What makes a product cool? Consumers’ perceptions of product coolness across three cultures

Abstract

Coolness is an increasingly important factor for products to succeed in today’s global markets. The literature lacks a deep understanding of consumers’ interpretations of product coolness across cultures and the factors that explain variations in those interpretations. The authors use two studies (with Anglophone consumers) to conceptualize product coolness. They then conduct two cross-cultural surveys in cultures that use the English word “cool” in everyday language to test an integrative framework of coolness. The framework replicates across the sampled cultures (with U.S., German, and Chinese consumers). Major findings are: (1) Consumers universally interpret coolness in two largely distinct ways: a product is cool if it generates excitement or admiration (Personal Interpretation of Coolness) or if its appeal is socially validated ( Social Interpretation of Coolness) , with the former interpretation being generally more pronounced. (2) These interpretations universally correlate with distinct sets of product attributes often associated with coolness and with desirable and undesirable coolness-related outcomes. (3) Robust cross-cultural variations emerge, with Chinese consumers subscribing to the Social Interpretation, relying on exclusivity as a coolness driver, and desiring cool products to a larger extent than U.S. and German consumers. This finding can be explained primarily by Chinese consumers’ stronger tendency towards Ascription.