Book Review: Microtrends

What are the small forces behind tomorrow’s big changes?  Microtrends by Mark Penn tries to answer this question.

The book highlights 75 “microtrends” that are the cause of a much larger societal movement.  Though the book doesn’t really connect the dots very well, it does outline some interesting smaller trends that do have some force in today’s society.  The amount of influence that these trends actually have in society is debatable.  However, understanding these microtrends can help you in finding a money maker.

While reading the book, I found that I was in fact part of several of these microtrends.  I am an older gamer, part of a religion that doesn’t allow women clergy, and a part time sun hater.  So what does it all mean?

Penn outlines that a microtrend is defined as 1% of the population.  1% of the US population is still 3 million people.  Imagine you had access to 3 million potential customers, could you make money?

The reason why Microtrends is an important read for finding your money maker is rather simple.  By finding what microtrend you belong to, you have found your target market.  Also, since you are already part of said microtrend, you already have some sort of knowledge related to your target market.  By the invention of the internet, you now have access to your target market with greater ease and cheaper barrier to entry.

Microtrends is not an extremely groundbreaking book.  It does have spots that are rather boring to read.  Some of the microtrends that you don’t belong to can be rather lame to read through.  This is due to the fact that he uses statistics to back up his microtrend.  If you aren’t a fan of statistics, I recommend you only read the microtrends that you have interest in and skip the rest.

Overall, Microtrends is highly recommended as a read to help you to understand what potential money makers you have based on the microtrends that you may belong to.  It should be used to help you to start thinking about other microtrends that Penn leaves out of his book.  By finding your 1% target market, you just need a way to get your product out to those 3 million people.

Microtrends receives a 3/5 stars for lack of keeping you interested through the microtrends you don’t belong to.  However, it is still a must read to get you thinking about your money makers.

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