By Luciano Schlaen, Director for Europe of Paginar.net.
Article published in Media-tics.com > View
In March 2010 I published an article in Ejecutivos Magazine which posed the opportunity it represents for Spain this privileged position that is a legacy of its colonial history. This advantageous situation could the starting point for implementing a strategic plan that could have enormous benefits for Spain.
In this first of the series of articles about the need for a Spanish Strategy for Internet, I will briefly review the arguments supporting this idea and the main advantages for Spain. The following articles will be dedicated to develop each of these opportunities with the intention that it may be the program on which to base a Global Strategy for Spain on the Internet.
Language is the main communication tool
Currently, Spanish is the second language on the planet. There are over 500,000,000 people who are native speakers, of which 153,000,000 are already connected to the Internet. This makes the Spanish the third most used language on Internet, after English and Mandarin Chinese.
As I mentioned above, this position of Spanish at the TOP 3 is a heritage of the Conquest of America over 500 years ago. Spain is not doing anything about it. Imagine what would the French or the Germans do...
It is true that the Spain developed very valuable initiatives in both the language and the information technology fields. The Cervantes Institute, which works constantly to strengthen the Spanish around the world, and Red.es, which does an excellent job to develop the Information Society in Spain. But there is no overall strategy for Spain on the Internet. Cervantes and Red.es should be joined to implement policies with two clear goals:
1) to consolidate and extend the advantage of having one of the most widespread languages on the Internet; and
2) take advantage of this benefit.
Spain needs to develop a coherent and long-term strategy to gain influence at the online world. An influence that Spain does not have today, but may have.
Increase the base and create the offer
A Global Strategy for Spain on the Internet should have two basic areas:
1) Facilitate access to the Internet in Latin America.
2) In conjunction with a policy to grow the Hispanic community on the Internet should be another, complementary, aimed to produce and distribute content according to Spanish interests.
Of the 500 million Spanish spoken, only 153 are connected to the Internet. So a first step to ensure the dominance of Spanish on the Web could help increase the number of Spanish-speaking Internet users. The goal, then, are the 347 million still lack access to the Internet.
This would increase the target audience and create the proper channels of communication and interaction with this huge mass of users to offer content, services and products.
The privileged position of Spain
There are three reasons to place Spain in a position to do this:
1) Spain is the first economic power of Hispanic world. By far. No other Hispanic country can aspire to do this.
2) It is the connection point between Europe and the Hispanic world par excellence.
3) It is the natural reference to the Latin American world, by cultural identity and history, despite having lost weight before the United States, and now China, in the region.
With such strategy Spain would achieve a unique and privileged position in the world. Would be "dominating" public space "in Spanish," guided by long-range goals: to connect the world with Spain and Spain to the world, building links with Spain based on commitment and trust through knowledge and also to position Spain as cultural, educational, scientific and economic reference.
10 key advantages for Spain
What advantages would bring to Spain? I think there are 10 key points that can serve as the programmatic basis for a future strategic plan.
1) Distribution of large-scale cultural products.
2) Promotion of Spain at all levels (tourism, education, research, entertainment, etc.).
3) Attracting investment.
4) Improve the perception of Spanish companies and products in Latin America, potential market of the entire Spanish economy.
5) Influence on the political and economic vision of reality.
6) Creating direct channels with potential investors and capital markets.
7) Creating an online community with Latin American countries to establish common interests in the world.
8) Construction of agenda on issues of strategic importance to Spain in the region and the world.
9) Promote the Spanish telecommunications industry.
10) Promote a Hispanic lifestyle in the world.
The list is huge and probably could not be exhaustive in a first approach to the subject. But it is clear that to carry out only one of these ten objectives the strategy would be already successful.
A unique opportunity
Given that this is fertile ground where the only really important actors are private companies and, generally from United States such as Google or Facebook, it seems that Spain has a free space that can be occupied.
Clearly we are facing an incredible opportunity. Something that very few countries can dream about. The first would be to call attention to this great opportunity to put it on the public agenda. And, from there, generate a discussion that will define the priorities for Spain. What would lead directly to establishing a clear and simple a Global Strategy for Spain on the Internet, with precise objectives.
Spain can occupy a privileged place in the international arena and Internet is the natural environment to make it happen.
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