Good Is the New Cool Guide to Meaningful Marketing

How brands can evolve to win with conscious consumers

The Good Is the New Cool Guide to Meaningful Marketing is your guide to future-proof your brand with purpose-driven strategies and activations that meet the demands of the new world of conscious capitalism. This book takes readers behind the scenes at some of the world's most famous brands—from purpose-driven pioneers like TOMS, the Honest Company, and Chobani, to household names like Oreo, Call of Duty, and Brand Jordan—to show you how a new wave of marketers are collaborating with values-driven creators of cool like Pharrell, Lady Gaga, and Justin Bieber.

In this book, readers will learn about:

• How brands can authentically discover and deploy their social purpose in ways that drive brand love and financial growth
• The Seven Steps of Meaningful Marketing, including “Think Citizens Not Consumers,” “Solve Problems from the Everyday to the Epic,” and “People are the New Media”
• How brands can collaborate with nonprofits to make money and do good at the same time, using examples from Product(RED), Rivet, and Choose Love

The Good Is the New Cool Guide to Meaningful Marketing earns a well-deserved spot on the bookshelves of all forward-thinking leaders in business, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, seeking to ride the winds of change and market in a better, more meaningful way.

Introduction 1

Why We Wrote Good Is the New Cool 7

Bobby’s Story 13

Afdhel’s Story 19

Part I: Good Is the New Cool 23

Chapter 1: How Good Became the New Cool 25

A Day in the Life of Conscious Consumers 26

Millennials and Gen Z Have New Expectations of Brands 30

2024 Millennial and Gen Z—Purpose and Consumption Statistics 31

The Disruptive Impact of Technology on Advertising 35

The Crisis of Meaningfulness in Marketing 37

Chapter 2: The New Model of Marketing 41

The Time Is Now 42

How to Harness the Power of Cool 45

The Architects of Cool Are on Your Side 52

The New Nonprofits 57

Part II: The Seven Principles of How to Market Like You Give a Damn 61

Chapter 3: Know Your Purpose 63

Scooter Braun, Founder, SB Projects 65

Peter McGuinness, President, Chobani 75

Amy Smith, Chief Brand Officer, TOMS 83

Chapter 4: Find Your Allies 89

Jenifer Willig, Founder, (PRODUCT) RED 91

Greg Propper, Cofounder, Propper Daley 97

Dan Goldenberg, Call of Duty Endowment, Activision Blizzard 105

Chapter 5: Think Citizens, Not Consumers 111

Fernanda Romano, Dulux 113

Eric Dawson, CEO and Christina Rose, CMO, Rivet 119

Justin Parnell, SVP Marketing and Insights, Oreo 123

Chapter 6: Lead with the Cool, But Bake in the Good 131

Jason Mayden, Chief Design Officer, Jordan Brand, Nike 133

Mimi Valdés, Chief Creative Officer, I Am other 143

Jocelyn Cooper, Cofounder, Afropunk 155

Chapter 7: Don’t Advertise, Solve Problems 163

Elyssa Gray, Head of Creative and Media, Citibank 165

Peter Koechley, Cofounder, Upworthy 171

Marco Vega, Cofounder, We Believers 183

Chapter 8: People Are the New Media 189

Kfir Gavrieli, Cofounder, Tieks 191

Jaha Johnson, Manager, Common and Usher 195

Josie Naughton, Cofounder, Choose Love 209

Chapter 9: Back Up the Promise with the Proof 215

Laura Probst, Head of Social Goodness, the Honest Company 217

Bobby Campbell, Manager, Lady Gaga 227

Andy Fyfe, Community Development, B Lab 239

Part III: How to Get Started Today 247

Chapter 10: Dream It, Do It, Share It! 249

Our Final Thought: Think Transformational, Not Transactional 253

Resources and Other Links 257

References 259

About the Authors 263

Acknowledgments 267

Index 269

AFDHEL AZIZ is the Chief Purpose Officer of Conspiracy of Love, a global purpose consultancy (and certified B Corp) with Fortune 500 clients like Adidas, PepsiCo, Mondelēz, Microsoft, and more. He is also the Co-Founder of Good Is the New Cool, a creative studio and incubator.

BOBBY JONES is a visionary entrepreneur and inspiring storyteller whose work has helped leaders in over 140 countries drive meaningful innovation and growth. He is a Co-Founder of Conspiracy of Love, Good Is the New Cool, and RIVET, and inspires audiences through keynotes and workshops to find fulfillment in their work.

Marketers today face unprecedented challenges as consumers demand more from brands—they want products that are not only stylish but also sustainable and socially impactful. Every dollar spent is a vote for the kind of world consumers want to live in, giving them the power to shape a future where cool and responsible coexist. To thrive in this landscape, brands need to do more than just sell; they must inspire and connect with purpose.

In the Good Is the New Cool Guide to Meaningful Marketing, Afdhel Aziz and Bobby Jones, Co-Founders of leading purpose consultancy Conspiracy of Love (which advises Fortune 500 companies like Coca-Cola, Adidas, Sephora and The Gap) reveal this seismic shift in the zeitgeist that they predicted, where doing social good has the potential to quickly propel a brand to great heights, and how marketing has a crucial role to play in this brave new world.

From leaders at brands like Oreo, Chobani, and Brand Jordan at Nike, and cutting edge nonprofits like Choose Love, RIVET and PRODUCT (RED), to the managers of superstars like Lady Gaga, Pharrell and Justin Bieber, the book interviews pioneers who are leading this new movement so that you can learn from their success.

Readers will also learn about the three key factors driving this cultural change, from conscious Millennial and Gen-Z consumers, to technological disruption, and learn a unique marketing model featuring principles like “Think Citizens Not Consumers,” “Don’t Advertise Solve Problems,” and “Back Up the Promise with the Proof,” to show how to authentically and profitably practice purpose-driven marketing.

The Good Is the New Cool Guide to Meaningful Marketing is an essential read for all business leaders, executives, managers, and entrepreneurs seeking to leverage marketing strategies to rise to the challenge of creating a better world—and experience greater business success while they do it.

PRAISE FOR GOOD IS THE NEW COOL GUIDE TO MEANINGFUL MARKETING

“Afdhel, Bobby, and Conspiracy of Love are key partners on this journey to bring our purpose to life.”
—VICKY L. FREE, former CMO, Global Brand Marketing, Adidas

“Every business, brand, and individual involved in the business of brands should sit up and take note.”
—PAUL WOOLMINGTON, CEO, Canvas Worldwide

“Afdhel, Bobby, and the team at Conspiracy of Love are the real deal. Smart, empathetic, strategic and seasoned; they really know how to guide an organization to imagine and realize their essential Purpose.”
—TOM HERBST, former CMO, The North Face

“As we begin to enter the golden age in which brands unlock the tremendous potential of technology to do good, VCs and founders alike should treat this book as their indispensable guide to creating disruptive businesses with integrity and soul.”
—DAVID JONES, Founder and CEO, The Brandtech World

“As the world rightly moves to stakeholder capitalism, how companies lead, market, and transform their culture will require a reexamining of purpose. Good Is the New Cool Guide to Meaningful Marketing should be their handbook.”
—EVE RODSKY, Author of Fair Play

“Bobby and Afdhel shine a light on the global changemakers using their creative influence for good, and illustrate how bold action can both push culture forward and lead to impactful and lasting social change.”
—MICHAELLA SOLAR-MARCH, Chief Marketing Officer, Two Trees Management Co.

“The beautiful thing is that a purpose-driven existence doesn’t have to happen outside of your day job. Good Is the New Cool Guide to Meaningful Marketing offers a clear and inspirational formula for individuals and brands to bring happiness and meaning into their everyday lives.”
—TAUNA DEAN, Founder, Kind World Collective

“Afdhel, Bobby, and Conspiracy of Love are key partners on this journey to bring our purpose to life.”
—Vicky L. Free, former CMO, Global Brand Marketing, Adidas

“Every business, brand, and individual involved in the business of brands should sit up and take note.”
—Paul Woolmington, CEO, Canvas Worldwide

“Afdhel, Bobby, and the team at Conspiracy of Love are the real deal. Smart, empathetic, strategic and seasoned; they really know how to guide an organization to imagine and realize their essential Purpose.”
—Tom Herbst, former CMO, The North Face

“As we begin to enter the golden age in which brands unlock the tremendous potential of technology to do good, VC's and founders alike should treat this book as their indispensable guide to creating disruptive businesses with integrity and soul.”
—David Jones, Founder and CEO, The Brandtech World

"As the world rightly moves to stakeholder capitalism, how companies lead, market, and transform their culture will require a reexamining of purpose. Good Is the New Cool should be their handbook."
—Eve Rodsky, Author of FairPlay

“Bobby and Afdhel shine a light on the global changemakers using their creative influence for good, and illustrate how bold action can both push culture forward and lead to impactful and lasting social change.”
—Michaella Solar-March, Chief Marketing Officer, Two Trees Management Co.

“The beautiful thing is that a purpose-driven existence doesn‘t have to happen outside of your day job. Good Is the New Cool offers a clear and inspirational formula for individuals and brands to bring happiness and meaning into their everyday lives.”
—Tauna Dean, Founder, Kind World Collective

“Afdhel, Bobby and Conspiracy of Love are wise and trusted partners helping us to authentically navigate the space of purpose with our brands to drive business growth.”
—Ciara Dilley, Senior Vice President, Future Portfolio and Occasions, PepsiCo