? “Fitting in is failing, not standing out is the same as being invisible.” Godin
Only a few decades ago, people chose their church by proximity, denomination, parental influence and tradition. Not any more. Even the smallest of churches has a website and people can shop dozens of churches in minutes. If they click on your website and it’s BORING, you are done. Today the people choose their own churches, and will leave yours for a Purple Cow church. If people visit your church and it’s boring, do you think they will come back?
You are not competing with other churches, you are competing with yourself. There are plenty of people near your church who don’t go to church. So it’s not about being more purple than the churches near you, it’s about winning the hearts of ordinary people who are very busy, have options, and don’t know why they should come to your church rather than sleep in.