Perceived Coolness in Consumer Behavior

Perceived coolness refers to consumers’ subjective assessment of a product, service or brand as novel, attractive and socially desirable. It operates at the intersection of social identity, aesthetic evaluation and emotional engagement, shaping preferences and purchase intentions across contexts from fashion and technology to health and services. By signalling originality and facilitating self-expression, coolness contributes to brand differentiation and fosters deeper psychological bonds. Its influence extends beyond mere novelty, affecting communal connection, loyalty and well-being. Recent work has begun to unravel the cognitive and affective mechanisms by which coolness drives consumer choices, emphasising its global relevance for marketers seeking to cultivate cultural resonance and sustainable competitive advantage.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Research from all publishers

One study of human–AI interaction examined how intellectual, affective and behavioural experiences with intelligent voice assistants enhance perceptions of device coolness. By applying an attachment-aversion framework, researchers demonstrated that higher perceived coolness strengthens emotional bonds and motivates ongoing engagement, suggesting that design features which evoke novelty and sociable interactivity can boost adoption and brand advocacy.

In the service sector, investigations into brand coolness showed that both niche and mass service providers can leverage perceived coolness to cultivate communal–brand connection. Empirical work using consumer interviews and experimental methods found that service encounters deemed cool foster a sense of belonging and mutual identification, which in turn elevates loyalty and positive word-of-mouth, especially in post-pandemic experiential settings.

Research on wearable health technologies has revealed that when fitness bands are perceived as cool—through originality, attractiveness and sub-cultural appeal—users are more likely to adopt the device and sustain health-promoting behaviours. Structural equation modelling indicated that coolness not only directly drives adoption but also indirectly influences personal well-being, highlighting the strategic value of aesthetic and symbolic design cues in health communication.

Perceived Coolness in Consumer Behavior publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in perceived coolness in consumer behavior across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Perceived coolness: A consumer’s subjective evaluation of an offering as novel, attractive and socially desirable.

Communal–brand connection: A sense of belonging and shared identity between a consumer and a brand community.

Brand engagement: The degree of psychological investment and active participation a consumer exhibits towards a brand.

Stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model: A framework describing how external stimuli influence internal states and drive behavioural responses.

Higher-order construct: A composite concept formed by integrating multiple related dimensions into a single overarching measure.

Sub-cultural appeal: The extent to which an offering resonates with the values and aesthetics of specific consumer subgroups.

References

1. I am attracted to my Cool Smart Assistant! Analyzing Attachment-Aversion in AI-Human Relationships. Journal of Business Research (2023).
2. Service brand coolness in the construction of brand loyalty: A self-presentation theory approach. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (2022).
3. It’s Cool to be Healthy! The Effect of Perceived Coolness on the Adoption of Fitness Bands and Health Behaviour. Journal of Information and Communication Technology (2023).