Why Every Brand Needs Its Own Purple Cow?

“Being ordinary is invisible in a world where everything cries out for attention.” This thought resonated as Mr. Samir Kapur, Director of Adfactors PR, spoke to students at Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication. He emphasized that communication must evolve to stay relevant, using compelling real-world examples.

He highlighted cultural nuances, noting that while Western companies rely on emails, Asian markets still value face-to-face interactions. Stressing localisation, he cited Spotify Wrapped’s playlists and Netflix’s customised posters (where you see the poster of your preferred genre) as examples of effective personalisation.

Mr. Kapur reminded us that brands must adapt or vanish, pointing to the example of Nokia Asha, once remembered as a torch feature, failed to adapt and hence vanished. In contrast,  Apple’s iconic “Think Different” campaign, he explained, exemplifies the “purple cow” principle: to be noticed, a brand must be remarkable, just as a purple cow stands out in a field of ordinary ones. He also warned that overreliance on tools like ChatGPT can create a “brain fog,” dulling independent thinking. Through Lux’s celebrity led campaigns and Dove’s relatable messaging, he underscored the value of segmentation, targeting, positioning, and the PESO model. His key takeaway: in PR, personalisation and relevance aren’t optional, they are survival.

Chaahat Bajaj

Corporate Communication and Event Management

Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication