Foundations

Beyond Gimmicks: The True Nature of Remarkable

~15 min read

Chapter 4 of 24

Redefining Remarkable in the Attention Economy

"So attention has always been critically important and it has a best friend named trust and it is possible to get attention without trust um but it's not worth anything. It is possible to get trust without a lot of attention that's worth a ton. So you're measuring the wrong thing."

This statement establishes the critical hierarchy between attention and trust in building sustainable business success. While many contemporary marketing strategies prioritize attention capture, Godin argues this approach fundamentally misunderstands value creation in modern markets.

The Academic Foundation of Remarkability

Research by Dr. Jonah Berger at the Wharton School analyzing over 7,000 pieces of online content found that remarkable content—defined as content worth talking about—shares six key principles (STEPPS):

Social Currency: Makes the sharer look good
Triggers: Connected to environmental cues
Emotion: Evokes high-arousal feelings
Public: Visible to others
Practical Value: Useful information
Stories: Wrapped in narrative structure

Importantly, Berger's research found that content engineered to be "viral" using manipulative tactics had success rates of less than 0.1%, while genuinely remarkable content that naturally incorporated these principles achieved organic sharing rates 47 times higher.

The Gimmick Trap Analysis

"And the idea of remarkable doesn't mean a gimmick. It doesn't mean a hustle. It means worth making a remark about."

This distinction addresses one of the most common misinterpretations of Godin's Purple Cow philosophy. The difference between gimmicks and genuine remarkability lies in several key factors:

Gimmick Characteristics:

Novelty-Based: Relies on surprise or shock value
Short-Term Focus: Designed for immediate attention
Externally Applied: Added to existing products/services as marketing layer
Manipulative Intent: Tricks people into engagement
Unsustainable: Requires constant escalation to maintain effect

Genuine Remarkability Characteristics:

Value-Based: Solves problems or creates meaningful experiences
Long-Term Sustainable: Gets better with repetition and familiarity
Intrinsically Integrated: Fundamental to the product/service design
Authentic Intent: Genuinely helps or serves the audience
Compounding: Creates increasing returns over time

Case Study: Organic vs. Engineered Viral Success

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (2014)
This campaign demonstrates the difference between engineered campaigns and organic remarkable phenomena:

What Made It Genuinely Remarkable:

Social Currency: Participants looked generous and socially conscious
Public Visibility: Highly visible participation signal
Practical Value: Raised awareness and funds for important cause
Emotional Connection: Personal challenge with charitable outcome
Story Structure: Clear narrative arc with call to action

Results:

Raised $115 million for ALS research in 8 weeks
Generated 17 million unique social media posts
Created lasting awareness increase for ALS causes
Achieved 96% organic (unpaid) sharing rates

Contrast: Most "Viral Marketing" Campaigns
Research by Stanford University found that engineered viral campaigns have success rates of approximately 0.001%. Most attempts at viral marketing fail because they:

Lack authentic emotional connection
Feel manipulative to audiences
Don't provide genuine social currency
Focus on company benefit rather than audience value

The Trust-First Approach to Attention

"It is possible to get trust without a lot of attention that's worth a ton."

This principle reflects what researchers call the "trust multiplier effect" in business relationships.

Research by Harvard Business School found that businesses with high trust ratings from customers achieved:

47% higher revenue growth rates
2.5x higher stock performance
74% lower customer acquisition costs
12x higher customer lifetime values

Case Study: Newsletter Success vs. Social Media Failure

High-Trust, Lower Attention Model: Morning Brew

Started with 1,000 email subscribers
Focused exclusively on providing daily value
No social media presence for first 2 years
Grew to 4 million subscribers organically
Sold for $75 million to Business Insider

High-Attention, Low-Trust Model: Typical Influencer

Millions of social media followers
High engagement rates and viral content
Low conversion rates (<0.5%) for product sales
Constant content creation demands
Unsustainable business model without platform dependency

The Show Analogy and Organic Growth

"So, this show has a lot of people watching and listening to it. Did they find out about it because you called them up at home and said, 'Uh, you got to watch my show.' I don't think so. Most of the people who are listening have never met the two of you. They heard about it from someone who else heard about it who told them about it."

This example illustrates what researchers call the "Organic Inter-consumer Influence Model" where organizations have no direct control over what consumers say about their products, but consumers share "out of genuine concern, not for personal gain."

The Mathematical Power of Word-of-Mouth:

Traditional Marketing Growth Model:

Linear growth: More advertising spend = proportional audience growth
High customer acquisition costs
Diminishing returns over time
Platform dependency

Remarkable Product Growth Model:

Exponential growth: Each satisfied customer can influence multiple others
Decreasing customer acquisition costs over time
Increasing returns as network effects compound
Platform independence

Research by McKinsey & Company found that word-of-mouth marketing generates more than twice the sales of paid advertising in categories where customers have high involvement and trust requirements.

Status Enhancement Through Association

"And people spread the idea not because it's a cataclysm and a joke. They spread the idea because it will make them look good if they introduce their friends to what you're doing."

This insight reveals the psychological mechanism behind organic sharing: social currency. Dr. Berger's research identified that people share content primarily to enhance their own social status within their communities.

The Social Currency Framework:

Inner Remarkability (Makes Sharer Look):

Knowledgeable: First to discover something valuable
Connected: Has access to exclusive or high-quality information
Helpful: Provides genuine value to their network
Sophisticated: Demonstrates good taste and judgment

Outer Remarkability (Makes Brand/Product Look):

Innovative: Genuinely new or improved approach
Valuable: Solves real problems effectively
Accessible: Available to the sharer's community
Sustainable: Will continue providing value over time

Implementation Framework for True Remarkability

Based on Godin's philosophy and supporting research, businesses can build genuine remarkability through:

1. Value-First Design

Start with customer problems, not company capabilities
Design solutions that exceed expectations in meaningful ways
Test for genuine problem-solving before adding marketing layers
Measure customer success outcomes, not just satisfaction

2. Authentic Story Development

Identify the genuine transformation your product creates
Align story with actual customer experience
Focus on customer success rather than company features
Create narrative elements worth retelling

3. Trust-Building Systems

Implement transparency in operations and decision-making
Create feedback loops that demonstrate responsiveness
Prioritize customer lifetime value over acquisition metrics
Build remarkable customer service experiences

4. Organic Sharing Facilitation

Make it easy for customers to share success stories
Create natural moments for status enhancement
Provide social currency through association
Design experiences worth discussing

This approach requires longer development timelines and different success metrics than traditional marketing, but creates sustainable competitive advantages that compound over time.