Okay. we now know more about when and how men and women shop. But let’s dig into the why.

I was tasked with answering the question: What makes a brand cool? My first thought was, “Clearly people at Bozell have never seen sixth-grade photos of me with red-framed glasses, headgear and a full perm (bangs included).” But then I remembered, when it comes to advertising and marketing, “cool” is so subjective.

In our survey, we asked, “If you had to put three branded bumper stickers on your car, which would they be?” And here were the top three brands: Apple, Nike and Samsung.

Two tech companies and one sporting goods company. Two very different audiences, and, therefore, two very different ideas of what’s “cool.”

So the question becomes, if these companies are so different, what is it that all three have in common? What makes them “cool”? More so, what can you do to attract the same affinity to your brand? And the answer is this …

They have a clear identity.

Each of these brands knows exactly who they are and what they stand for. Every ad you see, every piece of packaging – it’s representative of their brand’s image. So be deliberate with who your company is as a brand. If you haven’t already, try to identify which of Carl Jung’s 12 brand archetypes best fits your brand. These archetypes will give it a clear personality, making it more relatable to the consumer. Not only will this help you home in on your brand’s identity, but it also gets/keeps everyone on the same page.

They know their audience.

If you think about the ads you’ve seen for these companies, they each tell a narrative that speaks directly to the target audience. The customer becomes the hero of the spot, which helps customers relate more to the brand. And you can do this, too. Just study your audience’s demographics and psychographics and tell a story that invites them into your brand. Create your own version of “cool.” Your audience will thank you for it.