198. What Does It Mean to Be “Cool”?
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What’s the difference between being popular and being cool? How has social media changed the trend cycle? And what do Taylor Swift and Walmart have in common?

• SOURCES:

• Anette Asp), project manager and research coordinator at the California Institute of Technology.

• Lalin Anik), professor of marketing at Vrije University Amsterdam.

• Marc Bain), journalist.

• Judy Blume), young adult author.

• Colin Camerer), professor of behavioral economics at the California Institute of Technology.

• James Dean), 20th-century American actor.

• Ryan Hauser), Ph.D. candidate at the Yale School of Management.

• Michael Jordan), former professional basketball player.

• Johnny Miles), senior value manager at Workday.

• Steven Quartz), professor of philosophy at the California Institute of Technology.

• David Skinner), editor of Humanities magazine.

• Lindsey Vonn), Olympic alpine skier.

• RESOURCES:

• "Do You Think You're Cool?)" poll by YouGov (2024).

• "What Cool Means Now)," by Marc Bain (*Quartz, *2020).

• "The History of Michael Jordan's 'Banned' Sneakers)," (*Complex, *2020).

• "Brand Coolness)," by Caleb Warren, Rajeev Batra, Sandra Maria Correia Loureiro, and Richard P. Bagozzi (*Journal of Marketing, *2019).

• "How to be Cool)," by Johnny Miles (*UVA Darden Ideas to Action, *2017).

• Cool: How the Brain’s Hidden Quest for Cool Drives Our Economy and Shapes Our World)*, *by Steven Quartz and Anette Asp (2015).

• "How Capitalism Created 'Cool),'" by Bourree Lam (*The Atlantic, *2015).

• "How Did Cool Become Such a Big Deal?)" by David Skinner (*Humanities, *2014).

• EXTRA:

• "Are We Getting Lonelier?)" by *No Stupid Questions *(2023).