Michael Jackson was a Purple Cow

I was one of those people who was stunned by the recent death of Michael Jackson. Whatever else you may have thought about him, he was a pop icon right up there with Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. As Yoda might have said, I felt a "disturbance in the force" when I learned he had so unexpectedly died.

First of all, from a marketing perspective, Michael Jackson was a one-of-a-kind brand, a purple cow. His uniqueness started with his incredible ability to sing and dance as a precocious young child. Rather than fade away as so many child stars do, Michael Jackson exploded into a mega-star fueled by incredible music, incredible videos and incredible dancing. The first time he moonwalked was one of TV's most electrifying moments. It was other worldly. It seemed impossible for anyone to move like that. His videos broke new ground and rewrote the music video business.

His uniqueness unfortunately spun off into tragedy. His plastic surgeries turned a handsome young man into a freak. His fixation on re-capturing his own lost childhood led to an unhealthy attraction to young boys that may or may not have been sexual. His success led to wealth that led to ridiculous and offensive extravagance. His desire to have children and appear more normal led to "marriages" that were obviously farces. His fame led to reclusiveness and he all but disappeared from the public eye. He seemed to have flamed out.

But a few months ago, he announced a "This is it" comeback. A "final" series of live performances in London that he was preparing for up until his death. Would he have electrified us again? We'll never know.

The lesson for marketing people in Michael's life is that distinctiveness wins. We may not like it, but it's undeniably memorable and it makes us pay attention. And when it disappears, we feel a sense of loss because we cared. Because something that was special is now gone and we're sad that we may never have anything like that again.

Yes, Michael Jackson was very weird. But so was Elvis. I suspect that Michael Jackson's estate will reap the same kind of long term rewards that Elvis' estate has. There will always be a market for something that is brilliantly original.