Good Is the New Cool: Market Like You Give a Damn

“We are at a crossroads: either we can try to prop up the old, broken marketing model, or we can create a new model, one that is fit for the unique challenges of today.” —From Good Is the New Cool

Marketing has an image problem. Media-savvy millennials, and their younger Gen Z counterparts, no longer trust advertising, and they demand increased social responsibility from their brands—while still insisting on cutting-edge products with on-trend design. As always, brands need to be cool—but now they need to be good, too. It’s a tall order, and with new technology empowering consumers to bypass advertisements altogether, it won’t be long before the old, advertising-based marketing model goes the way of the major label.

If only there was a new model, one that allowed companies to address environmental, civic, and economic issues in a way that grew their brand and business, while giving back to society, and re-branding branding as a powerful force for good. Enter Good is The New Cool, a bold new manifesto from marketing experts Afdhel Aziz and Bobby Jones. In provocative, whip-smart, and streetwise style, they take aim at conventional marketing, posing the questions few have had the vision and courage to ask: If the system is broken, how can we fix it? Rather than sinking money into advertising, why not create a new model, in which great marketing optimizes life?

With seven revolutionary new principles—from “Treat People as Citizens, Not Consumers,” to “Lead with the Cool”—and insights and interviews from a new generation of marketers, social entrepreneurs, and leaders of such brands as Zappos, Citibank, The Honest Company, as well as the culture creators working with artists like Lady Gaga, Pharrell, and Justin Bieber, this rule-breaking book is the new business model for the twenty-first century, and a call to action for anyone committed to building a better tomorrow. This visionary book won’t just change your business—it will change the world.

Afdhel Aziz is currently Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Conspiracy of Love, a think-tank and idea incubator that helps Fortune 500 brands harness the power of technology, culture and social good. He is a brand marketer and strategist with two decades of experienced, who has worked for blue-chip companies, such as Absolut Vodka, Nokia, Heineken, and Procter and Gamble. He is an expert on how to deliver cutting-edge campaigns, content, and experiences that drive pop culture, working with artists, such as Lady Gaga, Swedish House Mafia, and Kanye West. His award-winning work has been featured in the New York Times, Vice, Fast Company, The Guardian, Forbes, Mashable, and more.

Bobby Jones has developed award-winning campaigns and strategies for Ford, Moet Hennessy, Adidas, and others. He currently serves as Peace First’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Jones is responsible for leading all marketing and communications efforts to help achieve Peace First’s vision to create a new social norm where millions of young people are prepared, empowered, and committed to solving the world’s biggest challenges with courage and compassion.