By Brett Bonthron on 4/30/2011 3:15 PM

Inspired by a recent Wired magazine article entitled "VP of Gaga" I started to think about what I call the "Power of Cool." By power, in this context, I mean real economic power. That sort of power exists primarily in the consumer world, particularly in consumer electronics. Have you picked up any Apple product (even a 27" iMac, which is hard to pick up) in the last 5 years and not thought "cool"? Of course you haven't. Have you seen, let alone tried on, let alone listened to a set of Monster's Beats headphones and not thought "cool"? Of course you haven't. None of us have. So we know "cool" when we see it and we like it.

"Cool" has real economic power to be sure. "Cool" drives higher margins and accelerates product ... Read More »