Blog

4.01.15

Forrester outlines digital readiness

Where is the curve when it comes to digital marketing? 

Who's ahead of it and who's behind it?

When it comes to which areas around the world are ready to fully grasp what is happening online, finding an accurate answer can be hard to come by. While some places are red-hot with fast connections and robust platform use, other places still lag behind. In order to give a clearer and fuller picture of how the world is reacting to and embracing digital media, Forrester Research has released what it calls the Forrester Readiness Index (FRI) for digital marketing. 

In it, the research giant outlines which countries are the top adopters and users of digital marketing. The results should come as no surprise. According to Forrester

"The US takes the top position in the Forrester Readiness Index: Digital Marketing, 2015. The US scores well on a number of variables: Its GDP is the highest in the world, at more than $17 trillion in 2014; it has one of the largest online populations in the world, and these online users are highly engaged and have a longer online tenure than in most other countries; US online advertising spending is the highest in the world in absolute dollar terms, while the US is way ahead of other countries in terms of online infrastructure metrics, such as the number of IP addresses or mail servers. In terms of the top 10 economies, the US is followed by China, Japan, the UK, South Korea, Germany, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Sweden."

Why does this matter?

For companies with global rearch, understanding how different constituencies communicate and share information digitally, knowing what that looks like on the ground is key. When launching an online campaign to reach an audience, it's key to understand how best they will receive the information and if they will get it at all. Who has email? What is the dominant social media? Will online video play, let alone be effective? 

All of these questions can be answered with quality data. And in this case, the the best data could help a brand win around the world.