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First Coined In 2011 Likeonomics trend icon

Likeonomics

Brands, products, and services succeed by being more human, mission driven, and personally likeable through their policies and people, gaining an advantage over less empathetic competitors.

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The 2011 Non-Obvious Trend Report, where Likeonomics was first coined

First published in the 2011 Non-Obvious Trend Report →

Trend Longevity Rating

A Graded A in 2026 ·
an exceptional prediction that grew more true over time

How this trend held up

The fundamental truth of human relationships underlying this trend keeps growing as more brands focus on building personal connections with customers and being consistently likeable.

Every past trend prediction is re-reviewed and graded with a Trend Longevity Rating, measuring how much each originally curated trend still matters years later.

Where It Led

This trend evolved into a megatrend.

In 2020, Likeonomics was identified as one of the past trends that evolved into the megatrend Human Mode: Tired of technology that isolates us from one another, people seek out and place greater value on physical, authentic and “unperfect” experiences designed with empathy and delivered by humans.

Explore The Human Mode Megatrend →
Likeonomics, the book by Rohit Bhargava that grew out of the Likeonomics trend

From Trend To Book

This trend inspired an entire book.

Likeonomics was the most popular trend in the very first Non-Obvious Trend Report, and it kept growing after that report was published. In 2012 it became a book of its own, arguing that people choose to do business with people they like, and that likeability is a skill anyone can build rather than a personality trait you are born with.

Order Likeonomics On Amazon →

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Rohit Bhargava delivering a keynote

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