Abrstract

Despite assertions that coolness sells products and motivates consumer behavior, little is known about what leads consumers to perceive people and brands as cool. The literature, which offers a lot of claims but little data, suggests contradictory predictions. While some believe that people become cool by conforming, others argue that people become cool by being rebellious or unique. We help reconcile these predictions by demonstrating a curvilinear relationship between displays of autonomy (e.g., rebellion, uniqueness, independence) and perceived coolness: cool people and brands are not conformists, but they are also not excessively deviant. Additionally, we show that the level of autonomy considered cool (rather than excessive) is higher among countercultural consumers who believe that society is overly repressive. Two final experiments further support the connection between autonomy and coolness and illustrate that coolness is distinct from liking by showing that a goal to express autonomy increases preference for cool brands.