Marketing Studies

With the constant lack of time, I didn't really have the time to write anything about my speaking in Estonia last week.

First of all, great thanks are in order to Robin Gurney and Priit Kallas of Altex Marketing who organized the excellent event and showed me around Talinn, as well as shared much information on internet marketing in Estonia.

Exploring internet marketing there actually helped me establish a much better global perspective of our industry, especially comparing it with the US and with my home market, Slovenia.

Perhaps even with a hint of nostalgia, as the Estonian internet market really reminds me of where we were in Slovenia a couple of years ago, with ad networks just starting to crop up and companies just starting to take advantage of many of the tactics already employed in the US.

But then on the other hand, while blogging is still a mistery in most of the Central and Eastern European region, it's really taking of in Estonia.

Putting things in perspective I can't help but to think that in some way, all of us working on these small markets are somewhat brave to take on populations of even less than 2.000.000. Yeah, in fact not even enough to do a decent test.

Compare this to the population of New York and you'll see what I mean. One week in the US talking about doing an e-mail test with 750.000 names, and then again another week working on markets that barely have twice or three times the population of the proposed e-mail test.

It certainly makes one think and re-affirm his conviction that in Central and Eastern Europe we really can't talk about individual markets, but need to take on the region as a whole and the challenges posed by its social, cultural and economic diversities.

Coming from a country with a population of 2.000.000, I do feel in some way privileged for working on the 350.000.000 CEE market, although the challenges we are facing are quite immense.

But going back to Estonia, one would think that such a small country wouldn't have many internet marketing opportunities. I, on the other hand, see the country as full of possibilities and open doors for anyone willing to spend some time getting to know the market.

Not only a country of unprecedented beauty, they must be one of the most advanced when it comes to all-round internet access and e-goverment, just to name two key aspects of the market.

A definite must-see for everyone, and an excellent destination for every internet marketer. If you'd like to pay them a visit, contact Robin and I'm sure he'd be interested in hearing what you'd like to present to his audiences there.