Relevance

ReadWriteWeb asks Is there a need for local services for non-language reasons?

Of course there is. Cultural relevance is a key element of communication, and all markets are conversations. Cultural differences in English speaking countries are many and varied. Currencies, media, laws and regulations, political structure, education, religion, cuisine, art, customs, sport, humour, technology, agriculture, climate, resources and military relations are all factors in local culture.

If you restrict the list of English speaking countries to only those with English as an official or first language, you’ve got countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA, UK and the Cayman Islands. Aside from English, these countries do not have that much in common, they all have their own slang and colloquialisms.

Australian cultural references such as the Skyhooks and the tall poppy syndrome will be lost on many people overseas, while cultural stereotypes like BBQ shrimp, Foster’s beer and Crocodile Dundee are more well known. We’re a melting pot, believe in the underdog and have a sense of humour many other cultures do not understand. Even the Aussie BBQ has a different style to the American BBQ.

Canada is bilingual, Ireland has more history than you can shake a stick at, England has a national anthem about their Queen, the USA has the right to bear arms, New Zealand has the haka and the Cayman Islands is famous as a tax haven.

Richard McManus says Remember that one of the cardinal rules of web design is that you must understand what the user wants.

That may be true, but the first rule of Business 2.0 is knowing who your customer is.

While more than one have missed the point, services like gnoos are valuable because they know who their locals are, they know what being local is, not because they hire someone to teach them how to be like a local, they actually are local.

For local consumers who see ads with people wearing the wrong clothes and speaking with the wrong accent, it’s just not cricket. If you want to speak to a local market and have them listen, or build a community, you’d better learn more than the lingo mate.

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What are you doing with your time?

During Mike Walsh’s Future of Media speech, he asked what the new generation are doing with their time.

Well Mike, my media intake is heavy on podcasts, the odd copy of AFR (if I can’t read it for free in a cafe – I only read the Information section), plenty of imported magazines (WIRED, Business 2.0, F@st Company, Technology Review and New Scientist – thankyou Borders) and a little Foxtel on the side (MegaMachines, Techknowledge, etc). I browse via Technorati and Gnoos.

What I don’t spend any of my media attention on is: radio and newspapers.

He speaks extensively on high culture vs low culture, but I disagree with his views on this.

Just so you know Mike, the “dumbing down” of media in Australia is why my old media intake has reduced to zero. I’m not interested in the ratings-prostitution of “news” TV such as Today Tonight, I’d rather read an independent journo’s blog, it contains far less FUD.

With 10 years online, I’m in the older group of the new generation (X/Y cusper to be exact) and I can tell you why old media is dying, it sucks.

I can’t get the content I want. I’m willing to pay for it, it’s just not available.
Money is not the issue, availability is the issue. There is no way to pay for something that’s not available.

I strongly disagree with Mike that the new generation is not willing to pick up the tab. More FUD. The new generation is sick of hearing the old media bartender saying “we only serve scotch, straight up, cash only”.

I want the Information section from AFR (not available every day) + blog feeds + podcasts + technology TV shows (okay, and Criminal Intent).

I want the content when it’s new, not 5 days later, 6 months later or 2 years later.

I no longer buy music CDs because I’m sick of waiting 2 years for a US album to become available in Australia. Now the only new CDs I get are gifts. Old media is simply too irritating to deal with, even with digital downloads (DRM makes me pay multiple times for content I already own). Podcasts are my replacement.

I’m re-routing around old media, as it wastes my time.

Oh and that speech could also have been distributed as audio only, a talking head adds no value. You just wasted my valuable bandwidth.

So I guess the final answer to his question is, I’m spending my time more wisely, only on the content I want. I’m trying to Get Things Done.
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