The average Canadian now spends more time on the Internet than watching television, according to a new survey from Ipsos Reid, a shift in digital habits that reflects the increasing prevalence of computers in our lives.

The findings in this study reinforce my previous calls for investment in better Internet access for Canadian users. Not only that, but this study really brings to light the inequality in traditional vs. digital media spending on behalf of advertisers and marketers. I don’t believe that traditional media is dead. However, this new data should pave the way for better and fair funding of commercial and non-profit initiatives online.

Canadians now spend more than 18 hours a week online, compared to just under 17 hours watching television.

Although those aged 55 and over were still more likely to spend a longer time watching TV than younger generations, Canadians as a whole were spending more time online for the first time, Ipsos said.

Read the rest of the article in the Globe and Mail

As seen on Green Earth Facts

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ILQrUrEWe8

• Mobile phone penetration is upwards of 4 out of 5 people in the United States and more people now have a mobile phone than have PC-based Internet access. This is especially true for older adults and lower-income individuals.
• Mobile Internet usage continues to grow. Over the last three years usage has grown approximately 25% per year. With smartphones becoming more affordable, advanced, and widely adopted, we’ll likely see a greater increase in 2009. Currently, 40-45 million mobile subscribers use the mobile Internet regularly.
• Minorities are significant mobile data users across all features and applications.
• Mobile is not just youth-focused – texting behaviour may skew a bit younger, but the bulk of the mobile Internet usage comes from 25-44 year olds.

As any stats, these are more likely skewed to reflect IAB views on the topic – it would be nice to see some true number-based stats of mobile Internet users in North America as opposed to rates of regular mobile users who might be accessing online content. And I am sure that these stats are lower in Canada (and a lot of other parts of the world), but the rate of growth in mobile Internet usage provokes some thought. My take on it – the usage numbers  and rates of growth are astounding. No wonder lower-income and minority groups are adopting mobile Internet at a great rate – there is not much need anymore for a bulky hardware investment to access data and information.

I foresee a greater investment in corporate web infrastructure and content compatibility for mobile in the next few years coming from some of the more progressive brands out there. However, much more needs to be done in Canada to allow for more transparency in mobile Internet penetration. Canadian mobile industry is driven by a few telecommunication giants like Rogers (Fido), Bell (Solo) and Telus (Koodo). Canadian mobile Internet access costs are still pretty steep, considering the lack of truly competitive mobile market – so this change in medium habits will most likely be staggered in Canada.

You can find the complete downloadable guide on IAB website.

As I usually do, I first visited TigerDirect and looked at what they had in stock. I found my DNS-323, which was listed at $225.99 + tax and shipping. Ouch. Having heard of Dell on Twitter, I decided to see if I could find a better deal there. After talking to a few Dell Twitter employees using TweetDeck, they located a deal on DNS-323 for $145.99 and $0 shipping. I completed the sale and received the product the next day. What a great brand experience – it took me about 30 minutes to make an educated purchase at a great value, based on a multitude of custom recommendations and personal connections.

A company that has a meaningful dialogue with its customers and provides them with great value will sell.
Bravo, Dell.

P.S. I am in no way affiliated with Dell and have never been their customer.
P.S.S. Today I came across this article, which perfectly reinforced up my experience:

Asked whether they want more stuff, consumers in rich countries have responded with an emphatic “No”. The breathtaking speed with which retail sales have plummeted in both America and Europe (see chart) has caught retailers and manufacturers by surprise. In response, companies have tried desperately to prop up revenues using a variety of promotions, advertising and other marketing ploys, often to no avail.

But as they battle with these immediate problems, marketers are also pondering what longer-term changes in consumer behaviour have been triggered by the recession. It is tempting to conclude that, once economies rebound, customers will start spending again as they did before. Yet there are good reasons to think that what promises to be the worst downturn since the Depression will spark profound shifts in shoppers’ psychology.

…

The downturn will also accelerate the use of social media, such as blogs and social-networking sites, by consumers looking for intelligence on firms and their products. As trust in brands is eroded, people will place more value on recommendations from friends. Social media make it harder for brands to pull the wool over consumers’ eyes, but they also offer canny companies a powerful new channel through which to promote their wares and test new products and pricing strategies.

Marketers ignore the messages that emanate from these groups at their peril. For one thing is clear: this recession has triggered a wholesale reappraisal by shoppers of the value that their habitual brands deliver. The winners will be those that adapt intelligently to the new reality. The losers will be those who think they can win simply by telling consumers to “Want It!”

Read the rest on Economist

P.S. Eric Gill was actually quite a character.
P.S.S. Love the ½ ligature in the issue number.