For a book or an author to attempt to explain emerging technologies, alternative media, and the so-called “New World Order” is risky at best (since things are changing, evolving, and going obsolete at warp speed). But Lisa Johnson succinctly and interestingly defines these new Gen X and Gen Y consumers into a demographic group she often refers to as the “connected generation.”

Her book explains why the old way of doing business won’t work today, nor will it work with these young, savvy consumers who are an elusive yet extremely important group to reach. Through compelling case studies, Johnson profiles a huge variety of companies and tells what they did to reach these new targets and how they achieved it. She profiles such diverse groups as the cosmetics industry, phone companies, travel providers, hotels, college football teams, automakers, Apple Computer, Converse Shoes, and many, many others.

This book should be a must for anyone involved in the jewelry industry who wishes to learn more about the new consumers and the new way to do business. Johnson also authored the much reviewed business book Don’t Think Pink describing why Madison Avenue male ad execs are not really equipped to “think like a woman.”