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Category Archives: Social Media
Vancouver based Zite Acquired By CNN: Why are Canadian Media Companies Not In The Game?
August 22, 2011 – 11:19 pm
Image by Getty Images via @daylife
So TechVibes is reporting that the Vancouver based iPad personal news application, Zite, is being bought by CNN for a reported $20-25 million.
At the time of this post there was no official confirmation on the Zite blog, but if true, it is great news for a Canadian start-up that was first germinated at the University of British Columbia.
According to TechVibes “Once official this acquisition story will be a huge feather in Vancouver’s and Canada’s startup cap. Zite evolved from technology developed at UBC and the company has been a poster boy for government programs with grants from Canada’s National Research Council and PRECARN.”
So the question is how does an American media company scoop in and pick up a promising Canadian startup?
The answer: Canadian media companies are asleep at the switch.
In fact, where are all the Canadian media companies? Where is Shaw? Where is Rogers? Where is Bell? Where is Telus?
Oh right there too busy lobbying the CRTC to protect antiquated market share, rather than throwing there hat in the ring and adding next generation news value to their properties.
Meanwhile, for those who don’t know Bell Globe Media owns a number of news outlets including CTV and the Globe and Mail. Shaw Media owns Global News. Rogers owns City TV and host of other news outlets and publications.
The point is not to single out Shaw or Bell or Rogers but rather to highlight how risk averse all Canadian Media companies are – coddled by governments and regulators, propped up by taxpayers our media landscape is one of stay the course.
Simply put, there is a lot of innovation the start-up media landscape in Canada, the media companies in this country don’t really seem to carry.
The consequence: something that was nurtured and developed here in Canada is ignored by the very companies who may well need it for there future survival.
Related articles
- CNN snaps up Vancouver’s Zite (business.financialpost.com)
Twitter Guide For Governments
July 27, 2009 – 1:17 pm
As you may know Twitter asks users to distill what they want to say to 140 characters.
Well, here is a guide for governments and pulbic institution types for using twitter – it clocks in at a heft 20 pages.
Hmmm, some usefull stuff in here, done by a strategist with UK Government, but 20 pages? In the age A.D.D. and CPA (continuous partial attention) that qualifies as a book.
Template Twitter Strategy for Government Departments
The World Is Flat | Kiva in USA
June 10, 2009 – 8:29 am
The online microlender KIVA is bringing its services to the United States. Traditionally, KIVA provides “crowd powered” micro-loans to entrepreneurs in the developing world. Not amymore, it is now facilitating micro loans in select U.S. cities.
The service has been very successful. Since it’s existence Kiva says it has has raised more than “$75-million from 500,000 people and lent the money to about 180,000 entrepreneurs in 44 countries”. (source:globe and mail)
Twitter | Strategy Guide
June 8, 2009 – 12:54 pm
For those organizations, companies who have no clue how to leverage Twitter, here is a good reference guide, courtesy of the magazine muchmor
Twitter Usage Diagram
Public Art | Cellphone Date | And ROI
June 8, 2009 – 10:21 am
Here is a very interesting post about a study that looked at the impact of New York City’s waterfalls public art project. Last fall, there were 4 man-made waterfalls in various parts of NYC harbour.
The study from MIT SENSeable City lab guaged the digital footprint of these attractions by mapping the distribution of visitors to the respectives exhibits, grabbing where photos were taken etc.,
By collecting and analysing this type of digital information a city now has sophistacted tools to track the return on investement for such projects.
Fascintating stuff.
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