Chasing Cool: Standing Out in Today's Cluttered Marketplace - Hardcover

"We had to make a big decision at MTV when I was there. Do we grow old with our audience or are we going to be the voice of young America? We made the decision to be the voice of young America, which meant we had to let people grow out of MTV."-- Bob Pittman, cofounder of MTV, former president of AOL "Simply chasing cool is really a bad idea; "inspired by cool" is a great idea. Walk the street, see what's going on, and spit it out in your own way. Don't do it because you research it, do it because you breathe it."-- Russell Simmons, chairman and CEO of Rush Communications "I love looking at trend reports because then "I know exactly" what I shouldn't be doing."-- John Demsey, group president, Estee Lauder, MAC Cosmetics, Prescriptives, Sean John, and Tom Ford Beauty "I can't imagine having to hire a so-called Cool Hunter. If I had to go to someone else to be cool, I'd just pack up my bags and find a new profession."-- Tony Hawk, professional skateboarder "It's possible to be both mainstream and edgy. You can be the Goliath but you always have to think and behave like the David."-- Scott Bedbury, former Nike and Starbucks marketing executive "I don't believe in creation by committee. I think it's impossible."-- Bonnie Fuller, chief editorial director and executive vice president of American Media Inc.

Cool isn't just a state of mind, a celebrity fad, or a Western obsession - it's a business. Combining Gene Pressman's revolutionary creative vision with Noah Kerner's marketing expertise, Chasing Cooldigs beneath the surface and reveals how emphasizing long-lasting relevance trumps a fleeting preoccupation with what's hot and what's not. Although other books have zeroed in on a single aspect of the cool factor, Chasing Coolexpands the playing field including interviews with business icons, in depth research, and personal anecdotes. Timely and timeless, Kerner and Pressman's partnership has fostered a book with boundless appeal. This stunning reference includes interviews with more than seventy of today's most respected luminaries from Tom Ford and Russell Simmons to Richard Meier and Bonnie Fuller. In a multidimensional, entertaining, and imminently readable book that redefines how to appeal to today's savvy consumer, Pressman and Kerner explore the lessons to be learned by the West's shortsighted search for the ever-popular concept of cool.