Marketing Studies

I just flew back in from Bosnia, one of the ex-republics of ex-Yugoslavia, of which Slovenia was once part, but was the first to claim independance.

We got away with it easily, but most ex-republics weren't so luckly, including Bosnia and Hercegovina. They were devasted by war and started picking up only a few years ago.

But surprisingly, their capital city, Sarajevo, is just as beautiful as it ever was.

The combination of Slavic and Muslim influences is quite unbelievable. While Slovenia was under Austrian and German (western) influence, most other countries of ex-Yugoslavia were heavily under Muslim and Turkish influences. And it shows when walking down their streets ... and it's absolutely fascinating.

Anyway, I found that the country has huge unemployement problems. Actually, the majority of my guests (attendees) were unemployed. Even more so, I had no translation, so I had to speak in their language, which I haven't used for more than 10 years.

And still, I enjoyed it. These people are underprivileged. Their economy is just starting to pick up. Their unemployement rate is extraordinarly high.

But all of these people, who never before heard of internet marketing, are now quickly learning the basics of what it takes to generate positive ROI on the internet. I'm happy for them, and I'm amazed to see how hard they are trying.

They might not be all getting it right, but they're doing their best. After so many years of war, I can only commend them for putting up so much effort in to the Internet, especially considering that it achieves only an app. 20% penetration in their country.

Makes you think, doesn't it?

These people are all just starting out with our informational era ... how far can they get?

With their drive and ambition, I wouldn't be surprised if they came up with the next Google in a couple of years ...