Over at Brand Autopsy yesterday, they had a link to a paper by Alex Wipperfürth called "A Dangerous Attitude" outlines the fallacy of being cool.
As with most of the stuff over at BA; this deserves a read (whether you are into marketing or not).
Here's a snapshot of why Alex reakons you don't necessarily want to be "cool":
Cool limits growth.
By definition, cool will only appeal to a minority, never the mass-volume mainstream.
Cool is temporary.
Very few brands attain lasting, sustainable coolness. If they’re successful, the brands achieve mainstream popularity … which makes them uncool.
Cool is indefinable.
It’s often ambiguous and always subjective – it lies in the eye of the (cool-hunting) beholder.
Cool is unquantifiable.
Cool is inherently difficult to measure. It’s an attitude that can’t be captured with conventional market research. In asking your most loyal supports whether (and why) they think your brand is cool, you risk losing them by trying to make them feel self-aware about a sub-conscious feeling.
But Alex also outlines the epitome of being cool:
Cool brands dare to be imperfect.
While cool brands are unique, they are by no means perfect. In fact, their limitations and eccentric flaws are part of what makes them cool. Imperfection breeds cool.
Cool brands are visionary.
Cool brands see something others don’t. They are extremely observant and intuitive. The have their finger on the pulse of society, and they’re not afraid to challenge the norms.
Cool brands have nothing to prove.
Cool brands are led by people who are trying to bring something they love and appreciate – an experience, a product, an environment – to others. They stand up for their beliefs, even if that means they won’t appeal to the masses.
Mmmm, and I was trying to make this blog "cool"...
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