'Cool' Factor Still Sells During a Recession

What do Apple(AAPL Quote), Starbucks(SBUX Quote) and Facebook have in common?

They're brands that are the definition of cool. But in a recession, does being hip still sell? You bet.

"Cool always sells because the basis of cool is aspirational," says Del Breckenfeld, author of The Cool Factor: Building Your Brand's Image Through Partnership Marketing (Wiley). "People aspire to be like the actors, musicians or celebrities that society deems as cool." Here are eight reasons why it's good to be in vogue and how to do it right: ...