Coolhunting: Chasing down the Next Big Thing

What do the iPod, MySpace, and YouTube all have in common? They’re fresh, they’re sexy, and most importantly -- they’re cool. But while many companies embark on the eternal quest for the next big thing, very few know how to actually find it. Coolhunting will take readers into the very heart of the search and show them how to find trendsetters, spot innovations, and turn brilliant ideas into hot new trends. Major companies like Starbucks and Proctor & Gamble have already discovered the power of coolhunting. Now, anyone can learn how to:

• tap into the "Tao of Cool" and identify the trends that are truly cutting-edge

• cultivate the skills and techniques of highly effective coolhunters

• pinpoint developing trends on the Internet by using "smartbadges

An invaluable tool for businesses of all sizes, Coolhunting will show leaders how to stay ahead of the curve and on the cutting edge of where their customers want to be taken.

Foreword by Danah Boyd, blog personality & social networks expert

What do the iPod, MySpace, and YouTube all have in common? They're fresh, they're sexy, and most importantly—they're cool. But while many companies embark on the eternal quest for the next big thing, very few know how to actually find it. Coolhunting will take readers into the very heart of the search and show them how to find trendsetters, spot innovations, and turn brilliant ideas into hot new trends. Major companies like Starbucks and Proctor & Gamble have already discovered the power of coolhunting. Now, anyone can learn how to:

* tap into the "Tao of Cool" and identify the trends that are truly cutting-edge
* cultivate the skills and techniques of highly effective coolhunters

* pinpoint developing trends on the Internet by using "smartbadges

An invaluable tool for businesses of all sizes, Coolhunting will show leaders how to stay ahead of the curve and on the cutting edge of where their customers want to be taken.

Tom Davenport - Harvard Business Online

Coolhunting reports on useful techniques for helping to see what's coming. Wrap it in a plain brown wrapper, and read it surreptitiously.

Peter Gloor (Cambridge, MA) has enjoyed a 20-year career as an executive for UBS, PwC, and Deloitte. He currently divides his time between the MIT Sloan School of Management, Helsinki University of Technology, and the University of Cologne, where he teaches, leads research, and writes. Scott Cooper (Newton, MA), a Research Affiliate at the MIT Sloan School of Management, works with technologists and social scientists on a wide variety of projects. He has written extensively on innovation, business economics, architecture, and new media.