Last weekend, Sue & I joined other members of our family as they went on the hunt for their Christmas tree. We had a sleigh load of fun, but I was stunned when we arrived at the Christmas Tree Farm to see a purple pine tree amongst all the green ones.
It certainly grabs your attention!
The Purple Cow
Seeing this purple pine tree immediately brought to mind, Seth Godin’s book “The Purple Cow.”
In the book, Godin argues that companies need to innovate and create unique products to stand out in a crowded marketplace. The book’s main points include:
- Traditional marketing is no longer effective
The traditional marketing cycle of buying ads, getting distribution, selling products, and buying more ads is no longer working.
- Create a remarkable product or service
To cut through the clutter, companies need to create products that are new, different, and exciting.
- Target people who will spread the word
Companies should focus on creating products that people will be likely to tell others about.
- Be “too something”
Products and services that are “too something” for some people, but just right for others, are more likely to grow.
DX’ing
Growing up, I loved to listen to as many different radio stations as my Grundig radio could receive.
DX’ing is the hobby of receiving and identifying distant radio or television signals, or making two-way radio contact with distant stations. The term “DX” is telegraphic shorthand for “distance” or “distant”.
Growing up in the 60s provided a young person a plethora of purple cow radio signals. Every turn of the tuning knob brought a new listening experience and that made listening to the radio a very exciting experience, and it was hard to turn the radio off at night to go to sleep for fear of missing something.
Fast-Forward to Today’s Radio
Sadly, today, finding that unique or special radio station is “Mission Impossible.”
We might blame it on automation, or syndication, or consolidation, or simply everyone following the same “Best Practices” playbook, but the result is a world of sameness in the radio broadcasting world.
If Everyone Was Exactly The Same The World Would Be A Boring Place
– Kerry Magro
General George S. Patton put it this way: “If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.”
I rest my case.
DickTaylorBlog 
I still have my copy of “Purple Cow” in a rack in the living room. But the overall salvation of radio…IF it is possible…will be when we get some bad operators out of the business. I need not name names here, the main ones are obvious. Fifteen thousand commercial radio stations simply will not exist if commercial rates drop to under five bucks a minute on average. And the race to the bottom is on here now. Some are fighting that trend, but I am shocked at the display of no business sense that I am seeing. I will be backing down at year’s end, not a full retirement. I will be on the air five days a week on the two or three stations in the cluster. But, cutting back on hours so I can concentrate on getting healthier.
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Yes Kevin, I still have my copy — along with Seth’s other books — in my bookcase.
You’ve more than earned your stripes in the radio business and a defender of doing radio the correct way – the way it was intended to be operated, in the public interest, convenience and necessity.
This year, I rolled back my weekly blogging to spend more time with my family and grandkids. I blog now, only with the spirit moves me to say something about what I’m observing.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year (we hope),
-DT
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Thank you for all the effort and hours you put into your blog. You certainly have keen insight into the radio business! I very much appreciate receiving my copy each time you email it. And a very Merry Christmas to you and your bride. Cherish each and every moment with family and your grandchildren. Oh and by the way, I’ll pass on the purple Christmas tree!
Don in Indiana
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Thank You Don for you kind words about my blog.
Sue & I wish you and your friends/family a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (we hope).
-DT
P.S. We also passed on the Purple Pine Tree.
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Well said. The magic of radio back in the day was that the listener felt special. They were hearing that new hit first, or were hearing their favorite song — for free — while out and about. The ultimate magic was the request line, where you got to talk directly to that most magical of all beings, the DJ, state your request, and then hear your own voice as the DJ was cueing up your selection!
On the Talk side, Paul Harvey made each listener feel he was speaking directly to and only to him or her.
Corporate bean counters commoditized the entire operation to the point that it seemed their victory call was, “We’re no worse than anyone else!”
But the magic is still there, and I believe we’ll see a renaissance in radio. And that’ll make advertising on radio work a little better, but only if both the purveyors and the writers work harder.
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Thank You Mickey.
I loved all you wrote and believe that broadcast radio is not dead, merely dormant from deviating from what gave radio its “magic;” the radio personality.
Please come back and share your perspective with other readers anytime.
-DT
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Merry Christmas to you and Sue !
My friend, Marybeth Wishart, wrote a childrens’ book “Parker the Purple Penguin” about diversity … something about ‘purple’ 🙂
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Merry Christmas Bob & Deb!
Yes, there must be something about the color purple. (BTW – we didn’t get a purple pine tree)
-DT
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