Pretti PR Tip: Understanding the Power of Cool

So right boom, I've been taking my own advice and getting active about networking via social media and honey on every platform it's the same begging and pandering for follows every single day.

Can I rant to you for a second?

If I see one more thread where brilliant Black business owners beg each other for follows on social platforms I'm going to choke. We all struggle with exposure at some point in our business, the idea is to keep being creative in our approach to getting it. Sis, it's time to add some flavor to your follow request and I'm here with a message from the marketing Gods: the cool factor in your brand (and the ability to tell it's story) is what holds the key to securing a strong brand reputation, increased visibility, and ultimately brand loyalty-not follow for follow.

Cool is the courage it takes to unapologetically be yourself. If you don't believe me?  Just look at how Steve Jobs and Apple made geekdom cool.

There is an undeniable coolness in our blackness. Why else would the rest of the world try so hard to take what makes us uniquely us? In recent years an awakening has occurred and every time brands tap into that authenticity industries see unimaginable evolution. Today we're going to exam three brands that thrived because they weren't afraid to yield their individual levels of cool:

Cardi B

As far as influencers go, there are none quite as interesting as Cardi B. She is loud, unfiltered, and totally comfortable with who she is. Marketing executives could not have predicted how this level of authenticity would impact sales. Cardi B is who we each strive to be- her whole perfectly imperfect self. She's also the "ratchet" ass version each of us saves for our man and best friends. That level of relatability is why we root for her wins. Her willingness to share her journey with us is what makes her cool as fuck and it's what causes us to invest in her career, her life, and the brands that she affiliates herself with.

Fenty Beauty

If you ask me Rihanna is the human embodiment of cool. She's also a flawless beauty who is known for her bold, daring, life giving looks. There are three facts that Rihanna, no doubt relied on as she prepared to break the internet with the launch of her make-up line:

• her reputation as a beauty and fashion icon
• her company's overall mission
• her experience at understanding what her audience thinks is cool.

Ivy Park × Adidas

So I'm sure there are more successful brand collaborations I could have used but there's an important lesson to be learned here. First, Beyoncé has not been able to sell athletic fashion the way she sells music. She needed a partner who could help her connect with her audience in that respect. Adidas who has in recent years reconnected with the Black community through their track pants has yet to build that lasting bond with the Black woman and we all know Mama Bey has that in the bag. Two different bags with varying levels of cool all by themselves and they still needed each other to sell out the way they did.


So, next time you're on looking to grow your social media following or even your email list examine the way you go about it. Do your best to express your value without being boring and know exactly what makes your brand cool and use that to entice people to join your business tribe or at least scroll through some of the post.