Cool: Status that drives cultural change

Abstract Coolness has been pitched as a cure for ailing brands, dismissed as a marketing trick, and pursued across generations and continents. But what is cool? Why do people want to be cool? And why has this word—and the concept that it represents—spread from American jazz clubs to global markets? We address these questions by synthesizing research on coolness. Our review suggests that coolness is a form of alternative status awarded to people, brands, products, and behaviors that make autonomous departures from convention seem desirable and worth following. This status, however, is often fleeting. As cool objects become widely adopted, they often become more normative, lose some of their autonomy, and create demand for alternatives that seem more distinctive. By rewarding those who change culture, coolness inspires creativity, innovation, and cultural change. Consequently, coolness is especially valued in domains where success depends on originality, symbolic value, and new ideas.