Martin, a friend and occasional commenter has a question he'd like you all to think about if you don't mind. So I thought I'd make it another Account Planning School of the Web quick quiz. Here's the question:
What does it mean for something, or someone, to be "cool"? Can someone come up with a
concise definiton, that others can agree on?
Tricky. A great challenge, one that many people have failed at. Post your definitions. One sentence or less. In the comments here by midnight GMT on Monday. Then we'll have another vote to decide the winner. The victorious definition gets another signed copy of Blink. (Again, signed by Malcolm Gladwell, not by me, I bought a couple).
Cool equals style, both actual and perceived.
Posted by: Rob Mortimer | June 15, 2006 at 04:21 PM
Something is cool when it is considered appealing and unappealing by different people for the same reason.
Posted by: gemma | June 15, 2006 at 05:22 PM
Cool is something you know when you see it, until too many people have seen it.
Posted by: brandon barr | June 15, 2006 at 06:36 PM
Cool is…
1. …a label…
2. …applied to things that represent an “way of being” that you wish to exhibit or associate with yourself.
Posted by: Leland M | June 15, 2006 at 06:40 PM
cool is maintaing your authenticity regardless of what anyone else thinks.
Posted by: ritter | June 15, 2006 at 06:53 PM
Cool is getting attention for the stuff you were already doing anyway.
Posted by: David Brabbins | June 15, 2006 at 07:02 PM
"Cool" is an atribute of something, atribute that stops being credible from the moment the owner calls it himself "cool".
Posted by: Nenorocitu | June 15, 2006 at 07:26 PM
Cool=Acceptable.
Ex: q. Do you want to meet at 4?
a. Yeah, that's cool.
q. What am I going to wear to the party?
a. Here, this shirt's cool.
q. Should we invite Mike?
a. Yeah, he's cool.
Posted by: Jon | June 15, 2006 at 07:44 PM
Cool is an original, confident, brave and relevant idea or point-of-view expressed with style and nonchalance.
Posted by: Rusty-Chubb | June 15, 2006 at 08:00 PM
'Cool' is dancing on thin ice.
Posted by: Colman | June 15, 2006 at 08:14 PM
cool is not having to try hard at being cool
Posted by: Jackson | June 15, 2006 at 08:23 PM
The exact opposite of snazzy.
Posted by: G | June 15, 2006 at 08:52 PM
Cool is genuineness which only needs a head nod for justification.
Posted by: sam | June 15, 2006 at 08:55 PM
Is Sweden ever going to score a goal?
Oh, here's my feeble attempt:
COOL IS an effortless quality typical of a manner of being or behaving that others find, new, novel, appealing or worthy of emulating.
Posted by: Dino | June 15, 2006 at 09:02 PM
I don't know how to define it, but Louis Armstrong said "If they act too hip, you know they can’t play shit!"
Posted by: niblettes | June 15, 2006 at 09:07 PM
Cool is ... when men want to be like you and women want to be with you. (Obviously this is an example of human 'cool' and of that 'human' being a man, haha)
Posted by: Rob@cynic | June 15, 2006 at 09:47 PM
Cool is... a perceived rejection of ubiquity.
Posted by: Will | June 15, 2006 at 10:55 PM
Cool is knowing what works for you, what you agree with and relate to
Posted by: Kaj | June 15, 2006 at 11:07 PM
cool is one.
Posted by: jazzing5uk | June 15, 2006 at 11:32 PM
cool is one.
Posted by: jazzing5uk | June 15, 2006 at 11:33 PM
It's an idea that make people want to join and share before their peers do.
Posted by: Rodrigo Maroni | June 15, 2006 at 11:59 PM
Cool is being acceptable to one's ideals, interests, and developed social constructs.
Posted by: CGH | June 16, 2006 at 12:04 AM
If cool could be described it would no longer be cool.
Posted by: Pete | June 16, 2006 at 12:30 AM
... something that is inherently relevant to its audience
Posted by: Piero | June 16, 2006 at 01:48 AM
Cool is a person or brand that goes about it's life without concerning itself with trends or petty worries.
Posted by: Mike Biggs | June 16, 2006 at 02:22 AM