A better time for your business starts in the next decade.
Are you ready
In this fast and furious time machine of a book, Richard Laermer shows you how
to use-and in some cases abuse-the trends of the next decade (or two) that really matter.
As an author with a functional crystal ball, a veteran marketing innovator, and media
master, Laermer foresees a fabulous future-if you start planning for it today.
Sometimes you see a business evolve and think, I wish I'd thought of that. With
his trademark razor-sharp style, Laermer reveals the most functional forecasting secrets
of professional trendspotters.
Divided into nine categories, with more than 72 short-short chapters and dozens
of outrageous sidebars, this captivating book shows you the ways to:
- Read the signs
- Influence the trends
- Embrace new and reject stodgy
- Anticipate change
- Ask experts the right questions
- Seek out visionaries and snub fakers
- Separate the trends from fads
- Use technology-for everything
- Cash in on being ahead of the competition!
2011: Trendspotting for the Next Decade is packed with eye-popping predictions (and
realities) on how you'll live, work, play, buy, sell, talk, text, laugh, and more. You'll
discover how miniscule attention spans will increase a need for velocity...how to work
while you're sleeping...how to wash off mediocrity...and why today's communication devices
will become obsolete. With 2011you'll learn how to participate in change instead of
trailing it.
Laermer calls trends as he sees 'em-from what's dead to what's sensational to what's
novel and what's next. If you're looking for surprising observations, shocking statistics,
sublime insights, and wholesome food for thought--read this book.
Because this is your life...in 2011.
Richard Laermer is a one-man, multi-media phenomenon. Acclaimed author of six major
books, including the award-winning trendSpotting (Perigee, 2002), Full Frontal PR
(Bloomberg Press, 2004), and Native's Guide to New York series, Laermer is founder of RLM
PR and host of TLC's Taking Care of Business TV show. Laermer cofounded the cult Bad Pitch
Blog (badpitch.blogspot.com) and is best known for his Public Radio segments “Guerilla
Consumer” and “The PR Professional” on Marketplace.
Table of Contents
Intro: Induction into 2011 xi
Trendspotting For the Novice 1
The Next Few Years Are All Wondrous 2
Mediocrity 6
Gumby: The Mascot of 2011 14
The New Way to Say Shove It! 17
The Caboodle: Advanced Trendspotting 21
Dive into Trends ... and Believe in Them 22
Fad, Faddy, and Fattening Trends 29
Bolts from the Blue 32
The Decade Is Starting Anew-and Maybe the World Is Too: Paraphrasing Sondheim, What Else
37
Golly, Beav, Is There a Right Way 40
Stay Informed by Depersonalizing 42
The Business of Selling, as Opposed to Shilling 45
Treat Me Right or You Won't Get My Money 46
The Biggest Picture: The Customer Is a Hyperaware King 50
Can an Athlete Really Be Trusted to Make Money for Us 53
Lying: Is That Your Final Answer 57
We Fib 60
Why Smart Sellers Can Spell Fnord: And Why It Really Matters 62
Yes-Sadly-Sprint Was Correct 68
Frito-Lay's Cholesterol Story 71
How to Major in Napping 74
Welcome to BAS: I'm Talking to You 80
Greet This: Howa City Civility Campaign Ruined Friendliness 83
"46": The Middle Ages 85
The New Low in Business Etiquette: Stealing without Aplomb 88
Victoria's Secret's Mentality: How Cities Got Overtaken by Lingerie 91
Fred Trump and That Other Guy 95
Machiavellian Skin 99
The One-Word Chapter: What's the Mission of Every Company 101
Sex and Snakes and Couch Jumping: How to Be Sure You're Not Selling to People Who Don't
Buy during This Era of Attention-to-Noise Surplus Ratio. Otherwise Known as, "What's
This A Laermer Blog Post" 102
CC, No No! 107
What Happens on TV Stays on TV: Building a Brand from Personal Experience 110
Techno-Centric 117
What's DAT, Exactly Another Fabulous Analogy about Unnecessary Technology 118
Bacn and the Art of Communicating Later 121
Ah, My Identity: Take It at Your Own Risk 124
Give Me Some Couch Love, Babe, Yeah, Give It to Me, Oh, Oh 128
Battery Management Corp.: One Further Step in Our Quest For Power 131
Computer Is Gone-Is Life 134
Heads in Air: The New Toy Won't Replace Our First Love 140
And Finally, EID (E-mail Is Death): Long Live New Mass Communication 144
Sport Mail 148
Hi-Tech: The New New and Improved 152
Blog Anonymously and Lose Your Self-er, Your Cell 155
The End of the Beta: You Just Got to Stop This Affair 161
Entertain Your Diversions 165
"Seriously, Just Being Nominated Is Enough": Ah, Bullshit, Award-Show Overload
166
The Game of Famous: A Case Study That Is Far from Hollywood 169
And They All Lived Hollywood Ever After 174
Serial Lifer 177
Jennifer Lopez's Antics: The J Down Lo 180
Make Media Your Friend (Then Make Bank) 185
Watch and Learn 186
The Black Eye of Memory: Media and Big Stories 189
The Media Next Decade 196
The Language of Life 199
One Potato, Two Potatoes Later 200
Where Are the Phrases to Catch Us Revival of "Fun Speak" 202
Taking Responsibility for Your Words Is Not Just Good Psychology 208
Living with Ed 216
Society with a Small "s" 221
New Rule: You're Not Freaking Cool Just Because You Say You Are 222
How to Keep Nascent Trends from Dying on the Vine: How to Cope with Change, Too 229
Looking vs. Searching 233
Say You're Gay and Induce a Yawn (or, "Gay for Play" Has Had Its Day) 236
Faith, Politics, and the Death of a President 240
609.72, Minnesota Statutes 2006: The Oddest of Current Laws 242
Demeaning the Presidency Has Brought Us Down 245
Planned Layovers in America: An Article That Did Good 248
Savvy Muscular Old People 252
Teens Shall Remain Narcissistic (This Surprises You) 255
Thoughts about Generation Broke: This Chapter Needs No Sub 257
Gap of Mentoring (Generation Broke, Part Two) 263
Work Personality-Life Personality Balance: Is Any Town Big Enough 265
The Truth about "Kidlessness": And the Future of Pals with a Little One between
Them 268
Ah, to Be Nice, Perchance to Dream 273
Epilogue and Other Chapters I Couldn't Fit Anywhere Else, so Stuck Them Here 277
Terms I Made Up + Newfangled Future Speak 278
Self Something or Other 282
Good Morning, Today Is January 21, 2011 284
Top Seven Mistakes Small Businesses Make: A Guide to Saying WTF 291
The Outro: An Epilogue Comprising Last Words, First Words, Wordiness 294
Notes to Part Three 296
Index 297
256 pages, Hardcvoer
