Designing a brand coolness Model with the Foundation Data Method

The efforts of marketing research and development managers today are focused on creating and developing brands that have unique features that set them apart from other brands and make them attractive to customers. In the new marketing literature, these unique features have been presented as brand coolness. But, the existing literature does not offer any suitable design for creating cool brands. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to design a brand coolness model. This study is in the field of interpretive studies using qualitative research methods. Gathering the required data in order to design a brand coolness model was done by conducting an interview with 14 managers and senior marketers of marketing and market research in the production of the Fast Moving Consumer Goods(FMCG) in small and medium enterprises by using purposeful and judgmental sampling methods. Lack of access to a suitable number of managers who are aware of the research subject has led to the selection of FMCG brands in small and medium enterprises including food, automobile, electronic accessories (due to the formation of a major share in the household basket) for further interviews. The interviews were coded based on the Grounded Theory Method according to Strauss and Corbin’s design. Interview analysis has ultimately led to the identification of factors influencing brand coolness under the headings of creativity and innovation, macro-organizational policies, aesthetics, organizational perceptions, and technology. Also, the characteristics of a cool brand in this study were defined based on memorable categories, value characteristics, emotional, energetic, credible relationships, social awareness, independence, and valuable and original features. Finally, the brand coolness model was designed and presented based on the grounded theory graph design and some suggestions have been made for future studies.