Friday, January 25, 2008

Pg. 99: "Microtrends" by Mark J. Penn with E. Kinney Zalesne

The current feature at the Page 99 Test: Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow’s Big Changes by Mark J. Penn with E. Kinney Zalesne.

About the book, from the publisher:
In 1982, readers discovered Megatrends.
In 2000, The Tipping Point entered the lexicon.

Now, in Microtrends, one of the most respected and sought-after analysts in the world articulates a new way of understanding how we live.

Mark Penn, the man who identified "Soccer Moms" as a crucial constituency in President Clinton's 1996 reelection campaign, is known for his ability to detect relatively small patterns of behavior in our culture-microtrends that are wielding great influence on business, politics, and our personal lives. Only one percent of the public, or three million people, is enough to launch a business or social movement.

Relying on some of the best data available, Penn identifies more than 70 microtrends in religion, leisure, politics, and family life that are changing the way we live. Among them:

* People are retiring but continuing to work.

* Teens are turning to knitting.

* Geeks are becoming the most sociable people around.

* Women are driving technology.

* Dads are older than ever and spending more time with their kids than in the past.

You have to look at and interpret data to know what's going on, and that conventional wisdom is almost always wrong and outdated. The nation is no longer a melting pot. We are a collection of communities with many individual tastes and lifestyles. Those who recognize these emerging groups will prosper.

Penn shows readers how to identify the microtrends that can transform a business enterprise, tip an election, spark a movement, or change your life. In today's world, small groups can have the biggest impact.
Among the praise for Microtrends:

"Penn has a keen mind, and a fascinating sense of what makes America and the world tick, and you see it on every page."
—Bill Gates

"The ideas in this book will help you see the world in a new way."
—Bill Clinton

"Brilliant!"
—Tony Blair

"Probably the most powerful man in Washington you've never heard of."
Washington Post

"World-class marketing begins with cutting-edge consumer insights, and Mark Penn is a master at spotting them."
—Mary Dillion, global chief marketing officer, McDonald's

"The guru of small things…Mark Penn is more than a high-powered Democratic pollster: His ideas helped transform the Clinton presidency into a service provider for various niche voters."
New York Times Magazine

Read an excerpt from Microtrends and learn more about the book at the publisher's website.

Mark Penn is worldwide CEO of Burson-Marsteller and President of Penn, Schoen and Berland (PSB). E. Kinney Zalesne is a former White House Fellow, counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno, and was president and executive vice president of two national social-change organizations, College Summit and Hillel.

The Page 99 Test: Microtrends.

--Marshal Zeringue