How to get your ideas to spread | Seth Godin

Summary

The speaker discusses how spreading remarkable ideas is crucial to success, using examples from business, art, and marketing. From Silk tripling sales by placing their product in the refrigerated section to Frank Gehry revitalizing a city with innovative architecture, the focus is on how ideas spread when they stand out. He emphasizes that in today's world, simply being 'very good' is not enough—ideas must be remarkable to get noticed. The talk encourages finding passionate audiences and leveraging their enthusiasm to achieve impactful change.

Takeaways

• 💡 **Remarkability drives success**: In today's world, products or ideas that stand out and are worth talking about are the ones that spread.
• 📈 **Idea diffusion is key**: Success isn’t just about having a good product or idea, it's about spreading it effectively.
• 📺 **The decline of traditional marketing**: The TV-industrial complex of interrupting people with ads is no longer effective; people have more choices and less time.
• 🔍 **Find your niche audience**: To succeed, target the people who care deeply (the 'otaku') about your product or idea, and let them help it spread.
• 👀 **Being different matters**: Two of the hottest-selling cars have nothing in common except that they are different from the rest.
• 🛠️ **The safest choice is to take risks**: In today’s market, playing it safe is risky; you must stand out by being remarkable or unique.
• 💬 **Design for word-of-mouth**: Products and ideas should be remarkable enough that people will naturally talk about them and share them with others.
• 🎯 **Focus on early adopters**: Cater to the people who are obsessed and passionate about your idea or product, and they will help it spread.
• 🏙️ **Remarkable ideas change cities**: An example is Frank Gehry’s museum design, which revitalized an entire city’s economy by attracting global attention.
• 🎨 **Innovation can redefine industries**: Companies like Silk (milk alternative) and artists like Jeff Koons achieved massive success by doing something new and remarkable.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the transcript?

The main theme of the transcript is how ideas spread and how to make products, services, or concepts remarkable so that they capture attention and gain traction in a world saturated with choices and information.

Why does the speaker mention the invention of sliced bread?

The speaker uses the invention of sliced bread as an example of how a good idea can fail initially because it wasn't marketed well. The success of sliced bread came only after Wonder figured out how to spread the idea, illustrating that spreading ideas effectively is key to success.

What is the 'TV-industrial complex' described in the transcript?

The 'TV-industrial complex' refers to a traditional marketing model where companies buy ads to interrupt consumers, gain distribution, sell more products, and reinvest profits in more ads. The speaker argues that this model has become less effective in the modern era.

What is meant by 'remarkable' in the context of marketing?

In this context, 'remarkable' refers to something worth making a remark about—something that stands out enough to get people talking. This is essential for spreading ideas, products, or services in today's market.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of 'otaku'?

The speaker emphasizes 'otaku'—a Japanese word describing obsessive interest—because targeting people who are passionate about a niche can help spread ideas through word-of-mouth, making them more likely to gain wider attention.

How does the example of Silk tripling its sales relate to the speaker's point?

Silk tripled its sales by placing its product (which didn’t need refrigeration) in the refrigerated section, where people were used to looking for milk. This action made the product remarkable, showing how innovative placement, not just advertising, can drive success.

What lesson does the speaker draw from Frank Gehry's architecture?

The speaker uses Frank Gehry's work to illustrate how doing something extraordinary and at the fringes—like Gehry's unconventional museum design—can have a transformative impact, even on a city’s economy. It emphasizes the value of uniqueness in spreading ideas.

What is the significance of the purple cow metaphor?

The purple cow metaphor signifies that ordinary things (like cows) go unnoticed, but something out of the ordinary (like a purple cow) grabs attention. This metaphor supports the idea that for an idea to spread, it needs to be remarkable and stand out.

Why did the speaker’s attempt to market SACD music fail?

The speaker’s attempt to market SACD music failed because they targeted audiophiles with $20,000 stereos, who weren’t interested in new music. This highlights the importance of understanding your audience and their specific desires.

What does the speaker suggest is the riskiest approach in today’s market?

The speaker suggests that playing it safe—by offering average products for average people—is the riskiest approach today. To succeed, companies need to be remarkable and target niche markets that care deeply about their product or idea.