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The use of Internet
technology continues to grow at an accelerating
rate. It is no longer emerging; it is a reality and
an imperative for associations to adopt. Are you
investing the resources to capitalize on technology
for your association? Do you have a systematic,
ongoing approach to identify ways to capitalize on
technology to add value? Look at the following
facts:
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81% of adults 18-64
are Internet users (USA Today 1/11).
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93% of teenagers in
the U.S. are online and 55% use social networking
sites like MySpace (USA Today 1/8).
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Speaking of MySpace:
it had 55 million users in December 2006 (USA Today
1/18). If you think this is for kids, think again:
42% of visitors were 45 and older.
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Almost half of teens
use instant messaging (IM) (Cape Cod Times 12/8).
About 20% have used IM to ask for or accept a date
and 16% have used it to break up with someone.
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Amazon.com’s busiest
day of the 2006 holiday season was December 11th
when it handled 4 million orders (NYTimes 1/27).
That’s roughly 2,800 per minute based on a 24-hour
day.
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Worldwide sales of
digitally distributed music rose 80% to $2 billion
or 10% of all sales in 2006 according to the (NYTimes
1/18).
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24% of buyers found
their home on the Internet in 2006, up from only 2%
in 1997 according to the National Association of
REALTORS (USA Today 1/18).
Trade associations are developing strategies and
crafting messages for the new Democratic Congress
(WSJ 1/4). The American Petroleum Institute
will use television and newspaper ads to show why
Big Oil needs to be big; the National Mining
Association is communicating the costs of
climate-change; the Edison Electric Institute
is addressing emissions controls. Most are on the
defensive: “We’re working with the administration
and members of both sides to minimize the damage,”
says a representative of the National Restaurant
Association.
ADVOCACY: These associations need to
demonstrate how they are adding value in a hostile
environment.
The Consumer Electronics Show attracted 140,000
attendees and 27,000 exhibitors to Las Vegas (NYTimes
1/6). It also provides $80 million in revenue for
the Consumer Electronics Association.
Samsung, this year’s largest exhibitor, pays
$875,000 for its 25,000 square foot booth.
WOW: Now that’s a trade show!
The American Academy of Pediatrics has
developed policy statements on reducing children’s
exposure to anti-impotence drugs and more for birth
control; limits to children’s television viewing and
Internet access; and on alcoholic beverage promotion
(NYT 12/5). The policy calls on Congress and the FCC
to limit the amount of advertising on children’s TV.
PR: AAP does an outstanding job of
media relations and advocating for children. By the
way, how do you increase exposure to birth control
if you reduce TV and Internet access?
The Academy for Eating Disorders and the
Council of Fashion Designers of America are at
odds regarding dangerously thin models on fashion
runways (NYT 1/9). The question: do thin models
cause eating disorders? Says a spokesman for the
National Eating Disorders Association: “It is
like saying that tobacco advertising does not cause
lung cancer.”
NO COMMENT
More than half of all consumers, at all income
levels, say that lack of time is a bigger problem
than lack of money according to a Yankelovich survey
(USA Today 12/1). 68% in the survey say they will
hang up if put on hold; 61% will cancel an online
purchase if it takes too long; 64% swear they will
never serve on another association committee if it
wastes their time (OK, I made that last one up.)
TIME: Do your communications, programs and
volunteer processes fit the realities of a
time-pressed member?
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