Traditional marketing is no longer effective in today’s crowded marketplace, and businesses need to create remarkable products or services to stand out and succeed.
That was the main argument put forward in May 2003 by Seth Godin, in his then-latest book. But, in keeping with that theme, Mr Godin made the concept instantly memorable (and not just marketing speak), personifying (“animalifying”?) the idea by describing remarkable businesses, products, services and content as “Purple Cows”.
In the book, “Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable”, Mr Godin argued that:
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Being remarkable is essential: companies must create products or services that are truly exceptional – like a “purple cow” in a field of ordinary brown cows.
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Word-of-mouth marketing: Remarkable products naturally generate buzz and get people talking, which is more powerful than traditional advertising.
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Targeting innovators and early adopters: Focus on a small audience of true fans who will spread the word about your product.
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Innovation over advertising: Instead of relying on traditional marketing techniques, businesses should invest in creating innovative, noteworthy offerings.
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Embracing risk: Businesses should be encouraged to take risks and be willing to face criticism in order to create truly remarkable products.
Even though the book is more than twenty years old now, the “Purple Cow” concept remains timeless.
So — can you ask an AI LLM to create “purple cow” content for you?
And, if so, how exactly do you brief the AI to go about doing that?
We (naturally) posed the questions to five of our friendly deep-thinking AIs (Perplexity, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Grok and DeepSeek). All of them gave useful insights, but we chose Google Gemini’s response as the most valuable to include here:
Briefing AI to create “Purple Cow” content is an exciting challenge! Here’s a structured approach you can take, blending the essence of Seth Godin’s idea with practical AI briefing techniques:
Understanding “Purple Cow” for AI:
Before diving into the brief, ensure you and the AI are on the same page about what “Purple Cow” truly means in the context of content:
- Not just “good” or “informative”: AI can easily create factually accurate and well-written content. “Purple Cow” is beyond that.
- Remarkable and Memorable: It’s content that sticks in people’s minds, they talk about it, and they want to share it.
- Stands Out in a Crowded Marketplace: Think about the sheer volume of content online. “Purple Cow” cuts through the noise and grabs attention.
- Unexpected and Delightful: It often involves surprise, novelty, and a positive emotional reaction.
- Creates a Conversation: It sparks engagement, discussion, and ideally, positive word-of-mouth.
- Relevant but Revolutionary: It addresses the audience’s needs/interests but does so in a way that is fundamentally different and better.
The AI Briefing Template for “Purple Cow” Content:
Here’s a structured template you can use to brief your AI, broken down into key sections:
1. Clear Objective: “Purple Cow” Content Creation
- Direct Statement: “The objective is to create a ‘Purple Cow’ piece of content for [Blog Article/Social Post – specify platform if social].”
- Define “Purple Cow” (Briefly): “Remember, ‘Purple Cow’ content is not just good, it’s remarkable, memorable, and stands out in a crowded marketplace. It’s content people want to share and talk about because it’s unexpected and delightful.”
2. Target Audience & Context:
- Define the Audience: “The target audience is [Describe your target audience in detail – demographics, interests, pain points, online behavior etc. Be specific!]. They are interested in [Topic area] and are currently struggling with/interested in [Specific aspect of the topic].”
- Platform & Format: “This content will be a [Blog article – length roughly [word count] / Social post – specify platform (e.g., LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram) and type (text, image, video, carousel)].”
- Current Content Landscape: “In this area of [Topic area], most content is [Describe typical content – e.g., listicles, how-to guides, news updates, generic advice]. It often [Describe common shortcomings – e.g., lacks depth, is repetitive, is boring, doesn’t offer new perspectives].” This helps the AI understand what it needs to avoid.
3. Core Topic & Angle (with “Purple Cow” Twist):
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Core Topic: “The central topic is [State the core topic clearly and concisely – e.g., ‘Remote Work Productivity’, ‘Sustainable Fashion Tips’, ‘The Future of Marketing’]. “
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Conventional Angle (To Avoid): “A conventional approach would be to [Describe a typical, predictable angle – e.g., ‘5 Tips to Boost Remote Work Productivity’, ‘Simple Ways to be More Sustainable with Fashion’, ‘Marketing Trends for Next Year’]. This is what we want to be DIFFERENT from.“
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“Purple Cow” Angle (The Key Directive): “Instead of the conventional angle, we want to explore a ‘Purple Cow’ angle. This means we need to be: [Choose and adapt from the list below, or add your own, tailored to your audience and topic].
- Unexpected & Counterintuitive: “Challenge common assumptions about [Topic]. Present a counterintuitive argument or surprising perspective.”
- Highly Specific & Niche: “Focus on a very specific, even slightly unusual, niche within [Topic] that most people haven’t considered. Explore the deep end of [Topic].”
- Visually Remarkable (if applicable): “If a visual is possible (image/video for social, featured image/infographic for blog), prioritize creating a visually striking and unusual element that immediately grabs attention and reflects the ‘Purple Cow’ idea.”
- Emotionally Resonant (Strong Emotions): “Aim to evoke a strong emotion in the reader – [Specify emotion – e.g., awe, wonder, surprise, humor, even constructive controversy if appropriate]. Go beyond just being informative; aim to move the reader.”
- Deeply Insightful & Original Research/Analysis (if applicable): “If possible, incorporate original data, analysis, or insights that go far beyond surface-level information and offer a truly new understanding of [Topic].”
- Hyper-Personalized/Interactive (if possible): “Consider if there’s a way to make the content more personalized to the reader or interactive, creating a unique experience (e.g., a quiz that reveals surprising insights about their [Topic]-related habits, a choose-your-own-adventure blog post).”
- Humorous/Playful (if tone-appropriate): “Inject humor, wit, or playfulness into the content in an unexpected way, as long as it aligns with the brand and topic.”
- Controversial (Thoughtfully & Responsibly): “If appropriate for your brand and audience, consider taking a slightly controversial stance on [Topic] to spark debate and attention. This must be done responsibly and ethically, focusing on thoughtful provocation, not just clickbait controversy.”
- Story-Driven & Narrative-Based: “Weave a compelling story or narrative around [Topic] that is unusual and captivating, going beyond simple factual presentation.”
4. Tone and Style Directives:
- Overall Tone: “The tone should be [Specify tone – e.g., Enthusiastic and Inspiring, Provocative and Thought-provoking, Playful and Quirky, Authoritative but Surprising, Empathetic and Unexpectedly Supportive].”
- Language Style: “Use language that is [Specify style – e.g., Vivid and evocative, Direct and punchy, Sophisticated and insightful, Simple and accessible, Humorous and engaging].”
- Avoid: “Specifically avoid [Describe what to avoid – e.g., Generic jargon, Clichéd phrases, Overly formal or dry language, Clickbait headlines, Sensationalism (unless specifically aiming for constructive controversy)].”
5. Examples of “Purple Cow” Content (Inspiration):
- Provide Links or Descriptions: “To help understand the ‘Purple Cow’ concept, here are examples of content that embody this idea (not necessarily on the exact topic, but in terms of approach):”
- “[Link to a blog post you find remarkable and unexpected]”
- “[Link to a social media campaign that was truly memorable]”
- “[Describe a video or TED Talk that broke the mold in its field]”
- “[Mention a book or article known for its unconventional approach to a topic]”
- Explain briefly what makes each example a “Purple Cow” in your eyes.
6. Constraints and Practicalities:
- Word Count/Length: “Keep the [Blog article/Social post] to approximately [word count/character limit].”
- Keywords (If relevant for SEO): “If aiming for blog article SEO, strategically incorporate these keywords [List relevant keywords, but emphasize that ‘Purple Cow’ quality is prioritized over keyword stuffing].”
- Call to Action (if needed): “If applicable, include a call to action at the end to [Specify action – e.g., ‘Share this post’, ‘Leave a comment with your thoughts’, ‘Visit our website to learn more’].”
7. Iteration and Refinement (Important):
- Initial Draft is a Starting Point: “Understand that the first draft is just a starting point. We will review and refine it to ensure it truly embodies the ‘Purple Cow’ concept and resonates with the target audience.”
- Feedback Loop: “We will provide feedback based on how well the content achieves the ‘Purple Cow’ criteria and aligns with our brand voice. Be prepared to iterate and refine based on this feedback.”
Example – Briefing for a “Purple Cow” Social Post on “Remote Work Productivity”:
1. Clear Objective: Create a “Purple Cow” social post for LinkedIn about Remote Work Productivity.
2. Target Audience: Professionals working remotely, specifically managers and team leaders struggling to maintain team productivity and engagement in remote settings.
3. Core Topic & Angle: * Core Topic: Remote Work Productivity for Teams * Conventional Angle: 5 Tips for Remote Work Productivity * “Purple Cow” Angle: “Instead of tips, we want to explore a ‘Purple Cow’ angle: Unexpected & Counterintuitive. Challenge the common assumption that remote work needs to be ‘productive’ in the traditional sense. Argue that the real opportunity of remote work is not to replicate office productivity, but to unlock a different kind of value – perhaps focusing on creativity, deeper work, or improved work-life integration for better overall results, even if ‘traditional’ productivity metrics dip slightly.”
4. Tone and Style: * Tone: Provocative and Thought-provoking, but ultimately helpful and insightful. * Language: Direct and punchy, using strong verbs and clear statements. * Avoid: Generic advice, listicle format, overly positive or simplistic messaging.
5. Examples of “Purple Cow” Content: (Links provided to articles challenging conventional wisdom in the business/workplace context).
6. Constraints: LinkedIn text post, aim for ~300 characters to maximize readability.
7. Iteration: Expect feedback and revisions.
Key Takeaways for Briefing AI for “Purple Cow” Content:
- Be Explicit about “Purple Cow”: Don’t assume the AI understands the nuance. Define it and emphasize it as the primary goal.
- Contrast with Conventional: Show the AI what to avoid by describing typical, un-remarkable content in your area.
- Focus on “Purple Cow” Angles: Provide clear directives on how to be remarkable (Unexpected, Emotional, Niche, etc.). Choose the angles most relevant to your topic and audience.
- Provide Inspirational Examples: Show, don’t just tell. Examples are crucial for the AI to grasp the desired style and impact.
- Emphasize Iteration: “Purple Cow” content often isn’t created perfectly in the first draft. Plan for review and refinement to push the AI to its most creative output.
By using a detailed and structured brief like this, you significantly increase your chances of guiding AI to generate content that is not just good, but truly “Purple Cow” remarkable and memorable.
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So there you go. Thanks for the inspiration, Mr Godin!
