The Dilenschneider Group

February 4, 2009

Please accept with our compliments the 38th Dilenschneider Group Trend/Forecasting
Report.

This Report is like no other we have prepared since we started in business 18 years ago.

That is because what lies ahead is like no other time that we or anyone else have
experienced.

What is urgently needed now is genuine leadership and the resulting confidence it inspires
at all levels—in the political sphere around the world, among the thinkers and captains of
business and industry, and with the general public, who in many ways see themselves as
helpless in the face of events that are changing their lives.

In the months ahead, you can expect:

• An estimated 15-25% drop in the standard of living around the world—more in

some beleaguered regions—as cuts in virtually every arena of life take hold;

• A significant increase in prices for the basics—food, energy and other essential
staples;

• A political leadership that needs to reach out to the best minds in the world to seek
solutions and ways through the troubles and dislocations that lie ahead, but may
not do so;

• A spirit of innovation driven by men and women who will see a silver lining in the
period ahead and who will be determined, as pioneers, to capitalize on it;

• An emergence of “bottom feeders” who will take every opportunity to exploit the
weak and win economic advantage;

• A put-upon media, confused by economic complexities, and, because of their own

economic pressures, perhaps less able to do an adequate job of reporting and
explaining developments;

• A severely cluttered cyberspace that will significantly shape the next generation;

• A mounting public rage that may well result in political instability, especially in
poor nations, and manifest itself in widespread civil unrest;

The Dilenschneider Group, Inc.

MetLife Building, 200 Park Avenue, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10166
212 922 0900 (fax 212 922 0971)
The Dilenschneider Group
February 4, 2009
Page 2

• An acceleration of crime in all parts of the world, as professional criminals exploit

the global economic decline and desperate ordinary people look for ways to cope;

• A sober, tamed global financial system that will, at least for a time, be more tightly
regulated than ever before;

• A new attention to governance;

• A billion-plus new consumers entering the market and placing incredible stress on
even the most sophisticated support systems currently in place;

• A world, with the exception of Islamic militants, that is urgently seeking leadership
and leaders who will emerge in unconventional ways;

• A substantial reduction of funding for the arts and philanthropy;

• A burst of new creativity from artists at all levels who work to interpret what is
going on;

• A dramatic increase in church and sports attendance to find solace and escape
reality in these difficult times;

• A changing global political landscape reflecting more than 20 presidential or

parliamentary elections in Israel, Iran, India, South Africa, Afghanistan, Chile,
Venezuela, Indonesia, among many others.

With this broad perspective in mind, and based on our continuing discussions over the
past 12 months with hundreds of experts in diverse fields, including business, finance,
journalism, the arts, academia and the non-profit sector, we have identified another set of
noteworthy trends for 2009.

This Report, then, as it has for nearly 18 years, focuses on critical thinking and how you
might apply it in your life, your business, or in whatever pursuits you follow. Though
there are many demands on your time, we urge you to put aside a few moments, whenever
convenient, to read it thoroughly.

We would, of course, be pleased to hear any response you might have to this latest effort.

Before closing this letter, we urge you to read the separate excerpt from a specially-prepared
Appendix on cyberwarfare, the full content of which has been placed on our website,
www.dilenschneider.com. This is a critical area for every reader of this Report to understand.
The Dilenschneider Group
February 4, 2009
Page 3

Finally, an offer to you: Every year as we develop this Report, we have to edit and cut
considerably in the interests of both your time and brevity. This year, we had to shelve
more than a dozen trends. If you would like a copy of this additional material, please let
us know. And if you would also like a complete copy of Marvin Zonis’ Forecast for 2009,
referenced at the beginning of this Report, we would be pleased to provide that as well.

Best regards,

Robert L. Dilenschneider

RLD:llg
Enclosure