The Essence of Cool in Canada

Groovy. Rad. Sick. Sweet. These are all words that have been cool at one time or another, but from Frank Sinatra to Justin Timberlake, from the Hummer to the Tesla, and from James Dean to James Franco, the word `cool' has somehow stood the test of time.

So what makes `cool' so...cool? And enduring? And why should you as a marketer care? We looked at the essence of `cool' from two perspectives. First, we believe it is important that brands and marketers have a sense of what is cool, how it is changing, and how to leverage it. And second, we want share some of the findings from a recent study that we have completed on this subject.

Looking At Cool

According to our research, Canadians are in love with `cool' and we don't just mean the autumn temperatures. Our study revealed that 48% of Canadians say they use the word `cool' at least once a week and 23% use it at least once a day. When it comes to looking for what is cool, one third (32%) of Canadians feel they are engaged with remaining current with it. But how do Canadians stay engaged with what is cool? The top five ways are a combination of push and pull. From a push perspective, the Internet (64%), TV (50%) and social media (46%) are all clearly mechanisms that allow us to stay engaged and in touch with what is cool. But Canadians also seek out what is cool from family and friends (50%) or other people (40%).

In essence, that demonstrates the power of word of mouth. As marketers, we should never underestimate the power of word of mouth - it is a big deal... both online and offline.

What is Cool?

What is cool? We found in our study that there are three basic categories of what people consider to be cool...

• Objects/things - 27%
• Experiences - 21%
• And to a lesser degree, people - 9%

At the same time, 43% of respondents ranked all three equally cool.

So, who is cool, what is cool and why? Interestingly, the `who' of cool is more personal than we might have thought. It's much less about celebrities and much more about those who are closest to us - our friends, our families, our children and our acquaintances. They tend to be people that we have shared connections with. Advertisers who use sports and entertainment personalities to promote and reinforce the coolness of their products or services might pause for thought here.

When we ask Canadians to tell us what items they think are cool, technology rules and specifically smartphones (31%), TVs, tablets, and other tech gadgets. Cars came in second (13%) followed by clothing and fashion (8%). People also forge strong attachments to items that were passed down or are antique/vintage and have lasting power or usefulness.

The Quality of Cool

We also wanted to take a qualitative look at what `cool' is. What we found is that while `cool' is very much a personal matter, it is influenced and validated by others (friends, family, colleagues, peers, etc.). There are two things we know about `cool'. First, it is always changing. What is cool today may not be cool tomorrow. And it is varied and diverse...`cool' is NOT just one thing. If cool is varied, diverse, and constantly morphing, and if it means different things to different people and different age cohorts, is there any way to pin down what `cool' actually is?

The Elements of Cool

Building `cool' is a bit like a chemistry lab - there are a variety of elements in the realm of `cool' where some combine well together, and some may combust. The four most common elements of `cool' are: positively unusual, exclusive, personal passion and nostalgia. These elements are not ALL present in something that is cool but they are, in some combination present in all things cool. In this regard marketers are a little like artists and can choose the kind of cool they want to create.

Let's touch on each element.

Positively Unusual: these are things that are new and exciting and outside of the norm, be it new to the world or new to the individual.

Exclusive: this is when it feels like only a limited number of people are in on the action, so to speak - like a special deal or a secret.

Personal Passion: this is when something feels especially made for you or perhaps it connects with a truly personal interest perhaps allowing you to `geek out' a bit.

Nostalgia: like a kid in a candy store, these are things that take you back to warm and fuzzy feelings of days gone by.

The Story of Cool

The coolest things we own or do always have a great story behind them, and these four elements feed into narratives that people naturally want to share (e.g. how they came to acquire a product, something new and unknown they learned about, what they experienced over the weekend, etc.). It is through these shared stories that `cool' comes to life. The narrative behind a product/service/experience elevates it from something that is LIKED to something that is COOL.

But marketers cannot tell new consumers that their story is cool. That is left up to the consumer to decide. But if the story includes one or more elements of `cool' - e.g. if the story is about something positively unusual, exclusive, born from passion or nostalgic - that is likely a story consumers will share and an experience that could remain memorably `cool'.

Are You Cool?

How can your brand create a story or experience (whether it be through your products/services, advertising/promotions/events, retail, or online) that is cool? Go back to each of the four elements, examine them and then ask yourself these questions about each element:

Positively Unusual: How can we go outside of consumers' realistic expectations?

Exclusive: How can we make this something to be `in the know about'? What are the areas that are not accessible to all?

Personal Passion: How do we create ways that inspire customers to use the brand to create and express themselves or to build/achieve something outside of what they thought was possible?

Nostalgic: How can we touch on our customer's nostalgia and/or inspire youthful vitality?

We're positive that you'll find a cool way to find and define your own brand of `cool'.