Customer Reviews

Chasing Cool: Standing Out in Today's Cluttered Marketplace

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

In a "Cluttered Marketplace" like marketing books, "Chasing Cool" does not stand out. In an effort to isolate the intangible "cool," (which they admit is impossible) the authors cite interviews with artists and business people (mostly from the music and fashion industries) that they believe to be influential as well as relying on their own experiences. Instead of teaching laypeople and marketers what to do, they mostly tip us on what not to do. This would be great if this wasn't the tactic of countless other books. Vague advice like be the first to do something new (or be second, or just be the best), be authentic, take risks etc. is not groundbreaking -- for anyone who has read anything about marketing, or has followed a few top marketing blogs for at least a week, it's downright stale.

While the personal experiences developing the Barney's brand, and being a respected DJ are the high points of the book, they are also rather isolated viewpoints. The interviews vary the experiences, but not by much. Companies who don't make designer products probably wouldn't benefit. Ditto for companies that don't cater to hipsters; most of the examples (Apple, Grey Goose, Starbucks, Quiksilver, nightclubs, hotels) fit a certain type. This is not a problem unless your work is completely different, then you are left with irrelevant examples and meaningless statements like "In the final analysis, cool is really about achieving relevance--to a particular group, small or large" (226). Gee whiz, what insight!

Moving away from the content, the book is written in a straightforward manner that makes it easy to scan and a quick read. The design also aids in this with clear headings and readable text. Speaking of design, what's up with the completely random pictures throughout the book; not bad, just strange.

After all, would I recommend this book? For a first book about marketing, why not. For people who are interested in edgy branding, perhaps. For experienced marketers, forget it. If you've read any other marketing books, skim it. If you enjoy case studies, sure. Just don't expect anything cutting-edge.

This is a very good beginners book on advertising, marketing and how to chase what's "cool". To illustrate the right way of doing it, the authors take up multiple case studies of winning and failing branding campaigns ranging from Grey Goose vodka to Tommy Hilfiger. There are mantras along the way for the reader on what to do and what not to do.
The case studies are not very deep which, depending on the kind of reader you are, works well or sucks. I am just getting into the domain and loved the skimming look on various strategies that have worked over the years. Obviously successful strategies have been copied over the years and are specific to the product it was used for. But some of them also teach valuable lessons on how to uniquely differentiate one's product from a crowd.
Recommended read.

The book contains some standard advice, albeit advice worth repeating: you can't buy cool or a brand, don't look for it on the outside, be authentic. But there are better books that tell you as much and more. One of the authors was a honcho at Barneys, and he talks about its rise(it decided to take the road less traveled, went to Europe to get designer stuff, made the stores more works of art than just retail space) and fall(being ahead of the curve is cool in New York and LA but falls flat in Dallas and Cleveland). Lots of irritating photos that have nothing to do with the text. If you have the time, not a bad read;if you don't move on.

Very quick read and basically boils down to what smart marketers already know. You can't chase "cool". You can be inspired by it and, through evolution, become it, but chasing it always results in being very "uncool" and fake. This theory applies to virtually any product.
The insights from the music and fashion industry were well worth the time to read the book.

I love this book and recommend it any chance I get. At first glance, one might think that the authors are attempting to be cool because of the book's graphics and cover. Or the authors are cool, because they have backgrounds in music and fashion. But, the skeptic will be surprised to discover that being cool is all about having the right strategy! I think this is one of the best examples of how to effectively align a verbal and a visual identity. How cool is that!

This book feels very disjointed. There is very little content and no real sense for how you would apply what little content there is. I am glad that I checked this out at the library instead of buying it.

What's cool today? Great question. What I might think is cool is totally different from what a 30 year old thinks is cool, which is different from a 17 year-old's perspective. Most companies want to have their brands perceived as cool, but if they try too hard, they risk having the "pursuit of cool" backfire on them, and in fact their products become very uncool.

The authors, who must be cool because they keep saying so throughout the book, talk about the pursuit of cool, and how products that are currently considered cool, were able to attain this status. Even though I am not mentioned in this book, and therefore must not be cool, I do recommend this as a fast read, and one that will help you better understand the risks of fads, and the risk of wanting your product or service to be seen as hip. I think you might enjoy this book.

This book when broken down and despite its topical title is ultimately about how to build your brand and image in an environment where the old methods of media communication no longer work, especially with younger buyers. In many ways it is a mix of many of the messages of Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" with numerous hard examples that "cool" is a result of long term investment and not just luck based on a latest trend. The examples of Quicksilver and Grey Goose vodka among others make for a fast read but the mix of text, quotes (some with OTT photos) and the authors' own personal text sections make for a very "cut and paste" style book.

For UK readers some of the US examples are hard to relate to, but a breezy read with some interesting observations along the way.

This book is an interesting read. The authors speak from experience and a lot of times books like this are more inspirational for business ideas than "how to" books. Chasing Cool motivates you to extrapolate applications for your own business. I would have given it a four star rating but it contains occasional, unnecessary four letter words including the F-bomb.

As a marketer for a top sports lifestyle brand, I was inspired and impressed with "Chasing Cool". Kerner and Pressman have written a book about marketing that incorporates the most important aspect of it, culture. The book also presents a very poignant tip to those trying to create "buzz" behind their brand: trust your instincts and don't simply follow the trend.