You know, “The old rule was: create safe products…” perfectly captures how marketing has fundamentally shifted. It’s not about shouting anymore, it’s about building something so inherently interesting that it pulls people in. The game has completely changed.
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Meaning
At its core, this quote means the era of “build it and they will come” is dead. The new reality is “build something truly remarkable, and the right people will find you.”
Explanation
Let me break this down from my own experience. The old rule was all about minimizing risk. You’d create a product that was just good enough, that didn’t offend anyone, and then you’d pour millions into advertising to create demand. You were basically interrupting people’s lives with your message.
But the new rule? It flips that entirely. It’s about maximizing remarkability. You bake the “wow” factor directly into the product or service itself. You stop trying to sell to everyone and focus on creating something so unique that it becomes a beacon for your ideal customer. They don’t just buy it; they seek it out. They talk about it. They become your marketing department. It’s the difference between another vanilla ice cream and the one with the surprising, delicious chunk of brownie inside that you have to tell your friends about.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Business (233) |
| Topics | change (101), marketing (21), strategy (31) |
| Literary Style | analytical (121), structured (37) |
| Emotion / Mood | realistic (354) |
| Overall Quote Score | 79 (243) |
Origin & Factcheck
This is straight from Seth Godin’s 2003 book, Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable. It came out of the United States, right as the internet was really starting to change how we discover and talk about products. And no, this isn’t some misattributed LinkedIn mantra—this is the real deal from the book that basically defined modern niche marketing.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Seth Godin (100) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable (43) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Seth Godin writes and teaches about marketing, leadership, and creative work. After earning an MBA from Stanford, he founded Yoyodyne, sold it to Yahoo!, and later launched ventures like Squidoo and the altMBA. He has authored bestsellers such as Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, Tribes, Linchpin, and This Is Marketing. He posts daily at seths.blog and speaks globally about making work that matters. If you’re starting with the Seth Godin book list, expect insights on trust, storytelling, and shipping creative projects that change culture.
| Official Website | Facebook | X
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | The old rule was: create safe products and combine them with great marketing. The new rule is: create remarkable products that the right people seek out |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2003; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9781591843177; Last edition: 2010; Number of pages: 160. |
| Where is it? | Chapter 9: The New Rule, page 50/160 |