“Intelligence is advertising turned inside out: Secrets are cool; secrets are the very root of cool.”

William Gibson, cyberpunk author, Spook Country

What do covert operations of intelligence agencies and smart interactive promotions of integrated marketing have in common? William Gibson got it spot on: secrets.

Cool induces cultural participants to “fill in the blanks.” Make stuff up.

And what types of things do we inject into our furtive conjurings? The stuff of dream: deep yearnings, darker fears, and embarrassing aspirations.

What makes cool so alluring? Belonging to a group that shares the right secret. Groups that communicate amongst themselves with winks or a nods. Or white wires flowing out of music player earbuds.

Market makers know that one cannot get or become cool. Like “honor” in a court of nobles, only members of standing within the group of cool bestow cool upon an outsider. And other members maintain the veto option, exercised with the slightest of affected gesture.

So how do you get a member of standing to share a secret with you, a market maker? Simple.

Cultivate secrecy. Master the art of hiding in plain sight. Master the art of the obvious.

Live in the experience of something juicy, “presencing” a delight and satisfaction that has no direct relation with the immediate environment.

Let's make that "our secret,", just you and me.