Coolhunting is a neologism coined in the early 1990s referring to a new kind of marketing where professionals make observations and predictions based on changes of new or existing "cool" cultural fads and trends.
[citation needed] Coolhunters operate mostly in the world of street fashion and design, but their work also blurs into that of futurists such as Faith Popcorn.
These divisions act in much the same way as a coolhunting firm but the reports and data collected remain within the company and are used solely to promote its products.
Focus groups, though quite obvious in their attempts at gathering information, are very popular among coolhunters as they provide direct insight into the thoughts and feelings of their target demographic.
They will then hire these individuals to be Cool Narcs, who gather information secretly among their peers and report their findings back to their employers.