Microtrends
Introduction
In 1960, Volkswagen shook up the car world with a full-page ad that
had just two words on it: Think Small. It was a revolutionary idea-a
call for the shrinking of perspective, ambition, and scale in an era
when success was all about accumulation and territorial gain, even
when you were just driving down the street.
At the same time that America was becoming the world's superpower,
growing the dominant economy and setting the pace for global
markets, the Beetle took off as a counterculture
phenomenon-representing individuality in reaction to the conformity
of the 1950s.
America never quite got used to small when it came to cars. But ask
two-thirds of America, and they will tell you they work for a small
business. Americans are willing to make big changes only when they
first see the small, concrete steps that will lead to those changes.
And they yearn for the lifestyles of small-town America. Many of the
biggest movements in America today are small-generally hidden from
all but the most careful observer.
Microtrends is based on the idea that the most powerful forces in
o ... read full excerpt from Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes ebook
