screw that

noticed how much nike is showing up in "action" sports?

"Mr. Parker sees the challenge thusly: "The question is, how do you not let your size become a disadvantage? How do you keep an edge, a crispness, a relevance?"
One answer, for many marketers over the years, has been to divine the future -- to find the most cutting-edge, trend-sniffing individuals and set them loose to formulate new ideas, new products. Such "coolhunters," as some types are known, scour the globe's streets, stores, clubs and hidden haunts picking up clues as to what's hot, what's next. They then interpret their findings to help companies better resonate with their core audience.
At Nike, the drive to recruit under-the-radar influencers like Mr. Cartoon is on the rise and a key part of the company's strategy. While other sneaker-makers have also called on cultural soothsayers to shape their aesthetic agenda, Mr. Parker has taken the practice all the way to the executive suite -- acting as the company's ambassador of cool."

rest is here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119317864699068959.html

ughh....