Cool Hunting Research Paper

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We can define cool hunting as the chase to make quick money as a result of feeding off the trend setting nature of teenagers by manipulating and mass producing products and items into a popular culture before it becomes old news. The implications that we can deduct from this video in terms of cool hunting for creation of new ideas, new music, new art forms, and more, is that something can only be considered “cool” until it is found/discovered. Following the discovery of the product, word begins to spread, thus leading to the commercialization of said product. So much so that it results in a “hot trend” that everyone begins to use, thus inferring that it is no longer “cool” considering everyone is now after the same trend. Which ends up turning …show more content…

Teenagers are known for being very perceptive therefore, it is up to the cool hunters to manipulate them into buying the product, while ensuring that they believe in the product before they catch onto the game. A perfect example of this is MTV, the television giant who made video the killer of radio. They act in a similar fashion to the British Empire in the conquest of Africa. In terms of the latter, companies like MTV, use teenage pack leaders to gain traction in an untapped market, while attaching themselves and their friends to brands. One of MTV’s strategies that they used was they would film unaware teenagers at events to broadcast an image of a cool culture. MTV would make sure that they paid the stereotypical teenager to be present t these events in order to enforce the positive image of cool young people present at these events. By this definition, they are both exploiting and providing desired benefits and services. Using teenagers who are unaware that they are being filmed, or even filming teenagers who desperately want to be in the spotlight in order for them to get material for the image they want to market is a clear exploitation of teenagers. However, these teenagers who are receiving free entrance, free tickets, five seconds of television time receive a …show more content…

Understanding the teenage market for MTV begins with screening teenagers until they have found their typical viewing demographic, they are extremely strategic in their selections, keeping in mind the image they want to portray. One of the front line methods that MTV uses, is first hand interview in the home of these teenagers in the teens home to understand what makes up the thinking and opinion process their viewers. They basically analyze every element of the teen in their “natural natural habitat” where “cool” really takes place, learning about the people. For instance, they look for what a teenager typically wears, listens to on the radio or television, when they think about their school crush, and even their morning routines. By observing the latter, MTV is able to capitalize on their market segment due to the fact that they are conducting first hand market research. They are able to see these trend setters and their every move, basically watching the development of cool right in front of their own eyes. In the end, they end up taking their gathered research and in turn selling it to other teens, in order to perpetuate what teenagers are doing. This is called market research because it is being conducted with the outcome of generating demand for the overall market, not a single person. If market researchers wanted to know me as a person,

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