The old paradigm of marketing consisted of the 8P: Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Processes, Physical Evidence, and Productivity. In the past, coordinating them was enough to create the probability of success. Now, however, times have changed; the three main issues are:
- All of the most obvious problems have been solved and consumers have fewer easy-to-solve problems.
- Consumers are more difficult to reach because they ignore companies and their products.
- Happy customers are less likely to spread word of mouth about the products they are happy with.
As the 8P are not enough anymore, here comes another one: the Purple Cow. If you look at cows for some time, you will find them trivial. A Purple Cow, however, draws attention, at least for a while. This is because it is extraordinary.
In a time when everyone is overwhelmed by publicity and products, and nobody has time to research the goods that have been made for them, there is a need to market the remarkable that stands out. Marketing should not be seen as the last addition once a product has been created. Marketing is the product itself, and vice-versa. In other words, the study of an extraordinary product is already marketing.