The Big Moo

I downloaded the audio book “The Big Moo” the other day. The book is a compilation of marketing and business authors answering one simple question…

What does it really take to make your organization remarkable?

I decided to listen to this amazing and quick paced tome while walking thru the old town business district of Fallbrook, California. Fallbrook is an unique little town in Northern San Diego County with a history dating back into the 1800’s. The Old Town section is an eclectic mix of old and new with an amazing variety of different businesses. As I started walking it started raining so much of my journey was completed in my car.

As I started listening to Seth Godin read the compilations of the 33 authors in Big Moo, different points would come up and I would stop the iPod and make notes. This is an incredible little book and a remarkable little town… a great mix. As I walked the following ideas came up.

1. Remarkable doesn’t always mean right now.
Fallbrook is in transition. There is definitely a mix of old and new with distinct historical themes throughout. Much of the town was built in the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s. Each decade is apparent by the architecture and business names. Some of the remarkable businesses in town are old shops made new. Wonderful colors and fonts adorn the front of the shops with unique business plans. Here was a vacuum shop done up in a Victorian motif. The bright purple color made the business stand out from the crowd and the fonts and sayings drew customers in.

What I came away with is being remarkable doesn’t always mean “right now”. As this town was a great example of taking something old and ordinary and transforming it into something extra-ordinary. Remarkable here was Victorian, purple and bold.

2. The secret is bringing a great idea from another market or industry to your market or your industry.
My walk thru town was at lunchtime on a Friday. I was intrigued by the crowds at the center of town. There were hundreds of people out on a weekday. This was so different from my experience in Old Town Temecula just 10 miles away that was empty during the week. What was the draw? As I got closer I noticed a sign that said “Farmers Market,” 10-2 on Fridays.

This was great with a lively and fun atmosphere. Vendors had umbrellas setup on the sidewalks with a mix of fresh produce, art work, and unique clothing all for sale in a large patio setting. The restaurants in the area were doing a booming business. All of the businesses were flooded with people. I came away with the idea of Collaboration. Taking the great ideas and marketing plan of one type of business and meld it into a workable attraction for all local entrepreneurs. In this case there was incredible synergy on a weekday afternoon.

3. Sometimes you find remarkable innovations in the places you least expect
At one end of the main street thru Old Town Fallbrook was a small roadside cafe. From the outside it looked somewhat inviting with a rustic sign and a old western look. Inside it was a restaurant and history museum with memorabilia from decades of Fallbrook life tacked on the walls and ceilings of the place. The innovation of the place was the authenticity of the experience. It felt like you were transported back to the 1940’s with great service, wonderful food, and authentic memorabilia.

So many new businesses have a retro feel but you find that everything inside is a modern copy of an original item. Not so with the Wayside Cafe… all original just like it was in the post war era of this little boomtown.

4. What’s in the trash that needs to see the light of day, needs to be run by a customer or tried out on a playground?
As I entered town I found a small periodical called the “Fallbrook Sourcebook” on a bench that was a great resource for this whole community. It tells the story of the town and gives many insights to the businesses located there. This book needs to be prominently displayed for visitors as they enter town. This would really help since it tells an authentic and timely story of this wonderful town called Fallbrook.

Fallbrook is a town that prides its self in the Arts. Many art galleries line the street and the weekday business can be brisk. This is different that other old towns such as Temecula that have many antique stores which tend to be busy on the weekends. If you make down to San Diego in the future, be sure to put Fallbrook on your list of places to visit.

Be sure to pick up the Big Moo. This is a fascinating book and one that will give you many marketing insights into many types of businesses old and new.