Review of The Long Tail

THE LONG TAIL, by Chris Anderson outlines the opportunities for addressing small niche, yet high profitable targeted markets. The book methodically outlines how Web 2.0 characteristics-- individualized needs, elaborate search capabilities, and social computing-- create the conditions for new niche markets. The author then shows how these niche markets, following the 80/20 rule, can be segmented in such a way as to provide revenue possibilities. These markets thus provide an opening for smaller firms to "fly under the radar" of larger organizations and win a significant (for the small firm) piece of the business. This allows the small firm to build its reputation, capabilities, and ultimately its market share. This should resonate with many marketeers of new, high-tech products. So I heartily recommend this book to my Silicon-Valley colleagues!