Issue #6: Born or Raised Digital

June 09, 2008

Good Morning,

A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Michael Geist. He is a law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair of Internet and E-commerce Law. Dr. Geist also reports on the Internet and law and is a columnist on technology law issues that regularly appears in the Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen & Vancouver Sun. Visit his blog and website at http://www.michaelgeist.ca It is a fascinating read.

The following is an excerpt from his column of June 3, 2008

Born Digital or Raised Digital
“….. the online environment weaves its way into the fabric of the daily lives of millions of Canadians. Whether for education, entertainment, communication, or commerce, the demographic data demonstrates that an ever-increasing percentage of the population is either "born digital" or has been "raised digital."In Canada, five and a half million people (17 percent of the population) were born after Netscape launched its first web browser in 1994. While these Canadians are not yet eligible to vote, there is another very large cohort that is - the additional seven million Canadians (20.5 percent of the population) who were under the age of 15 when Netscape debuted. Putting this into perspective, it is no exaggeration to say that nearly 40 percent of the Canadian population can scarcely recall a world without the Internet and that this group unsurprisingly views digital issues as important.”

M$M: Gone are the days of consumers driving from place to place comparison shopping. You are open 24/7. Does your site reflect your business principles and what your business offers as a competitive advantage, not just available specials? In most cases, first contact with your business comes from your web site.

To broadcasters, “Selling time for money” reps are the modern age dinosaurs. Today’s professional advertising consultants are not one dimensional. They understand the available media choices and how to exploit and coordinate their advantages on behalf of each client.
Regardless of what you may hear, the “new” media is not a replacement for “traditional” media. Broadcast media gives your website reach, profile and “separation” from the 2000+ other businesses that could show up on a Google word search.

On a Related Topic…
From The Canadian Press, April 2008: After 80 Years, Canadian Tire Stops Publishing Catalogues
"We've done a lot of research around customer shopping habits and the reality is, with consumers, they really are spending a lot more time online. That's where they go to obtain the information they're looking for," said Lisa Gibson, a spokeswoman for Canadian Tire. "There's a lot of research out there that says the readership and retention of annual catalogues is declining, and obviously, as a result [of the change], you're saving that many catalogues from being printed and then ending up in the recycling or garbage."

M$M: Interesting to note that Canadian Tire is still a leading advertiser in traditional broadcast media.
It is worth repeating… nearly 40 percent of the Canadian population can scarcely recall a world without the Internet.
In the mood for a change? Your customers are…

As always, your feedback is appreciated. Please feel free to forward this email to business acquaintances and staff.

Until the next time, Stay in a good mood.
Brad