Our Blog: where do you stand?

The New Village

By: Marijean Jaggers | 09/19/2007

Forbes recently published an article, “The Critical 1%” by Burson-Marsteller CEO Mark J. Penn, highlighting the main points of his new book, Microtrends: The Small Forces behind Tomorrow's Big Changes. I'm taken with his idea, that these microminority groups are a force to be reckoned with.

One percent, says Penn, is actually a pretty big number. These communities within the metropolis of American life hold enough clout to be highly influential. Their size dictates that they are highly communicative and mobile; information can be disseminated quickly among the members, and a voice is more likely to be heard from the midst of the group. Intuitively, generating buzz and ensuring word-of-mouth promotions would be a much easier task when targeting the microgroup.

Perhaps the most fascinating part of Penn's argument comes from his idea that microtrends are realized as converses to the majority. Find a trend, say, text messaging and then look to its antithesis. You might be surprised to find that kids who use their fingers to knit a scarf rather than punch out an SMS is a legitimate minority, ripe and ready for some well-targeted marketing or public relations. Groups like this exist across the entire spectrum of American life, and require a greater deal of attention from those who attempt communication with the public.

Beyond the practice of PR, this brings up an interesting addendum to theories of pop culture and mass media. Within the millions that compose the American public are vibrant and active communities, putting a thumb to their collective nose towards those who hold true to the outdated theories of mass culture. Information and influence cannot be standardized or formulaic; disregarding the tailoring of messages to suit the needs of the microgroup is as poor a decision as to bring public transportation to a village.

Posted in Uncategorized